Where is your dream village in the UK to call home?

[flutterbye88]

Hi everyone!

After a year of googling, reading posts and mini breaks to check out areas - we're still lost in our search for a forever home/area. It's so hard to get a feel for a place in a short amount of time!

We've discovered many beautiful villages, but we're holding out for 'the one' - one with like-minded sociabe folk and utterly charming!!

So I'd love to put the question to the Mumsnet Hive -

Where is your dream village in the UK to call home?

Who we are and what we're hoping to find:

We’re a family with young children (aged 6, 3, and 1½). hoping to find our forever place, somewhere we can put down roots and be part of a warm, lively community.

We don’t have much extended family around us, so we work on building that sense of belonging from within, for us, and for our kiddies.

We’re the kind of family who love travel, adventure and a bit of fun, but we’re also very grounded and homely.

We love the idea of raising our kids somewhere they can have a proper childhood - muddy knees, village fêtes, neighbours who become friends for playdates AND wine!! Somewhere, the children will feel they have proper roots and people who know them, once we pass.

What we’re looking for:
✨ A beautiful, friendly village with a really strong sense of community. Somewhere where people get involved and look out for one another.
✨ Good schools
✨ Close enough to a safe, interesting town so they’re not climbing the walls as teenagers!
✨ Somewhere that feels special/charming - pretty, welcoming, with that hard-to-describe “spark” that makes you fall in love with it.
✨ A place where, one day, our children will feel proud to come back with their own families.

We work remotely, so we’re flexible on location and can choose anywhere in the UK. Our budget is up to £850k (for a 4-bed house)

Do you live somewhere like this, or know a village or small town that sounds this dreamy? We’d LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear your suggestions, stories, or tips.

We’re ready to build a life somewhere special. 💛

Thank you so much in advance! x

@Nichebitch that’s very nice too - we lived close to there at one point

Funnily enough, my brother used to live in Poppleton (though I never actually made it over to visit him). At the time, I just assumed it wouldn’t really be my jam if he loved it, lol - I was all about Brighton fun, and he was more the coding type, if that makes sense! But places change over the years… and so have I! I’ll definitely pop it on the list to drive around when we’re up at Christmas - thank you!
Ilkley was actually on our hit list too, it ticks SO many boxes! - we stayed there for a week a few months back to give it a proper test run. We loved pottering by the river, the lovely veggie café, and all the cosy pubs. But there was a bit of a mix of visitors who’d come in on the train, some being a bit “sweary Mary,” and a few teens rolling around on ketamine… and this was early afternoon! Maybe we just caught it on a bad day - and to be fair, you do get that kind of thing in plenty of places. I think we’re just holding out for something sliiightly different.

Malton, I'm defo going to check out!
Thanks :)

Same !

Look at Lostwithiel in Cornwall on the river Fowey.Main line station Penzance to Paddington.Great community,arts,music festivals laid back atmosphere lots of younger families.Very friendly.Forest school,nursery and 2 primary schools.Great GP surgery best in the SW.Near Heligan and Eden great beaches.Best place so lucky to live here.

Forget Alnmouth, looks lovely but full of second homes, no real community, dead in the winter. Look at Warkworth which is nearby, great primary school, train station to Newcastle nearby, beautiful beach, 2 lovely pubs full of locals, summer fetes, village hall, cricket pitch and club, golf club, river walks and not stupid house prices. Not to mention the stunning castle. It’s a lovely place to live x

Crickhowell in Powys

One of the Saddleworth villages

As the Mum of now grown up teenagers the ability for my children to be independent and socialise with their friends was so important. Agree it’s not a necessity for everyone but it definitely worked for our tribe.
Being able to jump on a bus or walk into town was a big part of their teenage years!
I was very happy to give them lifts when necessary but they liked being independent and weirdly myself and husband preferred not to be a taxi service every time they were meeting up with friends.

Much Hadham, Hertfordshire.

I agree with either villages near Beverley or the Saddleworth villages. I think my favourite of the latter is Uppermill but that’s because I prefer bigger villages.

Round my way (I don’t live in either) you could look at Kingham and Charlbury in the Cotswolds. They have what you want. But your budget is tight there so why give yourself the stress unless you have to.

