is there a town equivalent to Cilfton Village in Bristol but without the rest of Bristol attached?!

[pinkredandpurple]

I love Clifton village: lots of green spaces around, a view over the river, warm atmosphere, period architecture, lots of delis, cafes and small shops. BUT the connection to main Bristol station not great, having to take connecting train or PITA buses, so travelling to London or anywhere is a bother and adds a lot to the trip what with connections etc.
I wish there was a similar place, well ok, minus the views maybe, without the rough part of Bristol attached and much more compact with easy access to a rail station, or with a quick bus to a station with many connections.
It has to be ideally SW or SE and not too far from London (i.e. not as far as the coastal towns). But if it's somewhere towards Derbyshire it's still doable. I don't like Norfolk, sorry, too flat a landscape.
Property prices not too crazy, sort of like Bristol prices would be ok.That is, you can get a good large 2/3 bed flat (or house!) for under 300K. But if lower, than even better!
It doesn't have to have lots of theatres/shops /chains/big megastores on the doorstep. But must have a good few cafes, I've been a Londoner so far!
I would like a simpler, more compact life, but not ready for rural/village, I don't like driving and not having people around.
Is this a silly utopia?
Any ideas, please?

There is good private school provision in Cheltenham - Dean Close prep is especially well regarded, then you have Cheltenham College, Cheltenham Ladies College and St Edwards. Pate's School is one of the best grammar schools in the country, but entry is very competitive and they take children from all over Gloucestershire and possibly beyond.

halfnhalf I am chuffed to bits that you actually come here for a day out. You park v.close to where I live

OBface, I will be looking at Market H still, I like the name and it reminds me of Jeeves books - prize-giving at MH school where Fink Nottle got drunk! Plus you make it sound attractive! I will have a look on street view first - should i just look at 'high street' or any other streets, incl residential? so you aer an ex londoner! I always been in nice parts of london too, but even that gets on our nerves sometimes - have you settled very quickly or took a while? what's Northampton like?
teacher, thank you, I think I won't be looking with secondary in mind, far too early for that! I may nt have a child for another 2yrs, and primaries are easier, and can move again then. I think this may explain the fall in prices for flats which reflects the general economy state but houses near schools aer just not so affected. It's a bit worrying though to buy a flat like this (even though they are impressive space wise) if the prices are on downward turn.

halfnhalf, I really am not saying Gloucester rd is bad - I went there myself a fw tins mainky for that big charity book shop which is great. It's afunky street and if you aer a fan of exotic foods especially great (I'm just not into spicy food), but I personally wouldn't want it as my nearest High street. clifton has the feeling of space and greenery being nextto the Bridge and it's just beautiful round there. The village is not all prissy and twee, it's a bit of a mix but yes, much more nice cafes - and also a good charity bookshop! I love old architecture and big green spaces so you could undertstand me cooing over it. It's not perfect , mind, as I find the uppity youngsters (prob students from rich families) with their pointedly pompous speech annoying! somehow it's worse than in london where they tone it down, and worse than older generation, I mean what planet are they on. But thankfully there aer also other students and cultured older people there too.
Take taxi to TM station? I travel to london once a week but go to many other closer places few times a week, i'm staying by Clifton D. station, not village, so taxis are expensive (the little train is less than 2 pounds!). It's still more than 2hrs to Lond even with a taxi and picking up tickets at machine (queues). I may end up staying for good, who knows, but first want to see other options.

'the general state of economy' argh

'went there myself a few times mainly' - I'm relegated to a dark corner due to refurbub in the flat, sorry!

Apologies OBface-was some year since I visited MH and does look much nicer than a few years ago in terms of shopping etc. I stand by my Derby comments too! I still don't think the OP will find everything she wants on her budget as it just doesn't exist!

Wanda I don't have to find EVERYTHING. A thing or two is negotiable. Maybe 2 bed house with two reception rooms (or bog loft storage space), rather than 3 bed. I really don't need the actual 3 bedrooms, but two good size ones. Maybe a large conversion flat instead. People already came up on here with feasible place - Salisbury, Cheltenham, Leamingtom Spa, Horsham, and MH is worth a look.
Nothing is perfect including clifton or nice parts of london.

'big loft storage' fgs

I looked at the prices already on the places i just mentioned, there are nice enough houses fot the price, it's just a question which town i prefer.

