Searching for the perfect village- can you help? Long, sorry

[caramelgirl]

Right, so we ha( d )ve our hearts set on a fab village in Sussex. It seemed perfect but... prices have gone up four fold in the last 15 years. So, for our v v stretch budget of up to £800k we can get a manky chalet- 2 double beds, 3 dormer singles, can't stand straight in. Repossession offered at 550k went at 570k with a baby boomer bidding war.

Problem is it is full of old people who have tons of equity and no need to move. So prob no chance of a collapse in price, sob. We have posted leaflets and put up ad in local shop but nothing useful yet.

We know that we are unusually lucky in having this as a dilemma, but would be v grateful for advice.

We are thinking of giving up on the dream and trying to find another village. Our criteria are that the village has:

1. primary school (nurturing, not keen on hothousing one). Bus to decent senior school or private school with generous scholarships!
2. local shop- so no need to drive to get milk
3. sense of community- dream village has several pubs, good WI, active local committee organising summer festival and Christmas fair
4. near decent size town and with eg supermarket deliveries and train to London- tho' prefer not a commuter dormitory place
5. pref near natural beauty- original village is on the Downs
6. a fairly relaxed vibe, our home villages are a bit posey and very status and wealth conscious.

We are pretty easy re location, both parents are in Warwickshire, husband will retrain in engineering is the plan.

We are looking to move in next year or so. Can spend our weekends looking at ALL your suggestions!
Thank You!

Just read all posts - laughing out loud at the reaction of someone from Evesham if you told them you stayed in a Yurt!

Yeah, I grew up as a dark skinned ( latina colouring but deffo not English rose) hippy, charity shopped swotty weirdo in a v parochial village. Really really don't want to do that to my daughter, or any other DC. So would you say Evesham was out jingle?

Ahh, can't really help you I think. Although what I can say is that I started out thinking that I needed to find the perfect village to justify our move from London. We haven't done it yet (close to exchanging!) but I got to the point where I just thought hey, there are hundreds of 'good enough' villages around, stop searching for the perfect house in the perfect village, just go with your gut instinct. I may live to regret it but that's what we've done - fell in love with the house, said goodbye to my remit that it had to be v close to perfect OFSTED outstanding primaries and grammar schools, plus commutable station - but think we'll truly love where we live.

I do think you can get hung up in thinking that you have to live in the 'best' village or send your kids to the 'best' primary and if you don't it's a disaster... hopefully not the case (although our village was voted Kentish Village of the Year 2010! ) If you want to see what you get for £800k in that neck of the woods, let me know and I'll PM you :)

Ooh yes please LL, pm would be great. I know what you mean re: not being too obsessed by perfect village. Is why we are trying to step away from Alfriston. And actually seeing some pretty good places thanks to these suggestions.
Off to bed now ready for toddler who gets up at 6, grr.
Thanks everyone!

MMMh, Evesham is a large-ish town, mixed demographic. It has a big Italian community (immigrants from the 50s), think they mostly keep themselves to themselves. Now loads of Polish/East Europeans who have had mixed welcomes I'd say -such a huge influx for a small town (positive in my view).

I don't live there (originally from there) but I'd say if you scratch the surface you'll find like-minded people. It really is a brilliant location, you can get to so many places from there. (cotswolds, Cheltenham 20 mins, London 2 hours max, Birmingham 30 mins).
And the villages dotted around can be very pretty. So no, I wouldn't rule it out, and there are good primary and senior schools. I was more thinking of my uncle's reaction!

Oooh, and maybe some good ice-cream shops if Italian heritage [ hopeful]. Will have a look at Evesham then, thanks. Yes, my parents ( who came down to babysit) and my bro' were pretty about yurt. But was fab, we did a treehouse last year and were considering a lighthouse for this nye but I'd rather have a newborn if poss...

Mayfield has a primary school right in the village and an independent girls' school. You can't miss them as are both on the High Street. Not sure what the general consensus of either is though, but looking at the ofsed reports they both look ok. I think the state schools are pretty good too although nearest would be Heathfield or Uplands in Wadhurst (where the station is) and from memory some Sussex children are successful at getting into Kent Grammar schools.

We have been to some of the village events in the past, which are very well attended, there is also a music festival in the summer and for lovers of classical, there is a festival which lasts a week I think. Oh and if you are a lover of Christmas, Mayfield has a 'live' crib event which is held in December over a week, although I only went to part of it some years ago.

Just found this which is not far from Mayfield, if you are keen. I promise I am not on commission!

Just marking my place for inspiration, we are contemplating a move out of London in the next few years so I'll be watching with interest.

It is lovely BUT 1 moonrakers is great but not Michellin starred and the dont own the deli; and a bit of insider knowledge - sophie e-b's lot dontt live there!

