To ask what you love about living in a rural village/ the countryside?

[Thunderbuddies]

We’re due to complete next week on pretty much my dream house (still having to pinch myself)

I grew up in a rural village, went to university and then moved back in with my parents for a bit until I was 24 after graduating. So I know some of the negatives that people always trot out re teenagers and boredom (though I was very lucky to have parents that were willing to drive myself and my sibling about and my 2 best friends lived and grew up in my village so I never really faced any boredom/ loneliness)

From 24 until now (33) I’ve lived in towns and on the edge of a city. I went back to my parents house far too frequently as I missed being in the countryside DH has never lived rurally but has lots of outdoor hobbies and really enjoys walking the dog in the countryside. We’ve both just had enough of town/ built up living. I’m 16 weeks pregnant and we’d already decided that we’d like to bring a child up somewhere quieter before we TTC. The traffic is so bad where we are and we like to walk the dog in peace, hence why I go back to my parents once or twice a week as they live surrounded by footpaths and you’re lucky if you see another soul, it’s bliss compared to the busy parks that we have to walk in where we are.

The village we’re moving to is pretty small, 300 houses I’d say? No bus service, well I think there is a flexibus type service but we both drive anyway. There’s a village pub which we’ve been in to see what it’s like and it looks cute, cosy and the food’s good. There’s no shop but we’re only 2.5 miles from a bigger village with a couple of shops and also regular bus and train services into the nearest city. You can walk from our village to that village in about 45 mins according to google maps. Oh and we have a small primary school which is rated good by Ofsted and a village hall that by the looks of things, holds bingo every other Friday

There are lots of lovely footpaths and walks too.

I think it’s pregnancy hormones and the fact I see rural living slated on here quite a bit, especially for those with children contributing to me feeling a bit nervous and on edge about the move today (added to that I’m surrounded by boxes and have so much packing to do still)

So, instead of ‘it’s isolating, boring for kids, no transport’ etc can I get some positive experiences/ opinions on rural living?

I live 4 miles for m a tiny village of 200 people. So, really isolated . I love the freedom my kids have had and the peace I've had.

One thing I love about rural living is being much more in touch with the seasons. There’s apples on the tree currently and we’ve picked blackberries and sloes for the last few weeks. In the summer there’s long walks through shady woods and elderflowers to pick for cordial. Wrap up warm in the winter and trudge through frosty fields then back to a real log fire.

My garden is a glorious sun trap and when I sit outside with a book it’s very rare to hear anything other than bird song.
My children have grown up making dens in the fields and helping to bottle feed pet lambs (who are now their very big, very friendly, pet sheep).
They can cycle along a very quiet and safe road to call for friends and go to the park.
We are also near the coast so they are learning to surf, paddle board and sail.
My neighbours are very friendly and there is a real community feel.
We have some of the cleanest air in the UK.
We can still walk to the pub.

The population of my village is 125. We have no shop, no pub and there is a bus once a day to the nearest market town. So long as you have a car it isn’t an issue. I have previously always lived in a town or city, what I most like most is the peace and quiet and having very few neighbours.

We're in a small village but we do have a bus service and a small selection of shops. I love being able to walk for long distances without having to encounter traffic. As someone else mentioned, you notice the seasons far more.

I grew up in a village but my DP didn't. He finds it strange that everyone says hello to each other, whether you know each other or not. I love it. I found it hard living in city where people would cross the road if I said hello to them.

Thanks for the replies! Yes I 100% agree re the seasons. Growing up I always really noticed the change in seasons (helped that I had a horse so was outside a lot anyway) and loved pretty much every season to some extent. I’ve noticed where we are now and have been for some time (big town on a very built up new build estate) that I actually notice them far less. I miss having field views when I open my curtains every morning and miss knowing pretty much everyone around me too.

Whoever said about their DH finding it odd that people say hello to each other, mine does too when we visit my parents and walk around their village He grew up in London and says it’s just unheard of!

