If you could move anywhere in England…?

[Greyscreendream]

Where would you choose and why?

I’m coming out of a long term relationship and am after a fresh start in a new area, currently in the Home Counties.

I love the countryside and would want to be close to green space. Would also like to be closer to the sea if possible.

I’m looking to be in a town or nearby, with good schools and affordable housing. My budget is £350k for a three bed, but could push this slightly for the right house.

This isn’t really an AIBU but I was hoping you guys could suggest some areas I may not have thought of. It’s so daunting when you can literally choose anywhere…!!

Ahh, Hexham is my parents closest town! Which, like a lot of places in Northumberland, means it’s 20 mins away.

How interesting, so i live in London but moving soon (remaining in the south east due to kids schools) - i recently went up to Northumberland for a little longer than a week, while i found it absolutely gorgeous and cant wait to go back, i just couldnt see myself moving as not as much to do - but again - absolutely gorgeous, maybe ill have to stay for longer than a couple of weeks to really immerse myself! Stunning beaches and people very friendly.

Beverley is a beautiful town in the middle of the countryside. It has lovely restaurants and cafes, a cinema, swimming pool and other amenities. It’s 25 minutes to the coast and 40 minutes to York. It has its own train station with trains direct to Sheffield (as you mentioned Sheffield) and you could get a 3 bedroom detached house there for your budget.
How exciting!
Good luck!

I agree these are lovely. You have the sea, close countryside and not to far to drive to a city. We want to move there in a few years when the kids have all left home

Why not wales? I live on the south coast, schools are good and we don’t have that weird application and acceptance rubbish you all go through, you just go to the local school and in most areas that is pretty good. Vale of Glamorgan, Porthcawl, Swansea, all really lovely areas.

Are you thinking of the one beginning with W? It's not somewhere I would want to bring up a child, it's very run down and the schools aren't great.

If it's the one beginning with C then it's a lovely place.

How does this fit the below criteria from the OP?

I love the countryside and would want to be close to green space. Would also like to be closer to the sea if possible.

I’m looking to be in a town or nearby, with good schools and affordable housing. My budget is £350k for a three bed, but could push this slightly for the right house.

Weston? It's a lot better than it was - I go every year for a day trip from Bristol and it is much improved.

OP, how about Portishead?

I think this is so subjective.

Wiltshire, I love it, rolling hills and gorgeous countryside. We live rurally but near a town, two cities 40 mins drive away, London an hour and a half by train, lovely beaches an hour away. Devon/Cornwall a reasonable drive. Couldn't be anywhere better IMO.

I have lived in the North East, very beautiful countryside and housing is cheaper but the weather isn't great (always seemed really windy in the winter) and was too far from 'home' for me. Just felt a bit out of it up there but that doesn't explain it very well.

I have also lived in Dorset near the coast which was really lovely but would be quite expensive for housing and not quite as accessable to London and cities etc.

I think a lot of people will think where they live is the best place to live (if they like it there of course!).

Have a think about what your hobbies are and what you'd like them to be.
:)

Me personally, I love hiking, running, climbing. So a mountain area would be perfect. I'd also like to sea kayak, wild swim and learn to ski. So I'm thinking snowdonia, lakes, Scotland.

But other people like different things. Like cities, shopping, sports that require facilities.
Also depends on what weather you like.
I live in Hampshire and it's always sunny in the summer. I grew up in the North and it definitely is colder and rains more. I actually prefer that. Because I find 25c+ too hot. And I like snow in the winter.
Some places are more expensive to buy, but then maybe will have more job opportunities.
If you like people and sun, south coast uk from Bournemouth to Kent is well connected.
If I was picking id go Devon, brecons, snowdonia, lakes/Cumbria, glencoe, highlands, cairngorm.
But we all like different things :)

Do you have family that you would like to see reasonably easily? You haven't mentioned parents or siblings. If you grew up in East Anglia, perhaps you have family there?

The Peak District is lovely so I'd look around there. Or maybe Lincoln if you want to be closer to the sea.

Yes Weston, I live 15 minutes from there and I agree it's better than it was, but it's still not great.

Portishead is lovely though.

Leamington Spa / Warwick or surrounding villages. Admittedly not near the sea but close to M40 and central. Good schools too and you would be able to get a decent 3 bed for your budget.

Also close to the Cotswolds and lots of lovely countryside nearby

I'm in the far north of England and have no plans to move any time soon, unless it's to Scotland where my DD lives, but I see you want to stay in the South.
One place I have recently been surprisingly taken with is Norwich. My DS was doing work experience at Lotus so I stayed with him for the week and had to entertain myself whilst he was at work. I was very plesantly suprised as I had envisaged Norfolk as bleak and barren but actually the places I visited were mainly gently rolling and really quite attractive. Plus the coast was lovely and Norwich itself has a very nice city centre with lots of historic buildings. It really was quite a suprise to me as I hadn't expected to like it much. I could certainly live there, though I'd miss proper hills. No idea on house prices though sorry.

Hampshire v good for schools and well connected.
Not Winchester as very expenses but you could try the surrounding areas especially south of Winchester if you want access to sea. Places like Andover and Eastleigh will have cheeper housing but you may not want a town so broaden your search.
Romsey on edge of new forest
Salisbury way into Wessex gets cheeper but the school situation is perhaps not so good as they have grammar schools which affects outcome of the comps.
Hampshire is expensive due to the very good comps no grammars and some very affluent commuter areas Winchester, micheldiver, Whitchurch, overton all have trains straight into Waterloo.
Portsmouth and Southampton area will be much cheaper but also a little rougher in places. But near the sea!

Another one for New Forest ( non touristy area)Both parents born here, would never consider moving.Plus we have some lovely beaches nearby and the riding is fantastic.

York! We love the place and have visited many times, both for day trips and short holidays. It's got everything. Exceptional choice of shops, restaurants etc both inside the city in the "tourist" bit and also around the ring road with supermarkets, designer outlet, department stores, etc. Lots of history, museums, attractions, etc. We keep saying we'd love to move there.

Hmm this is hard as you got to think of the future and it been interesting for teen /young adult. I would opt for a city that’s close to coast / countryside but not live in it. I love Bristol though not sure on prices

I would really recommend Worcester or the surrounding towns (Droitwich, Evesham, Alcester). Worcester is technically a city but it's not too big and if you like on the outskirts you have access to countryside, canals, forests as well as having easy, walkable access to the city centre. It's no metropolis, but it's a lovely place to live. Also, the Forest of Dean, Birmingham and the Cotswolds are within an hour's drive and access to the M5 / M50 gets you north, south and to south wales easily.

I live in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire. Surrounded by country side, beach 50 mins away. Very sought after area x

@GrinAndVomit my husband was born in Beverley. (I think it’s a fantastic shout and would live there myself If work allowed)

Sometimes I make the mistake of saying he’s from Hull and he does always clarify he is in fact from market town Beverley 😂

Haha I went straight on rightmove after posting and quickly felt very vindicated 😃

Cotswolds (though the clever people live within 5 miles of it to knock £50,000 off the house price yet still enjoy the scenery, events, weather and pubs).

Windmill and green puts me in mind of lytham, though not the prices?