I agree that teens might not need to get to places under their own steam but by mid teens they almost certainly will want to (even my two who are quiet and homeloving). Ours were bored stiff with our market town by late teens, fortunately we have some public transport options but limited and secondary schools / colleges have huge catchments meaning friends can be a long way away. We had to do a huge amount of driving to evening and weekend activities too.

Goring on Thames is great. Very active community. River/woods/hills nearby - a really lovely setting. Fast train to Reading/London/Oxford. Lots of people move there from London, and even those who grew up there usually left for a while before coming back, so it doesn't feel closed and it's very easy to fit in without feeling like a newcomer. But at the same time, once they move there most people stay for decades, so it still feels stable and everyone knows each other.

However, because of all the above, you will only just manage to find a 4 bed house for 850k and it probably won't be as large/attractive as you have in mind.

I've just checked Albourne out, it's so sweet! It reminds me of the village in the book 'Milly Molly Mandy'

East Hendred in Oxfordshire. Absolutely beautiful and meets all of your requirements. We moved here and it's been idyllic as a place for our children to grow up. 2 schools (one recently rated as best in the area by the Telegraph), 2 pubs, 2 churches, a village shop, play area, lovely walks through forests, across fields, etc.

I grew up in a village and although I enjoyed my childhood my teen years weren’t great! We were close to a city (25 mins) and I remember thinking I wish I lived there, much more to do! Even though we were close to the city, public transport wasnt very good, and my parents couldn’t always give lifts. Kids don’t always see the beauty in a village, we certainly didn’t at the time. I moved away to a small town in my 20s, and now when I go back to the village to see family and old friends I can really see the beauty and appreciate it so much more, in terms of views, countryside, simple living!
When I first moved to a town (outskirts) I hated it, it felt too big and missed the community feel of the village, I loved that everyone knows everyone, and look out for one another in most cases. I loved going to the pubs and seeing people I knew and it was lovely and sociable, but in reality I’d agree with a previous poster they don’t always welcome newcomers.
Despite all this I didn’t move back, I stayed in the town and now I think it’s the best of both worlds, country side walks a stones through away and plenty to do, and a village would now feel too small for me, I never thought I’d say that.

Hearing my family talk about life back in the village and all the local gossip,i actually quite like that I know less people, I know enough, but not everyone! That suits me! Hope you find your happy place!

It does look really lovely, but after a quick squiz on Rightmove, I see what you mean about house prices!

It looks lovely!

Ooh, Lostwithiel sounds really fab. We love areas with an arts and music scene too! Thanks, we'll check it out x

I grew up in a village and absolutely loved it. Maypole days, village fetes, knowing everyone and feeling safe and looked after, it was such a comforting way to grow up. We’d play in the fields, pinch pea pods from the farmers, climb hay bales at friends’ farms, and build dens for hours. All my friends were nearby, we'd play out in the streets and fields most days after school (when the sun shined). It was childhood bliss (in my opinion, anyway), and I’d love for my children to experience something similar.
We’re definitely not after anywhere deeply rural, though! and do want to be close to some action.
Thanks for your reply :) x

Agree about Almnouth, but Warkworth is also full of holiday lets - one company has almost 40 properties there, and it's really changed the village

Rothbury wold be my choice in that part of the world.

After reading your op and your last message, I know that you're definitely looking for my village. It hits all your wants and wishes. Maypole dancing, village fetes, pop up pubs, lots of villager direct run activities. Fabulous landscape and buildings. Great small village school. Lovely neighbours, many incomers in last few years who are raising their children here like you plan (even with wine), who have become embedded in village life.
Even your budget is right for housing.

I used to work around these villages and they are lovely. Lots of places around there for the kind of childhood OP is looking for. I think somewhere more “farmy” rather than pretty gives a better lifestyle, in this instance.

I think you should move back to Yorkshire OP, if you want that instant feeling of belonging.

Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond. Beautiful 😍

The posters recommending Box, Corsham and Bradford upon Avon, may I ask about new housing developments? Every time we visit we are struck by the number of new housing developments. Corsham has always seemed so pretty yet vibrant but there are so many new estates in every direction. I have heard complaints that they are draining the community vibe.