Would you mind telling me why you love where you live in the UK?

[Zerrin13]

Following on from the SW thread I was wondering if i could hear about other good places to live in the UK?
I'm in Hampshire. Its a lovely place to live in many ways but very expensive.

East dunbartonshire just outside Glasgow terrific school ,great people also grew up here plus on either side city of Glasgow or loch lomond

Surrey. Very green, you can get to Box Hill, or the beach, or Brighton, or into London. Has quite a bit going for it.

As my name suggests, I live in the Surrey Hills it's easy to see why the area is an AONB. It's truly stunning. The only sounds we hear are made by wildlife or horses, not cars or crowds of people. I see deer on a daily basis, owls swooping across the fields when we walk the dogs.

We can walk straight from our front door and be in beautiful woods and forests and get on our mountain bikes and find a trail in a couple of minutes. Horse riding here is wonderful too. Our local pub is lovely, great food and open fires. Schools are extremely good here too. Crime rates v low.

We live close to Guildford so London is very close by (I work in the City three days a week). We really do have the best of both worlds and feel incredibly lucky to live somewhere like this. I always wanted to live rurally and I'm so glad I made the move from London, there was no reason for us to live there anymore, the outdoor life is what makes us happy now.

Hampton Hill, near Bushy Park and Hampton Open Air Pool. Love it.

Thankyou to everyone for replying and telling about the lovely places that you live in. Britain is still a beautiful, amazing place.

Like MsEllany I love my (adopted) Liverpool home. Great parks, leafy suburbs, easy access to city centre, can even walk it in about 80 minutes, absolutely love it - local area, kids school, work, groups Im in, everything.

I live in London.

I like the cultural diversity and not being looked at like I'm an alien (because I'm black), as I find in certain parts of the UK on getaways.

Near Oxford. It’s really beautiful and (usually) culturally vibrant.

Edinburgh. Like a miniature London with history, restaurants, theatres, museums. But smaller and easier to navigate than London. Cramond beach and the Pentland Hills nearby. And house prices affordable and good schools.

But still a direct train line to London in 5 hrs.

(Yeah I lived near London and do still miss it though!)

Very outer edge of a yorkshire city. Bonuses are we are 20 mins drive from city centre but also surrounded by beautiful fields, horses and farms with no main roads within a mile. It's lovely and quiet and peaceful. If the teens wind me up I cross the toad and chat to the horses opposite, they always trot over for a stroke.

*road obv not toad

I love Hampshire. My husband and I come from grim-but-pretty-in-wild-sorts of ways in the north. Between the wet and the cold Hampshire always seems like an attractive option compared to the weather or families ensure.

London. Absolutely love it. It’s just such a convenient place to live. Great transport, great amenities, pretty good public services all things considered. I love the parks, the river, the history, the diversity. I feel more free here than anywhere else in the world, even in these strange times.

On the Wirral. Love it, came to university at 18 and am still here 30 years later 😊 Beaches and parks and near Wales and Cheshire, but only 20 minutes from Liverpool by train. Compared to where I grew up in the south east, people are delightful! I have three children who have a real sense of belonging and identity that I never had as a child 😀

@steppemum I second Swindon! Doesn’t deserve all the bad press. We’re North Swindon, town centre is indeed gross but I very very rarely need to go in as there’s plenty of retail parks.
Also so many play parks around - we have about 7 in a 10 minute walk. Then there’s all the country parks and the cotswolds just down the road as well as great transport links. Schools are all pretty good and with all the new developments it’s looking like some good regeneration. I’ve always wanted to live in a nice picturesque village but as sad as it sounds I think I would actually miss Swindon

Hi. Op I really like living in wales,I live in south wales, there is just something speacial about living near the sea, I live in coastal town overlooking Gower, like the fact there is reasonable good public transport service to go to olde worlde town as carmarthan and Kidwelly an also easy to get to Lovely victorian beach resortresort Tenby etc

@Zerrin13

Following on from the SW thread I was wondering if i could hear about other good places to live in the UK? I'm in Hampshire. Its a lovely place to live in many ways but very expensive.

Also in Hampshire and so incredibly happy. Only been here 4 years so far and previously lived my whole life in London. Never wanted to leave London but did due to schools and money. Wish we'd done it YEARS ago. Haven't missed London AT ALL much to my surprise! We go when we want and actually DO stuff there, so it's actually made me appreciate the capital more in some ways!

Love our huge garden, huge green spaces and clean air so much. You're so right though, there are so many gorgeous places to live.

West Yorkshire. I love the countryside which is stunning. I live on the outskirts of a very large city but I can drive for 5 minutes and be in the most beautiful countryside. There are so many walks too. The people are friendly and I love the no-nonsense Yorkshire outlook and humour. I've always lived in Yorkshire apart from a 13-year stint in the Midlands and now I wouldn't live anywhere else

@cricketmum84 I wonder if you're near me??

@RabbityMcRabbit it sounds like it!! There's not that many big cities in West Yorkshire...

Scarborough on the fabulous North Yorkshire coast.

Small enough to be restful after years of city life, big enough to have things to do. Theatres, music venues, pubs and restaurants all in walking distance. Lots of great independent coffee shops and cafes.

Filey and Whitby a short bus ride away. Beverley and Pickering easily reached for inland days out. I have a 'small town' network of supportive friends who all know each other.

I can see the castle from my front gate and the sea is about a 20 minute walk away. Local produce in the market and butchers/fishmongers/greengrocers.

South Warwickshire.

Warwick is my nearest town, then Leamington spa and Stratford very nearby.

Countryside is so pretty and literally non my doorstep. Schools are all good. Loads to do. Half an hour on train to Birmingham, an hour and a half to London so easily done in a day or for an evening. Best of both worlds. M40 in easy reach so can get to places quickly.

My village is awesome. Lovely people, really "normal" and friendly. Kids have been so lucky to grow up here.

I'm not from found here but I will be here a long time.

[quote Ladybirdlashes]@steppemum I second Swindon! Doesn’t deserve all the bad press. We’re North Swindon, town centre is indeed gross but I very very rarely need to go in as there’s plenty of retail parks.
Also so many play parks around - we have about 7 in a 10 minute walk. Then there’s all the country parks and the cotswolds just down the road as well as great transport links. Schools are all pretty good and with all the new developments it’s looking like some good regeneration. I’ve always wanted to live in a nice picturesque village but as sad as it sounds I think I would actually miss Swindon [/quote]
Loving the Swindon love

I have to say though, not sure I agree with you about secondary schools. Primaries are good, and it has great special needs provision compared to some other parts of UK.

But secondaries ...... definitely a pick and choose job.

I feel lucky to live where I do. It's a small semi rural market town in the Pennines valley. It's got a great motorway link which means Manchester is only 20 minutes away, yet it seems 300miles away. We have beautiful countryside all around us within easy walking distance. The little town is full of independent shops and many award winning eateries. Lots of festivals and farmer's markets that are very popular too. I sound like the tourist board, but I grew up here and never left, not many do. People who discover our town rave about it and it's always in lists of the best places to live in the north west and even England a couple of times.

Have previously lived in some huge cities, including London, now very happy in peaceful Pembrokeshire. Beautiful countryside and coast, mild climate, plenty of room to breathe. Low crime rates and safe schools. People tend to be friendly and helpful to each other. Good local markets and great produce. In general, life conducted at slower pace, but surprising amount going on under the surface if you look for it.

Downside: takes ages to go anywhere else.