Where should I live?

[ProjectGainsborough]

Well, suggestions at least.

Situation is this: Currently abroad for a year with DH's job. When we come back we will likely sell our house in London and relocate ... somewhere.

DH needs to be Southeast-ish for work. I am freelance and thus portable. My ideal city is Bath but it's a bit far from our family in Oxfordshire/Midlands. Next would be Oxford, but houses near good state primaries seem to go for a million+, which we don't have.

We have family in the Cotswolds, but I suspect that I would not cope very well in the countryside, even if it is very beautiful. Ideally we want somewhere with a sense of history and period properties (current house in London is rather ugly fifties box, which we don't really want to do again)

Any thoughts?

Winchester? Or is that too far down. Hartley Wintney, Eversley.

Thank you. Just spent a pleasant 30 mins searching property porn. Winchester lovely but prob too far down - Hartley Wintney interesting though.

Cirencester & Tetbury are nice

Berkhamsted. It's got lovely property, great countryside 2 minutes outside - and only 30 minutes from London.

Tunbridge Wells (although may be too far east - takes us a while to get to our family in the SW) but it's a fab place, great schools, lovely people and lots of period properties. Plus only 50 mins to London.

There are lots of places in Oxford near good primaries that have plenty of houses for less than a million! Although I guess it depends what you expect from a family house.

And I would really recommend living in Oxford but it is more expensive than other commutable places.

Would larger cotswold towns not suit, I'm thinking Burford, Witney, Carterton etc?

What about the M4 corridor, Reading, Swindon, Newbury. Is Marlborough too far south west?

Thanks for the responses. Larger Cotswold towns are a thought... I seem to think good schools in Witney. Off to have a look on Rightmove.

fizzy all Oxford area suggestions welcomed as we really love it. I think I have my head stuck in the idea that Phil and Jims/St Barnabas are the 'best', but would really welcome enlightenment if otherwise?

Jericho is amazing - that why everyone wants to live there!

There are good schools all over Oxford/Oxfordshire. Wolvercote is supposed to be good, Headington has great two school St. Andrews is one of the best in Oxfordshire and Windmill is coming up (amazing head). Martson has a really good school (although the houses around there aren't as nice imo). How much do you want to spend and what do you need from a house?

Have a look through the oftsed reports but try and visit the schools if you can to get a feel for them. We actually changed our minds about a house in the catchment area of an, on paper, amazing school after we visited. It just wasn't for us. DD now goes to a school that didn't do amazingly in the last ofsted report but is great and suits us all really well.

Oxford is a great place to live and I would recommend it. You will get more for your money though from a smaller sattelite town (like Abingdon, Witney, Wallingford, Wheatley etc).

I too would recommend Oxfordshire, although not Oxford itself. There are some lovely areas around Oxford which you could consider.

Good secondary schools and areas you could consider are: (although my knowledge may be a few years out of date!)

Woodstock / The Marlborough
Villages around the Eynsham area - Bartholomew's School
Witney - Wood Green / Henry Box
Burford - Burford School.

I'm just over the border into Gloucestershire, and our local school (Farmor's) is excellent, good primary and lovely area too.

Alternatively, Newbury is a lovely area too, has excellent schools and a nice community.

The Downs school (secondary), Chilton, nr Newbury has a very good reputation locally, I'm not sure which primaries are feeders.
Newbury and the surrounding villages are great for commuting, easy access to the M4 (Bath and Heathrow about 40 mins)

we're looking at buying in stroud,it's lovely there,and house prices are pretty damn cheap (compared to hampshire where we are now!)

Wolvercote in north Oxford is nice. Not so expensive and the primary school is very good (but be careful where you buy so you guaranteed a place)
It's an easy cycle to Summertown.

Marlow and Beaconsfield in Bucks are nice, as is Thame in Oxon