Yep, pamplemousse was let down by my grammar, sorry, deli separately run by lots of old ladies. Bextor's don't live in village but resto manager's dad is apparently fab builder. Not sure how easily he can build a silk purse from a pig's ear tho'.
Still, am getting excited by possibility of being nearer parents. Turns out that is something we'd both like. And DH would be pleased to return to study at Oxford too. So going to investigate Streatley and Goring and also Peopleton and Omberley first. Tho' summer trip to Broadclyst also calls.
Thanks all and please keep them coming

How funny - was about to recommend our village of Goring, only to see someone had got there first (Lily - are you from there??)

I think it meets all your criteria brilliantly, thought it isn't cheap. 800 will get you a nice family house with a decent garden, but nothing spectacular.

We both work in Oxford and visited a dozen villages before settling on Goring, but more people go towards London for work. Most people move here after working in London -usually when their children are toddlers - so there is no 'outsider' thing at all. But then people stay forever, so it's a stable community too. There's a good village primary that almost everyone goes to and it's at the heart of the community. Streatley (on the other side of the river) is a bit more hot-housey. It's undeniably middle-class, but I've never found it competitive like I hear from some Oxford/London schools or on here. Then most people take the school bus to the 'outstanding' comprehensive school in the next village (Langtree).

Plenty of local shops etc (grocery, convenience stores, hardware, chemist, butcher, florist, medical centre, library, toy-shop, office-supplies, interiors, bric-a-brac, hairdressers, bike shop...) but no supermarket. It's definitely a village. Four pubs, fabulous cafe, tea-shop, posh restaurant, Indian, Chinese...). Supermarkets are 10 minutes drive. Delivery no problem.

Trains: 1 hour london, half an hour Oxford, 10-15 mins Reading.

Very active community. South of England village of the year last year. Xmas eve torchlight procession, regatta, lots of sports events, jazz festival...

Very outdoorsy, sporty place. You've got the river and the Chilterns. Lots of people cycle, run, row.

I think it's pretty relaxed - lots of festival goers and camping. Definitely a 'yurt' kind of place!

Everyone I know here is very glad they chose it. I'm not sure quite sure how it'll be with teenagers (certainly could be worse as transport is good) and I wouldn't move here as a single twenty something, but with young children (or retired) it is fab.

Have I sold it yet?

irregularegular - I once (long ago, unfortunately) lived in Goring when DSs were young, but we were relocated away from the area, much to our sorrow.
It was one of the two places I have ever lived which I have been happy to return to when coming back from a holiday.
Now live near one of the most recent suggestions - nice, but not Goring!

Just curious as to why you would want to live in a village full of old people?

I know Alfriston - isn't it a bit twee?

Waves across what passes for a hill in our parts towards Ruby ...
We tried to buy a house in GC but nothing came up that was suitable, so we remain over in the next county!

You sound as though your requirements are emotional ones rather than hard facts to be honest.
ALL picturesque villages have very aged residents. Have you considered a country town rather than a village? I don't know a single Dorset village that has 'several' pubs for example, or 'shops' (plural)!

Thanks irregularr, nice to have such detailed endorsement of Goring. We are definitely booking a stay there early Feb to check it out. And thanks for wiki link rubyrr, will click now. V relieved such nice looking alternatives.
Tbh we are not pure yurty types, just mean we are not quite Boden and range rover either.

Yes grafit and bibbitybh we are starting to consider larger village/small town as possibly better option. Thinking small as we both grew up in smallish places but closer to bigger towns.
Think old people possibly have more time/ energy to make a village community work? As they are not so busy working/rearing family.
But we are first time buyers and have rented on Isle of Dogs for close to a decade, so not much understanding of alternatives really I guess.
Which is why we've been clinging so strongly to original plan in face of unaffordability for what we want.

Oh, there's plenty of Boden here too (hope that's not a no-no). But you definitely wouldn't get funny looks for a yurt!

I hope you like it - it's a pleasant place to stay for a weekend anyway. Shout if you want any tips!

Be warned you can have quite a wait for the right house - there's almost nothing on the market at the moment, I just looked. I guess that's the same in all desirable villages though, esp with the housing market the way it is.

I'd second the west oxfordshire area. Great schools loads of really vibrant villages and lots for your money.

"But we are first time buyers and have rented on Isle of Dogs for close to a decade"
Wow. You are going to have a BIG shock if you move to a village! Don't do it! Stay in a small town near a big town!

Actually, if you're not too fussed about journey time to London, I'd consider going West of Oxford too. We liked Charlbury (but couldn't find house as all the nice, older houses in the centre have no garden) and Kingham is lovely, with gorgeous houses, but tiny. We're glad we went for somewhere with more shops and facilities.