To ask what it’s really like to live rurally?

[BuffaloCauliflower]

Currently holidaying in the Lake District and as usual wishing I could up sticks from London and move to somewhere beautiful and with real community. But having grown up on the edge of London I’m so used to a world where there’s buses every 10 minutes, 24 hour supermarkets 5 minutes away, lots of jobs, lots of schools, I know I really have no idea what it would be like to live in the countryside. I’m definitely in a nice, more affluent part of the countryside right now and there will be areas far more rural than this, so trying to think broadly, I know not everywhere will be the same.

What jobs do people do? Everyone surely can’t commute miles and miles to cities. Where I am now I’d guess a lot of farmers and a lot in hospitality, but that can’t be all. What’s the transport like? Does it matter? How do your kids get to see their friends when they don’t drive and everyone’s houses are so far apart? Can people move from the city and be happy, and accepted into small village communities?

A broad question I know but there’s such a range of places that will all be different, but would love the real story instead of just the ‘holiday’ view of the country.

Disclaimer: I’m aware as a born and bred Londoner my concept of what is rural might be really wrong, and that I also very likely have some rose tinted views of the countryside. I’m not trying to offend, so please be kind, I’m genuinely trying to learn!

A fair few people where I am commute or work from home, but local jobs wise there are plenty just not highly paid. Lots of jobs that go alongside farming like food processing, agricultural suppliers etc. In the nearest town as well as retail and hospitality there’s also medical practices, dentists, soliciters, accountancies etc just on a smaller scale. But the realities are wages are much lower, and increasingly second home ownership is pricing local people out of the community.

Public transport is appalling, and with young teens our lives did revolve around chauffeuring them around at weekends. You’ve got to be organised, eg we always keep milk and bread in the freezer as there’s no popping to Tesco if you run out.

But that aside it is lovely. We had traditional mayday celebrations today, a lovely monthly market in the neighbouring village and a busy local pub. Permanent newcomers are always welcomed, but there is growing resentment towards second home owners in the area.

Fracking is also a constant risk where we are.

I'm in Cornwall so a different part of the country but some similar issues.

You have to be organised - if the nearest shop is a good 20 minute drive away you don't want to go too many times in a week!

@bamboofibre yes they do. I’ve had a look in estate agent windows and it’s not that much cheaper than where I am in London. There must be nice but also cheaper places around the country though I’m sure, but then the need to factor in travel costs too

I live fairly rurally. Just short of ten miles to nearest bus stop, shop etc.

It's great! Having lived in a major city before, I'd never go back.

I think you have to be pretty organised really, keep your car well fuelled, keep stocked up on essentials etc. You also need a suitable car, smaller cars don't tend to do well on roads that aren't gritted, flooded lanes, steep hills and the like.

A lot of families with children tend to have a stay at home parent, as childcare is much more scarce and not as easy to factor in to commutes / work schedules. It is possible, but it does require a lot of organisation.

The surrounding villages have a lot on for small children, lots of playgroups, play parks, nature clubs, baby sensory, etc.

It's difficult with teenagers, who tend to need driving everywhere. You find that a lot of them will spend weekends at each other's houses, as it's easier for the parents than dropping them off and then picking up again a few hours later. Young Farmers is popular.

Rural life isn't for everybody. But personally, I don't miss being close to 24 hour supermarkets, stepping out of my front door to traffic and noise and hustle and bustle. I begin and end each day in a beautiful and tranquil place, and that is exactly how I like it.

I live just outside the National Park but still in Cumbria :)

It rains. A lot. Which means lots and lots of mud.

My commute to work is 45 minutes each way along narrow, poorly lit country roads that are full of tourists in summer and that can be impossible to drive on in winter if it snows or freezes. My job isn't anything special - retail management and I earn less than 20k per year. It's nothing unusual - most people commute similar distances for less money.

The vast majority of people work in care homes, retail or hospitality and tourism. The money is poor and many can't afford to live in places like Keswick, Ambleside and Windermere so they move out to coast (or outside the park) and commute in.

Public transport outside the park is practically non-existent and when it does exist it's unreliable and very costly. It's certainly not possible to use it to get to work.

