Finally exchanged contracts but where to move to? Berkshire tips please...

[JenL]

We've finally exchanged contracts on our London house sale (a long and drawn out 8 month process!) and have a completion date in 4 weeks but absolutely no idea where we're going to live! Originally we were looking in Surrey, but DH's family are in Wiltshire so we are now thinking more Berkshire way so they can see more of DD; DH still has to be within a 45 minute/1 hour commute to central London due to work. Does anyone have any suggestions? We were thinking a village location near a town ie surrounding Windsor or Maidenhead...or even as far as Shiplake/Henley...would prefer something with a bit of a community as I'll be leaving friends behind and work from home...

How about Newbury? There are lots of lovely villages around the town. Close to Wiltshire, reasonable commute into London (trains take about an hour to Paddington). Good schools and facilities within Newbury itself. All in all, nice place to live!

Marlow is really nice and would definitely tick all of those boxes but is quite expensive! Lots of great state schools too.

Maidenhead is better value for money and has good train links to Paddington and access to M4 and some very good schools, but also some not so great ones (so you need to pick your area!).

Cookham is nice if you want more villagey, but good schools and great community. Quite a few families from London seem to end up there as it has a quintessential village feel.
Windsor is very popular also with families, and a really nice town, but bigger, so depends if you want that.
Henley is very nice, again expensive,but a lovely town and popular with families.
Let me know if you want any more info on any of these locations...

Thank you oldjolyon and redgruffalo. Cookham sounds very appealing! Have been scouring the web for rentals but obviously pre-christmas is a rubbish time for house hunting....seems very little in our price range, either ludicrously expensive or just a bit too budget...

I lived in hungerford for years and it is LOVELY!! defintely move there!

hungerford is also on the main train line to paddington.