I’m a bit apprehensive about being further out for mother/ baby groups but I’ve done some research and it seems the bigger village a few miles away runs them, there’s also a small market town a 15 min drive away that runs things like that too so hopefully I won’t be too isolated.

Oh and to the poster who said about the log fire, my biggest excitement about moving is the new house has 2 log burners ive never had a log burner or open fire before so I’m looking forward to autumn/ winter this year to be able to use them. I’m sure the novelty will wear off pretty soon though

Need to order some oil too as there’s no gas in the village

Space, clean air, peace and quiet. Privacy.

I moan about it but I’ve been completely won over since February. What could be better than having loads of space and hardly any people now we’re supposed to not go near anyone?

The mud gets me down in the winter, is all.

I live in a small village with one shop, surrounded by farmland, common and woodland.

High points- no neighbour disputes about noise, parking, planning, shared drives etc. Less stress. My neighbours are very relaxed and friendly. I can go for a run in clean air with no traffic or air pollution. I can cycle with ds safely on the roads. Two good pubs within in easy cycling distance. Broadband is currently about 75mb download speed.

We see wildlife every day, birds singing, have immediate access to footpaths and woodland.

In 11 years there has been one domestic in the village that warranted the police being called and a bitter argument between two batty old ladies that kept us all entertained for weeks. Otherwise, no crime.
Schools are generally good, there is a bus service into local town. Reasonable shops and a railway station are 5 miles away.

The sense of community.
I always thought i'd hate living somewhere where everyone knows everyone but i bloody love it and it's really kept me sane this year.

Now internet speeds have caught up in the countryside there is literally no reason to live anywhere else!!

It’s peaceful and beautiful and fresh and when you want to go into town you can just go. For me it’s a 15 min trip in the car to “proper” town and a 3 min drive to my nearest shop.

How often do you need to be in town? For me it’s about once a week for shopping. The rest of the time I prefer being in the countryside so I might as well live here!

As a pp said, the mud is annoying in winter. My car gets very dirty and so do my kids but I see it as ‘clean dirt’ rather than dirty dirt which is town dirt.

As long as you don’t mind driving it’s great!! It’s 10miles to my kids school but it takes no time at all as there’s little traffic - there’s not even a roundabout or traffic lights on the journey and it’s in an (admittedly small!) city. There are baby groups and activities dotted around the various villages, lots of varying outdoor activities on offer that I’d never even thought about before (kayaking/river sailing/climbing/mountain biking). The local market towns have great clubs for the more classic sports (swimming, rugby, football, netball etc). Soooo much space to walk - kids love it. We’re in a village of about 200 and there are other families with children...rather than hang out in shops/street corners they meet up on bikes, go help muck out at the riding stables, build stuff (tree houses to go karts out of an old lawn mower engine). During lockdown we had space and time to enjoy it more than we normally do. We moved from a terrace in a very large city....could never go back😁

No parking issues

No neighbour issues.

No traffic noise

I adore the countryside..sadly my DH doesn't agree so we've compromised and live on the edge of a large village and we send our kids to a rural school 5 miles away. I love that there are sheep in the field behind their classrooms, and that Forest School actually is in a Forest. We're going to shops less and less now, so maybe in the future I can persuade him to move if the right house comes up.

I am so jealous of you, OP

I'd ask locally if there is a local FB group to join, we have one and it's full of threads like 'I'm ordering oil this week, anyone else want to help bring the price down' collective ordering. Or 'Anyone can swap a pile of apples for blackberries or damsons?'

Village pub, no shops, no schools. 10 min drive to small supermarket, 15 min drive to schools.
Had a lovely time finding new walking routes over lockdown.

No crime, no traffic, idyllic secluded lakes and walks, nice neighbours who are far enough away you can never hear them

Lovely walks/ bike rides/ dog walks - amazing schools close by under 20 per year group, a free school bus

I am in a semi-rural area and among other things enjoy the slow place of life, being able to walk into to the countryside, the friendly local shop and knowing a higher proportion of people locally than previously.