Perfect looking English villages…

[Newyearnewus]

Looking for some ideas from fellow mumsnetters who may be in the know! I’ve name changed for this as people I know use this site and DH and I haven’t told anyone our plans yet in RL….

Our children have grown and are off doing their own thing. DH and I have decided now is the time to move somewhere new for a different pace of life. We currently live in a big town in the south of England but want to move to a picturesque, small countryside village. Something similar to the vibe in the film ‘The Holiday’. I know this was filmed in Shere, Surrey and was exaggerated but you get my drift….

Think thatched cottages, nice scenery, community feel. We’ll have a healthy budget of around £800,000. More or less happy to go anywhere in England- husband and I both work remotely. However we would prefer to not go towards Cornwall/Devon purely for distance more Home Counties, Norfolk, Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, Lake District.

We’d love if there was a local pub within walking distance, village shop etc.

Appreciate there will be loads of places that could fit the bill but looking for suggestions from people who live in somewhere like this or know of somewhere first hand. We’d love to do some research in the new year so we can start looking.

Thank you all

Not quite the same experience but non the less a bit weird.. we have only lived in our village since august. It’s chocolate box. There are seemingly lots of air b n b’s and holiday cottages. A few weeks ago we went to the pub and got chatting to a couple, they were staying in a holiday cottage for the weekend. We were recommending where they could walk their dog and places to go.

We then said we had only lived here a few months, and the bloke went, ‘you live here? In the village? Are there actual people/residents that live here?’

it was so strange! I’ve pondered on that so many times since, I wish I had queried it with him but I’m guessing he thought it was some made up village or just for holiday makers or something. Maybe he thought the houses were just facades like the coronation street film set. 😂

Castle Combe is as chocolate box as it gets, but there are other lovely villages in that area that aren't so touristy, e.g. Biddestone, Yatton Keynell. Shops,
services and mainline train to Bath, Bristol and London in Chippenham.

Frant, East Sussex

Yorkshire!
Helmsley, Aysgarth, Thornton le Dale, Hutton le Hole.

There are some really beautiful little villages in Suffolk surrounding Newmarket but I'd need a lottery win to relocate there from my bit of Yorkshire.

Rushlake Green in East Sussex is sweet and nice community feel. On a bigger scale Haslemere feels nice, there is (or was pre Covid) an annual camp out and bonfire on NT grounds etc. but also has Waitrose, doctors, sports shop etc..

Lovely villages remind me of Midsomer Murders.

Chilham near Canterbury is so chocolate box that it gets used for film sets.

Weobley, Pembridge, Eardisland - all in Herefordshire on the Black and White trail and absolutely lovely.

We moved to a picturesque village with pub and village shop this summer. We're just outside Chichester it's been great. We have a brilliant GP and dentist in the next village only a 10 min walk. Good bus service ( we don't drive)
You said you're in the south but west-sussex seems great to us so far.

Bamburgh in Northumberland , and a huge castle next to the sea in that village too, it's beautiful

Empingham in Rutlandshire is lovely.

Wisborough Green always looks like the perfect village - village green cricket, pub, church and duck pond.

West Chiltington has some lovely arts and crafts houses.

Sidlesham - great pub and walks but no other facilities.

Bosham - especially if you like sailing.

All West Sussex.

I think a touristy place, like Lacock in Wiltshire would be good, as you'd know the place would always be thriving, shops open, etc.

The Cotswolds also.

You might like a village on the outskirts of Bath: Saltford, near the River Avon, or one similar.

Chartham in Kent
It might be a Town rather than a village but I think it is a village
Also not far at all from Canterbury

F to return

Villages are funny places as some are extremely cliquey, trouble is you won’t really know until you move. Where I grew up people can be a quite funny about outsiders as locals struggle afford to buy there anymore. It’s been an issue for decades but during covid it became a bigger issue as people left London.

You say Devon and Cornwall are too far from family, but have you considered Somerset? It’s near the M5 and near enough to Bristol for job opportunities too. You can find gorgeous affordable houses and villages there. I moved to Devon when mobile phones were rare and the internet was barely born, now 23 years later we suffer from the weakest broadband in the country and no mobile reception at all, so put that at the top of your list of needs! Also, as a nurse, I couldn’t have found a place further from a hospital if I’d tried, just assumed there’d be one on every street corner like there was in London!

Wisborough Green in West Sussex.

Longstock (Test valley, Hampshire) is picture perfect and 2 pubs!!!

Cleeve priors - Warwickshire/Worcestershire border close to Gloucestershire. Whenever I drive through I think how lovely it is.

So many little villages seem to be "ruined" by newborn build estates lately.

Ha, I came on to suggest Chipping Campden, too! MIL lived there (well, just outside in Broad Campden, which is a gorgeous hamlet).
It has pubs, shops, surgery, not too far fro Stratford upon Avon and lots of other beautiful villages, like Broadway.

Was going to suggest Dorset but someone beat me to it.

Herefordshire

My own suggestion as practical but pretty include Bradford on Avon, Box, Woodstock, (Oxfordshire) Bramley/shalford/chiddingfold (Guildford)