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?!

don't go to newmarket it's crap... and expensive..

You’ll be amazed how many people commute to London from Inverness.

Ponteland. Posh area of Newcastle right by the airport with a fab middle and high school.

Or Durham - also for Newcastle airport.

haha, cross post MsSquizz

Our 4-bed with Land cost 240k

He flies BA or Aer Lingus (Dublin)

In that case I'd definitely recommend south Derbyshire, around the Melbourne area. It's no distance at all to EMA, though it means Ryanair rather than BA, and is great for road and rail links. Best of all, your budget would buy you one heck of a house

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E16994&maxPrice=800000&radius=1.0&includeSSTC=false

Ponteland seems to fit your brief. Near to Newcastle airport, good schools, close to great countryside, good housing etc. Some lovely villages nearby if you wanted to be slightly rural. Hexham is fairly close too but longer to the airport and mainline train station.

Birmingham airport is on the east side of Birmingham via the M6. Warwickshire or Leicestershire would fit travelling wise. Or south Notts. Leics so different school holidays to other counties.

Malvern, Worcestershire.
Excellent value for money, good schools, wonderful countryside, superb theatre, Three Choirs Festival within easy reach, good pubs and restaurants, Malvern water, gas lamps, supermarkets from Waitrose to Lidl, M &S to Matalan, Great Malvern Priory, blackberries, sloes, Peregrine Falcons, welcoming people. The latter is key.

North Essex / Cambridgeshire

Scotland. There are plenty of lovely small towns near Glasgow where you would have easy access to an international airport and get a lovely house for your money. The school system is different in Scotland. We do catchment areas. If you live in a nice area you will 99% likely have a great catchment school (or good independents if you are so minded). There is no 11 plus in Scotland either.

Anywhere in Worcestershire would fit your criteria.

Scotland - along the Moray coast between both Aberdeen and Inverness airports. Open space, good school system; mountains and coast all in easy reach. Real actual fresh air. Free Uni for residents after a qualifying period (if you have older kids.)

Herefordshire/Monmouth/Ross on Wye - would open up access to Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham airports. Some excellent schools, beautiful countryside, good road links M5/M50.

Also South Wales such as the Vale of Glamorgan. Good access to M4. Opens up Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol airports.
Again beautiful countryside, beautiful viadt not really affected by heavy tourism, some excellent schools, Cardiff is an amazing city to have in your doorstep for shopping and entertainment purposes. If you have children approaching school leaving age they will benefit from the Welsh tuition grants too. Cardiff airport is improving. Between flights to Amsterdam and new Doha flights most destinations are available. Birmingham has alot more flights and just over an hour away. I sometimes found Birmingham quicker to get to than Bristol when we were based there. I was very pleasantly surprised st how lovely the Vale of Glamorgan chevk out was when we first moved there (with jobs). I still miss Cardiff as a city.

South of Bristol such as Somerset would give easy access to Bristol airport. Sgain livrly countryside and coast. Bristol and Bath both beautiful and offering all you need.

A bit far but a lot to offer in central Scotland with 2 airports

3bed semi home counties compared to

5 bed cheaper

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73551443.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73542401.html

Fuck I wish I had 800k to spend on a house I will never have that sort of money ever in my life.

OK needs doing up. Though I personally like the bathroom:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-65033080.html

CAMBRIDGE

25 mins to Stansteas by car
45 mins to London by train
Easy links to Peterborough, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Bedford, A1 to North destinations

Great schools, no grammar

Great vibe

Community feel

Surrounding villages affordable

Derbyshire - close to East Mids, beautiful area with some excellent schools & can be close to a great train to London.

• Stanstead

Just sounding a small note of caution if you do end up thinking of anything that needs a commute into London Euston, OP.....HS2 is happening there right now. It's early stages but the station and its surroundings are already looking blighted. They estimate it could affect passengers there for a minimum of 9 years. Those of us who use the station regularly are dreading it.

Quite honestly I'd go to considerable lengths to avoid that area.

Bristol

West Berkshire - lovely villages and countryside. Good rail links to London and Heathrow not too far.

South notts/Derbyshire. Direct trains to London and close to east Mids and also less than an hour from Bham.

Peak District - plenty of villages on train line to Mcr Airport along the Hope Valley, and also within an hour's drive. NEern edge - 20 mins into Sheffield for more school choices and a 2hr train down to London. And a National Park...

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66070552.html

Great market town, very pretty
Under an hour to Birmingham airport
Good schools
Edge of coteswolds
Surrounded by sheep and countryside