To ask you if this place exists?

[montepulcianos]

I would really like to move house, somewhere we can get more house for our money as we would like a lot more space (currently live in the Home Counties in a lovely area with very good schools and great links into London, so housing is crazy expensive) and to escape the 11 plus/grammar system and the associated pressure and competitive attitudes.

We need to be within relatively easy reach of an airport as DH works overseas part of the week. I'd say maximum 45mins-1 hour by car to an airport. Need good schools for DC and would like to be in pleasant surroundings, in or near countryside and open space. Love the idea of the Cotswolds but seems too far from either Heathrow or Birmingham airports?

Have family up north and also more centrally. Would be great to be nearer to them too. Also decent train links to London (but not for daily commute, more occasional work trips).

Any brainwaves?! Does such a place exist?!

Suffolk isn't far from Stansted airport and if you don't go too far from Colchester (Essex, I know but many nice Suffolk areas are near the border), you can get a train to London that takes 50 minutes.

I was going to suggest Nottinghamshire, I know people who live in lovely countryside around there but I know the airport there doesn't have BA

Essex have grammar schools I'm sure, there are lovely areas if you look just outside Colchester.

Northumberland, not too sure of house prices but not to far from Newcastle, has a big train station and an airport. Lots of greenery and beaches.

Wales. You'd get a massive house for that budget. Vale of Glamorgan for nearness to airport, near sea and countryside. New Welsh curriculum much more European so play based for longer, no 11+, free uni tuition. What's not to love?!

Worcester only 45 mind to brum or Bristol airport. I love Worcester.

Consider stamford Lincolnshire. It has a train once and hour to Stanstead and trains to London.

Newbury - then you could go from Southampton airport.
Great schools, countryside, crossroads for the south. Eg easy to get to the beach, bath, London and Oxford.

Cheshire? Good schools, no grammar system as such, in or near countryside, good amenities, close to Liverpool or Manchester airport.

Newark on Trent. Direct trains to Kings Cross. East Midlands airport is easy to get to. Also Doncaster.

I live in Greater Manchester area and we don't have 11+ here. Good airport and train links, easy reach of the countryside, some excellent schools and house prices are decent.

West Sussex. Good transport links to Gatwick, lovely countryside on one side and the coast on the other. Decent schools, no grammar but no where near your family.

Winchester has excellent schools (not grammar) and is well connected for trains, airports etc. Not cheap though but maybe cheaper than Home Counties.

I do the Oxford - Birmingham thing quite regularly. That is NOT a relaxing trip and the motorway is frequently dreadful and it can be more than an hour to the airport. How about Warwickshire? Leamington Spa is nice.

I grew up in Hereford, live in Oxfordshire, moved from London around 10 years ago.

I would recommend Oxfordshire. DH gets train to Marylebone from Bicester most days, it's 45 minutes. Bicester itself is a bit grim but surrounding villages are lovely. We love heading into Oxford at weekends. We have a lovely 4 bed detached house in a village north of Oxford.

Cheste, specifically Guilden Sutton,r or Yarm.

Northamptonshire house prices cheaper than Oxfordshire and northern part of county is close enough to W Mids airport, but not sure who flies out of there.

Knowle, near Birmingham.

Some areas of Manchester have a grammar school system, others do not. Then there is Cheshire, and around the Stockport area (don't know if they have grammars or not). I'm sure you'll find somewhere that fits your requirements and your budget to the south of our lovely city

For Herefordshire it's a quick journey on the train to Birmingham airport with Bristol and Cardiff within pretty easy reach too.

Aye but Darlington is a shithole, where the town centre is dying on its arse. Nice places round it though with good schools and you'll get more bang for your buck house wise.
😆At Middlesbrough being delightful.(yes I live in the nth east)

I'd say Monmouthshire so you're in the Welsh school system where 11+ doesn't exist, but still an hour from Cardiff and Bristol airports. Cardiff airport isn't great but then it depends where your husband travels I guess! May be worth doing a Rightmove search for houses within 20/30/ 40 miles of your preferred airport.

If you don't fancy being in Wales then just over the border in Gloucestershire would be good for Bristol or Birmingham airports depending on how far north or south you are.

South Manchester totally ticks all your boxes. Can’t remember if you wanted grammar or not. Trafford has some amazing grammar (11+) schools but the rest of Manchester doesn’t.
Alderley edge/wilmslow are fab villages also.
20 min from Manchester airport.
2 hour non stop in to London Euston.
Manchester City and suburbs are serviced by a good metro link (also goes to the airport but it’s a drag)
Trafford centre. Good theatre. Even has a Harvey nics!

Outskirts of Hereford/Ledbury/Ross. Close to Bham/Cardiff/Bristol airports. As much countryside as you can shake a stick at, decent schools, pretty decent shopping nowadays and you’d get a beautiful house for £800k

Peak District - access Manchester airport.