Moving back to the U.K. but to where?

[KobaniDaughters]

We’ve been expats for 5yrs and looking to move back to the U.K. possibly as soon as this summer. For various reasons we won’t be able to do a reccy before the summer so trying to decide where to live from abroad is tough, would love any thoughts and opinions to look at from far away. If we move early 2022 we can reccy this summer but for school reasons I’d rather come back for the start of the academic year so assume we can’t.

Needs:
1.5hrs by train to London
1.5-2hrs drive from Horsham/Guildford area
Close to a reasonable sized city
Small town or big village
Good local primary and secondary (D.C. would be entering yrs 5&8) but not grammar (don’t imagine DC1 would get in and we’ve missed the deadline for the tests anyway) that DC can get to Independantly
Good sense of community/things to do/cycling clubs/opportunities to meet people (we’re very social)
Liberal leaning
Be able to rent a 4bed detached house for under £2500pcm or buy a 4bed detached house for under £600K (pref rent but there seems to be nothing on the market) and need dedicated office space

We know and love Sussex, and pockets of Surrey and Hampshire. Would be happy to live in a town or village close to Horsham, Billingshurst, Chichester, Winchester. I don’t know Oxfordshire or Wiltshire at all and would love to find out more about both. I’m assuming East Anglia and Cambridgeshire would be out of the question due to distance to Sussex.

Have been looking at the Hassocks/Keymer/Hurstpierpoint area but houses are few and far between

DH would be working remotely, I am a freelancer with some work remote and other projects would be in London so I wouldn’t have to do the commute full time. Ask away any other questions that might be relevant! I’ve been on Rightmove for YEARS but feel free to send any specific ideas...

What about some of the towns a bit further north of Milton Keynes. Towcester maybe?

I don’t know up there at all - tell me more!

Winchester is a lovely city & nearby is e.g. Chandlers Ford which has Thornden school - ( have not had a child there myself but reputed to be a very great state secondary school.) It has a very specific catchment area though so you would need to check that. I think the area is mainly Hilitingbury which is a nicer area of CF and you are within 5 / 10 mins drive of Winchester which I think is a lovely city - also close almost walking distance to Eastleigh ( which is useful ) and near to Southampton .

As I recall Winchester to London trains are approx an hour and you can drive to Guildford / London in and hour and a half.

I'm coming at this from the 2ndary school angle ( Thornden ) and so I think you will ( in catchment ) living in a nice safe area but not buzzy. However near enough towns / cities to find that. It isn't chocolate box village style but Thornden I believe is a great school.

Others will be able to speak more knowledgeably about state schools in Winchester - which I think is prettier but more expensive.

All best

Basilisk

Saltdean?

I second Winchester. It was recently voted one of the best places to live in some article I read. The schools are great, it’s easy to commute from, beautiful places to visit and good community.

Rightmove actually has a nifty tool to help with this! where.rightmove.co.uk

It looks like quite a lot of outer London is within your reach, plus Oxford, Swindon, the M4 corridor as far as Reading and MK. You'll obviously get more/nicer properties outside the expensive bits though! I'd probably concentrate on finding schools you like and then looking for a place nearby. Winchester is lovely!

Just anecdote but I know 5 expat families that have moved back in recent months - one has gone to Cornwall, the others have gone to either to West London, Windsor or Reading and the villages around. (The London and Reading ones are independent schooling and the Windsor ones are going for Windsor Boys and Holyport.)

How does one exactly start looking for a school you like from abroad though? I don’t want to have to move DC particularly the eldest so I agree it’s important to get right - and where other than Rightmove Can you find places to rent?

How about Worthing (or villages in the outskirts Goring, Ferring, Angmering)? Good schools, train links, the beach and the downs for activities and close to Brighton?

The challenge with schools is (assuming state) you will get allocated a place based on where has spaces. For your yr5 you can then obviously apply by Oct for Secondary in the main round. Your yr8 might be trickier if your desired schools don't have spaces. You are better off with an area with generally good schools and asking the LA where they have spaces, rather than targeting one popular school. I would also prioritise secondary, based on your child being there longer.

Winchester is lovely but extremely expensive and traffic can be awful. You could look at Alton and Farnham; Alton is the cheaper of the two but both are nearish Guildford and on a train line into London but with easy access to the countryside with lots of good cycling. Petersfield and Midhurst also nice. No idea about schools though.

Petersfield seems to tick all the boxes?

But there seems to be little to rent there. There are masses of rental houses in Guildford for your budget?

You won’t get anything in Winchester for your budget. As PP - Chandlers Ford would work. Or Romsey? Romsey has more of a small town feel but also has lots of clubs, a swimming pool, theatre etc. Not sure much around there is liberal leaning though!

If you know and love Sussex then either I'm a bit thick or that's where you move to surely?

East Reading. It has all you want, plus I'd you are in the Wokingham Borough part of town (Earley, Woodley) the schools are excellent.

I'd suggest (some parts of) Kent - not liberal leaning (yet!) but really some beautiful houses/landscape/good schools.

Horsham/Dorking/Reigate or a surrounding village. All have a selection of good schools.

Newbury and Thatcham might be worth a look.

Good schools, fast train to London on Paddington line. Easy access to Reading, and I assume it is easy going onward to Guildford from there.
Lovely countryside, good links to Reading, London and Oxford.

Sussex definitely, especially if you already like it. You could rent, explore a bit and decide where you want to be permanently.

Wokingham, Berkshire seems to fit all your criteria.
Schools are excellent and it's a small town near to larger ones.
The only downside is that it's quite a conservative area ( John Redwood is MP), but there are lots of lovely liberals living there 😉

Thanks for suggestions so far

@BendingSpoons that’s what I was thinking we’d have to do - rentals in particular seem so few and far between I’m hoping to find somewhere wher there’s a choice of decent schools rather than pin our hopes on one

@itwa if you have any suggestions around Guildford I’d love to hear them, DH is keen not to be in an actual city

@denverRegina our budget is proving somewhat problematic for Sussex unfortunately

Warwick or Leamington Spa? Might be a bit too far from Surrey but certainly fine for getting into London.

North Leamington is very liberal though may be out of your budget. Worth having a look on right move.
Both areas have good state and indie schools.

Do take all other posters advice. I just checked & in Thornden catchment area - not a house to rent with 3 or 4 bedrooms. There was a poster ( knowledgeable ) who used to speak of Thornden - she knew the Southampton / Winchester area - I think she had children at Peter Symonds - 6th form college ) which is also fantastic) - my Mil - sold their house specifically ( by which I mean the buyers wanted it ) because it was within walking distance of Thornden & it had planning permission for an extra bedroom.

Well , I do wish you well

Basilisk x

@BasiliskStare I intend to! It’s so hard having to make decisions when you live so far away. Especially with having an older DC we don’t really have the luxury to try areas out until we find the right fit

Oxfordshire seems to have great schools but I don’t know it at all - any suggestions? Also Berkshire