Have you ever Escaped to the Country?

[merryandbrightdelight]

Not exactly AIBU but let’s leave it here.

Watching Escape to the Country and I’ll admit it’s my total guilty pleasure, especially when the couple have a budget of £650k but can ‘stretch to £900k for the right property’.

So my question is, have you or anyone you know ever escaped to the country? Or what would it look like to you?

I’m in the North East, and to me it’s Devon, the Cotswolds or Chipping Norton area. Streams, a village pub, wooden beams in chocolate box cottages, birds singing, hanging baskets, dog walks etc. Pretty much nothing like where I live now 😂

im wondering if the moderators would move this to chat please?

Afternoon, OP. No problem!

I escaped from the country. It all sounds idyllic until the practicalities get in the way.

I live in an area where people always dream of coming to escape, and often do.

They usually hate it.

They have a romanticised idea of how things are, and have usually taken a holiday or two, but done very little in the way of research and the difficulties of living here.

It's pretty funny really.

(I reported the thread to get it moved for you)

Like a PP, I always say that I Escaped From the Country. Grew up in the rural Midlands. You wouldn't drag me back there. My village was a lot more This Country than Escape to the Country, though.

I do like watching Escape to the Country, though, and seeing the absolute unrealistic expectations of rural life people have.

I knew family friends who escaped to the country (actually seaside) but they already had family down there and knew the area. I agree with pp though, the practicalities eg if you don’t drive can be a bit tricky.

No, I am a city mouse. Never want to leave London. Country life is my idea of hell.

Where is it?

Yep. We escaped from London to a village in the shires, then escaped further to a village in Cumbria. From my bedroom window I can see across the bay to the Lake District fells!

Yes, I have and here I am now, in the country!

I was the ultimate cliche as I wanted enough land to have a glamping unit and a separate cottage to rent out therefore becoming financially self sufficient. I found the perfect property but it was a wreck ( another cliche!) We renovated the separate cottage then used the income from that to renovate the house ( we were still working at that point) then built our shepherd's hut and gave up work.

It's hard work and I'm basically a cleaner and washer woman but I live in ( I think) the most beautiful place where luckily many people want to go on holiday.

I was in the South East, now in Cornwall. I have no regrets. The house was £350k, we spent £100k doing it up.

We aren't in the middle of nowhere though- we have a village within walking distance. That was very important when we were looking.

I don't think it's like that where I live. Loads of people relocate here (sometimes to retire) and seem to love it!

@merryandbrightdelight I fucking love when their budget is £550K but “we could stretch to £750K for the right property.”

My VERY favourites are when she teaches finger painting part-time and he’s an exotic lizard farmer, and they have a budget of £1.5 million. They should just call those certain episodes “Escape to the Country Using Our Parents’ Money.”

My mum actually when I asked her if she was thinking of moving to the country said no way! One of our family friends moved from London to country and at first it was good as other friends lived next door (barn conversion with other properties built) but then they moved abroad and the original friend was a bit isolated. Her children live a long way from her, her daughter did live with her for a while but then moved not far away.

Ex colleague of mine retired to Scotland after living near St Albans for years. Turned out people in Scotland weren’t that friendly and she found it very tough going. Not sure if she’s moved since.

I'm up in the Highlands.

DH and I were in central London for 18yrs, which we loved at the time. We have now escaped to the seaside. Good and bad with both.

I love have a bigger garden, seeing hedgehogs and birds, walking to the beach, lovely neighbours and just a different pace.

I miss the variety of fruit/veg/spices I can get, the museums, easy/quick public transport and the variety of things going on.

Yes! Escaped from a major city to rural wales.
from a busy road to our nearest neighbours being a mile away.

we didn’t have a huge budget like those on the telly but it’s absolutely blissful and we have no regrets.

It’s never swapping like for like I find.

Comparing working 9-5 in London with a rush hour commute with managing alpacas is always going to be a great move.

But comparing retirement in a city with same in the countryside and it’s often v different.

It's horses for courses.
My idea of hell on earth would be to live in a city with the pollution, fumes, noise, insensitivity to beggars, fast pace of life, materialism, dirt, litter ........ yuk to it all.

I am sitting in my garden right now listening to the birds singing, watching the woodpigeons mating on the rail of the garden fence and my resident squirrel stealing food from the bird table, watching the birds dipping in and out of the thick holly hedge building a nest, rejoicing in the big sky and the wonderful views across the Welsh mountains over the border. Just relishing the sense of freedom and space and communication with nature.

Yes I have to travel for shopping and doctors but it is a small price to pay for the joy and peace around me. I can get to a city in 35 minutes by car and on a train to other cities with no trouble.

Lots of the escapees on the programme are on the brink of retirement and sometimes choose properties that are not future-proofed ... lots of steps and a steep garden. That seems unwise, but the principle of escaping to the peace of the countryside is sound.

My village is simply heaving with activities, films, gigs, performances, quizzes ... so no boredom here!!!

Yes. Moved from London to one of your preferred areas over 15 years ago. It’s nice: excellent (state) schools, near a gorgeous city, idyllic spot, great place for the kids to grow up.

I've done it twice. First it was to rural Rutland and about 45 minutes to the station for the London train. Worked brilliantly until I broke my leg and couldn't drive - our village had no bus service and we were outwith shopping delivery routes. We also got snowed in during the winter with no gritting service as it couldn't get through. So I escaped from the country back to town and hated it!
I've now moved jobs and escaped much further up the east coast mainline to Scotland, I live in the country but within a half hour drive of Edinburgh :-) so can get shopping delivery, there are buses and trains from the village...
Do your homework properly before you move, and see what it's like in winter in the intended location too.

I did twice.

Once to the backwaters of Derbyshire to live next to a canal and then after 20 years there, to rural France.

Contemplating our next move and it might be on the edge of a quietish French town, or even more rurally in between 2 large villages in a tiny hamlet.

Same. I live in an area that is often featured on these shows.

I moved here because I met DH and his contract in London was over and he moved back to his hometown. It's a large village, but essentially rural and in a relatively remote place (not mainland UK).

I love it.

Pros

• more space. The houses are larger than we could afford in London. We have a garden. Our house here is worth around £600k. It would be multi millions in London.
• We can walk by the beach multiple times a day if we wish
• you are not bumping elbows with other people as you walk along the street
• quiet skies - can see stars
• know everyone in our village (also a con though tbh- no screts, no discretion and ltos of gossip)

Cons

• if your DCs are not into watersports, fishing or horses then there is nothing to do
• severely depleted salaries- I am in a regulated profession- 20 years ago whe we moved I was on £45k. I am now on 25K because that's tthe going rate around here
• Long commute if you want to get to London- which I did for 5 years daily
• Loads of drug and alcohol misuse at all levels of society - among our retired professional friends it's alcohol and cocaine mainly. People are bored, alcohol misuse in particular due to boredom
• Teenagers- not alot for them to do
• state schools are dire. Sorry, but there is no other word for it. Our main state school was proud to have 30% of GCSE students pass a single GCSE. If you want decent education it's private or Mainland.
• Gossip- everyone knows everything. People remember everything.
• You can't go down into the village without bumping into someone you dislike; have argued with; you either sacked or they sacked you; or your friend had an affair with.

I escaped from the country, moved back and now I intend to escape again.

I'm in Cornwall, does that count (I am Cornish)? Bloody hate it

We did - in stages… moved out of London to a commuter town, and then to a village just outside a commuter town.
Surrounded by fields and woodland, but on a bus route to town and kids can get to school easily.
This was the view halfway through an hour long dog walk from our house this morning.