However saying all of that, I wouldn't live anywhere else. I drive to work but I'm within five minutes walk of several decent shops, restaurants and pubs. I'm a five minute drive from about four beaches, I can see the fells from the end of my road, and the price of living is dirt cheap (because we're not in the touristy area).

For reference - we’re in a northern village around 10 minutes from a market town and 30 from a city. So not that rural - even if it does feel it at times!

I live on the edge of the Lake District. Lived in London and Home Counties all my life until 4 years ago. Rural enough to feel rural, but only 20 minutes from a decent sized supermarket. We very rarely bother going to cities and get all we need from local small towns and online. We are both teachers, so don't need to be near cities for work.
I'm really glad we made the move. Love the fresh air and feeling of space. Looking at an air pollution map of the UK last weekend, and statistics about how many deaths pollution causes, really made me feel lucky to live where we do.

I imagine dc will move away when they leave home, but they are happy here now, even the teenager, and I'd never have assumed they'd live nearby once they grow up anyway.

One bus three times a week in my village. The only place within walking distance is a church. No shop, pub, nothing. DC see their friends on Xbox or if they have a lift, but not very often as they have hobbies most of the time. Naff all to do, especially on a rainy day. Nearest cinema doesn't get films until two months later. Broadband is crap. People are cliquey. Closest shops aren't 24 hour.

Still wouldn't move

Winters are certainly a challenge! No footpaths or street lighting.
No public transport.
Crap broadband.
Delivery drivers and taxis etc can never find our house.
Septic tanks and no gas, heating oil is so expensive.
And the mud .. it's everywhere! Cannot leave house in posh shoes, always wellies and change in car.

But the summers are glorious.
It's sooo quiet.
Stunning wildlife.
No noise or light pollution. We can have amazing parties without disturbing neighbours.
Yes we do have to travel for work and schools but we love it.

You can get a rural experience without being isolated.

I live rurally, no other buildings in sight just fields and trees, it's beautiful, even in winter.

But a market town three miles away with two supermarkets and everything I need, including a train station that has me in a major city in 25mins.

I do have to drive of course but the pros outweigh the cons and you get used to it.

I agree with pp who said that teens get bored. You will certainly be doing your fair share of taxiing.

Arse-end of nowhere. Looks beautiful but no practicality. Rains a lot.

This is pretty much how I'd feel about it too. Move me from within walking distance of my 24 hour shops and I'd hate it. And how often do I have need of a 24 hour shop? Extremely rarely. But take it away and .... you get the picture

And yet there are others who have made the move and love it. You'll get a myriad of opinions on here, all perfectly valid, evidencing the fact that "the world don't move to the beat of just one drum".

You know what? You sometimes just have to follow your heart ..... providing there is no major impediment to doing that.

Whatever you do, I hope that life smiles on you.

It's quite nice and relaxing, but you do miss out on being able to eat any sort of food you want (unless all you want is fish and chips and pub grub) and getting anything you need from a shop at a moment's notice (you have to order from Amazon, etc.). We've lived very rurally for about 8 years. Before this lived abroad in several major global cities. Our dc's school is excellent - 90 kids in her primary reception to year 6. Lovely walks, fresh air, peace and quiet.

My dh is self employed in a creative field with clients all over the UK and Europe, but he can ship things as needed, so where we live doesn't matter. I have a professional city job, so I commute to London. A very long commute, but I can work from home, and it's the best of both worlds. We have peace and quiet, great schools, lots of space, but I can get anything I want just outside my office door during the week, so it's not isolating at all.

I live in a very sought after rural area.

You have to drive. Everyone needs a car asap.
Quite a few of my friends have dh's who work in London during the week (Lodnon is about 3 hrs away by train)
Other friends are teachers - tons of schools near me, lots of private schools, work in the health sector, run shops, restaurants and bars. The social scene has improved hugely in the last 25 years.
No Ocado, but I have every single supermarket within a 20 minute drive.
My local town is horrible but has a topshop and cinema!

My teens ride horses and learn to drive as soon as they are 17 so are not bored at all.

@hellodarkness I think that’s the sort of place I’d need

I have family in the Lake District. She’s a teacher and he’s a planning person (ex-architect).
I’ve also lots of friends in the Scottish Borders. Many work in shops, lots are remote website or design types. Housing is cheap compared to cities and towns but they all use a lot of fuel.

