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Original poster

Places to live in Cotwolds nr to M40?

82 replies

MissChief · 25/04/2006 10:08

..our relocation saga continutes! As well as still looking within the home counties, we're also seriously considering moving further west with dh commuting in (to Staines, Surrey) and we're now looking at the following spec.:

  1. small quiet Cotswold stone market town
  2. nr to Oxford-side of A40/M40
  3. good state schools
  4. 3 -4 bed period property for max £550k
  5. good facilities - parks/culture/nice shops/cafes/nice town to walk around/sports
  6. ideally good train links to London

I'm looking into Witney & Burford and they seem to fit the spec. Anyone know these or have any other recs? TIA!

OP posts:
zippitippitoes · 26/04/2006 12:37

what about chalfonts, amersham, beaconsfield , bourne end, cookham, maidenhead,burnham

Original poster
MissChief · 26/04/2006 12:40

..we've checked most of those but need to find out more about Cookham. I know it a bit, looks lovely but seems v. expensive. Do you know it Zippi? You seem to know all these areas well!

My problem is I don't actually know the UK v well (apart from places where I have lived) as I was overseas for ages and always tend to go back abroad on hols. I need to get out more on w/e visits!

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JanH · 26/04/2006 12:46

Well I was thinking Henley too, MissC!

Chalfonts area lovely but madly expensive, I'm sure I saw something recently that said the average house price is c £500K round there Shock

Have you had a look on \link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/\rightmove}? Put in Staines and then your ideal max distance/price. (If you don't put a price in, \link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-6585082.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy\this} comes up first. What a bargain!)

Original poster
MissChief · 26/04/2006 12:51

gosh, how wonderfully OTT, bigger than Hampton Court, well essential, of course!

iKWYM about house prices, we want to move to a slightly cheaper area not even more expensive! We could quite do with a decent family house for under £1 million (!) and that's a tall order in some parts of Berks/Bucks! Hoping that our budget ( max 550k) would go further if we escape home counties...

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thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 26/04/2006 13:02

faringdon is a lovely town that fits most of your criteria - except for train links. There was a thread about it some time ago

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 26/04/2006 13:05

sorry can't find the thread - searching archives doesn't seem to work at the mo.

Original poster
MissChief · 26/04/2006 13:06

thanks (love yr name btw!)..
I'd wondered about Faringdon but know nothing about it so that's another one to research. Is it an old stone town then, woudl you say?

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thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 26/04/2006 13:17

I'm not sure I understand what you mean - it's not classic honey-comb cotswolds but it is very pretty. A lot of georgian houses with higgledy-piggledy roof tops; an old market sqaure with a corn exchange in the middle; a nice selection of shops (Rob the cheese; a good butcher's; a deli, a few nice gift shops, a fair-trade crafty/gifty shop; chemist; off-licence, supermarket,) and some nice cafes/restaurants. It's small enough to walk out into the country in 5-10 minutes. It has grown a lot recently and has a few new estates - the upside is a diversity of housing and prices - it's not all old and expensive, and from the older parts you wouldn't really know the new estates were there. It's a small enough place to have a sense of community, but big enough to be anonymous if you want to. If it were in a different place I'd move there myself.

Original poster
MissChief · 26/04/2006 13:19

I've checked some Faringdon sites (oh where would I be w/o the internet, apart from out in the sun..?) It looks lovely and the schools seem great from primary right thro to A-level.. V promising..

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Original poster
MissChief · 26/04/2006 13:26

thx, not found that website before. V tempted by anywhere with a "Rob the Cheese"

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JanH · 26/04/2006 13:27

Faringdon is a looong way W though - near Gloucs/Wilts border (I happen to have map of Oxon on my wall - don't ask!) and much nearer M4 (again) than M40.

Original poster
MissChief · 26/04/2006 13:36

oh bugger, there's always something! All I want is the picture-perfect, well-located, affordable, character town with great state schools - not asking much Wink

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JanH · 26/04/2006 13:44

How about \link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-6325942.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy\Oxford} itself?

Original poster
MissChief · 26/04/2006 13:46

dh adamantly anti-cities after being in London, tho' I'd be tempted, personally. I know the schools in the main are good though. That house look interesting too - kind of property we're after (though my ideal is still stone!)

Do you know Wallingford at all?

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JanH · 26/04/2006 13:52

\link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-6843673.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy\Garsington?} (No idea where that is!)

Hm, Wallingford - IIRC I went on a CAMRA piss-up there many years ago but as it was a CAMRA piss-up I don't remember a thing about it!

Original poster
MissChief · 26/04/2006 13:54

well,it is a sought after village! Shall check, and thanks again for all your research, v helpful!

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JanH · 26/04/2006 13:55

\link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-6458782.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy\Bladon}, nr Woodstock.

Oh, it's a pleasure, literally - a) I love looking at houses and b) I'm displacing like mad, should be working! Smile

Pruni · 26/04/2006 14:04

What about Abingdon? I live in oxford, and it's a measure of how dull it is that a day trip to see friends in Abingdon is quite exciting. Good shops (the Blessed Waitrose), the usual cafes, restaurants etc, small, lots of property/building of new property (hence prices not utterly extortionate), reasonably pretty town centre, great sports centre/pool complex...Apparently it's ace for families with young children, and though I'd avoid the centre on a Friday/Sat night, my sources tell me it's lovely to live there.

Original poster
MissChief · 26/04/2006 14:06

sorry to have distracted you, anyway! Dh always teases me about my property-porn habit as he so charmingly puts it!

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JackieNo · 26/04/2006 14:08

And Abingdon's v close to Didcot, which has v good links to London (wouldn't recommend Didcot to live, though).

Original poster
MissChief · 26/04/2006 14:09

that was to Jan, btw!
I'd always assumed Abingdon was far too convenient to be a character town, IYKWIM. Maybe that's unfair, will check it too.. Going to miss the school run at this rate, but thanks, pls keep the recommendations rolling in, great help!

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Original poster
MissChief · 26/04/2006 14:11

pruni - intrigued that you find Oxford dull, how so? It seems so vibrant to me as a visitor, in an obviously town & gown sort of way, but seems loads to do and a great place to stroll around with kids.

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notasheep · 26/04/2006 14:30

I was born and bred in Abingdon,parents still live there.Love visiting with my 2.dd has even asked if we could move there.
Balmy days by the River Thames,loads of gorgeous old Victorian properties,but too many new ones!

notasheep · 26/04/2006 14:32

St Helens and St Katherines girls school is in top 5 in country too