@BuffaloCauliflower
Rutland/Leicestershire border. Nearest towns are Oakham, Melton and Stamford. I commute to Leicester.
Property still affordable although not cheap. But very pretty.

Live fairly rurally in West gloucestershire - local has has a pub, school and that's it although only 35 mins to nearest big (ish) town. Absolutely love it. Existed in a city for 13 years but always knew I'd escape!
House prices are amazing compared to where I used to live and it is the best thing I've done for my mental health. Do have to commute a bit but am a contractor so thats true no matter where I lived.

Skilled Trades too are in demand, I know a carpenter and a sign painter. But they do have to cover a lot of driving miles between customers.

I live in a more urban area of Cumbria, with a DH from a tiny, remote village.

There are still factories and businesses in the Lake District. People still need the NHS, teachers, solicitors, police etc. Lots of people are self employed. Unemployment in Cumbria is only 3% above national average.

Public transport is very few and far between. It's very limiting to not drive. Traffic on major routes is bad and there aren't many overtaking lanes so it can take a long time to get anywhere. I have a two hour daily commute. When it's snowy and icy, people can and do get properly snowed in for days. Your 'local' corner shop could be several miles away in a nearby village, so you need to be prepared. Internet service can be poor away from the bigger towns.

Crime is low and I feel safe. If there is a violent incident or a spate of burglaries, everyone is talking about it. People talk to you at bus stops etc. In my in-laws hamlet, everyone knows my 2 yo son. He visits the different farms to look at the animals and feed the chickens (accompanied obviously!)

Personally, I love where I live. I can be in a big city in just over an hour, seaside in 15 minutes, Lake District in 20 minutes. History everywhere. No, there isn't as much going on as in the big cities, but I can visit them whenever I want. I wouldn't want to live in the middle of nowhere, but my in-laws do and wouldnt have it any other way.

Mud and more mud, having to ferry the children everywhere by car and that becomes tiresome when they're teens and want picking up from a party at 1am. Everybody knows your business, and if you've run out of milk for your bedtime cuppa then you're screwed. Not for you if you don't want to be woken at the crack of dawn by the birds/cockerels and definitely not for you if you don't like the smell of muck spreading.

It does have good points though, just not enough for me so we went to a small market town instead, still rural enough but with plenty of facilities.

Ah, sent that before I was finished.

Even in the towns here there are limited shops etc so most people buy a lot online.

As people get older and struggle to drive they can end up very dependent.

Children are very reliant on lifts, the ones I am thinking of who are really rural have to get lifts to catch the school bus in winter or sometimes get taken to school by taxi. They can't really go into a town independently as there's no public transport. I agree they learn to drive ASAP!

When there is bad weather, you are often on your own.

A lot of the people I know who live very rurally are self employed. Some freelance from home e.g. I know a medical writer, some run business, some work in agriculture or adjacent jobs and some in tourism. Anyone who works outside the home has to drive to work, and I know a lot of people who will travel fairly regularly for work. Most jobs aren't that well paid and there's also quite a bit of seasonal work.

I would say that in my bit of Cornwall no-one lives so rurally they can't commute to a town somewhere for work, but the commutes can become painful in the summer as tourists can't always drive on the roads and the roads can't cope with the amount of traffic.

Personally, I think a small town/large village is better than being really isolated!

@Megan2018 thanks that’s apparently one of the best places to live in the UK, based on my ‘where should I live?’ Googling over the last couple of days!

Slow broadband, full of tourists in the summer, long drives to the supermarket, nothing to do in winter, being woken up by cows or cockerel in the morning, the smell of manure when they are muck spreading, everybody knowing your business, driving behind slow tractors who never let you past or being held up by the cows crossing the road to be milked, one bus a day into town (if any) and the bus back leaves 15 minutes after you arrive.

or

lovely views, nice and quiet apart from the sounds of nature, being able to get fresh milk at the farm, your children laughing hysterically when the cows poo in front of your car, knowing every type of tractor ever made, not needing an alarm clock, lovely nice tea rooms and places selling lots of flavours of ice cream, being able to buy local produce with next to zero food miles, children being free range along with the chickens, no annoying neighbours, a real sense of community.

It all depends on your PofView.

lovely