Sorry to say it, but definately wouldn't put Northampton on a level with with Clifton!
Are you after bohemian/ arty place or more of a well to do place with lots of high end shops?
I would put Salisbury more in the second category but Market Harborough in the first.
I think looking at university towns would give more boho edge whereas a lots of the other towns mentioned are more of the second type.
Would you prefer small market town, large town or small city?

pancakeboobies, er..I really wouldn't call Clifton 'boho' even though it's not prissy and boring (to me centre of Cheltenham is a bit like that though as it's been said, I haven't seen all of it). Tbh I don't mind either, but not hugely boho (say like Stroud/Trowbridge) as I'm not really boho, well a bit, and am a bit arty but not 'in your face;' iylwim. If anything I'm slightly academic even though my subjects is the Arts. I like well to do places with shops (or more to the point delis/cafes) as that's what London is like where i've always been (Kensington etc) but the thing with london is it's always a mix whatever the area. I don't know if I'd like a very cliquey upper-midddle class places, that's why I'm not looking at well-to-do bits of Surrey or Winchester ! But if it's well to do with a cultural edge or just more relaxed/live and let live attitudes, then that's great.

pancake I wasn't thinking of Northampton as a place to live, but just asking the poster what was around Market Harborough which has more shopping and other options (just for some variety). Is it actually unpleasant?

Is MH boho ? I thought the poster who moved there said it was a mix of horsey types and 'normal' people. That's what i envisaged too somehow.

I don't mind whether it's a large town or small city or even small town (if really right) but as i said above, the has to be easy access to the station without trailing through rough areas or it being more than 20min walk or 5-10min by bus. I do want more of a community than in london but not so tiny that yo can't get away from a group of people . Ithink it's nice to be recongised and say hello to a number of locals.
Of course it does come down to how you feel in the place, so no substitute for visiting. I liked Clifton village immediately just made me smile but also it's a little exciting. I like hte feel of York but hasn't seen anywhere there apart from the centre, Harrogate nice but just not enough there for me and too far from london. I also like areas of london strongly but can't afford a decent size place there. Btw i do not like Hampstead, make of that what you will.
Sorry it's all now getting philosophical

No MH is not particulalry boho but not as upmarket as Salisbury or country lady type - more middle class normal but with an upmarket edge - has some nice restaurants and cafes and shops. Northampton is pretty grotty but is a fair way from MH - Leicester and Rugby are a similar distance away.
If you are considering that part of the world, you should give Oakham but especially Stamford a look in - it is a place with gorgeous architecture and on the trainline to London - there seem to be lots of MNetters there too.
Others have mentioned St Ives in Cambs as well. Cambridge too is a gorgeous city and I would have thought would offer you a lot more things that the smaller places couldn't culturally.

pancake, Cambridge is just too expensive to compare with other places mentioned. Had a look at rightmove - houses too pricey, flats in modern blocks which i couldn't live in - if it had more good conversions like Chelt/Bristol, then i would consider.
Stamford - I must say I know nothing about at all - can you describe it a bit more? how big/small it is? is it upmarket or middle and how long to london? will look on rightmove. How is it better than MH - more beautiful?

I have been to Cambridge briefly (ages ago) - amazing Cathedral, genuinely.

Cambridge has a cathedral?

I don't know Stamford but did think at one point we may be relocating to that region so did start to consider there - sadly it would be above our budget for anything OK. It is bigger than MH and has more unique architecture. If you search for threads on here you will come across Mnetters talking about it who live there - the consensus seems to be that its lovely and is ofter recomended as a place to move to. I know this would be above your budget and prob not what you are looking for, but do a streetview from there and you will get a good idea of the town centre.
Think its a large town but as there are not that many towns in that neck of the woods it is more regionally important than it would be further south. It is on the edge of Rutland so has lovely countryside nearby. Oundle is lovely too, but is smaller than Stamford and not on the train line.

Cambridge does not have a cathedral. It is in the Diocese of Ely, which therefore has Ely Cathedral.

Great St Mary's church? King's College Chapel?? Confused...

KIng's College possibly, thought it was a Cathedral (where st CHristmas the great boys' choir sings). It's the famous very large one, in any case.

at

I can not comprehend the comparisons suggested.
I have lived in Clifton.
I have either lived in, at one point, or visted most of the other places on the list, in the last few months.
But to compare them? Come on. what planet are you on?
Cambridge, lovely, but comparable to clifton, come on.
Ely? Dorchester? Salisbury? Come on.
Horsham or Farnham. Get real.
I think Op is asking the impossibel, sorry.

Oblomov, ..well I will go and look first at a few I've chosen, but it may be the case that I will stay in clifton/redland if I don't like any. But to be fair, are all of them THAT much worse? what's wrong with salisbury for example? Leamington spa? Chelt? maybe you are feeling nostalgic (i.e. rose-tinted view and so on)?

Its got nothing to do with nostalgia.
I have lived in Cambridge, and had friends in Ely. Both are very nice. Nothing like Clifton at all.
I was in Horsham today. Dorchester last week. I visited my friend in Bath last month. None of them anything like Clifton.

My mum has lived in South Oxfordshire for the last 15 yeras, so I know that Oxford and the surrounding areas are nothing like Clifton.
I was shopping in Salisbury a few months ago.
I have a caravan in Dorset and holiday there 3 x per year. Nothing like Clifton.
I have visited Alresford 4 times in the last few years, for the trains. Nothing like Clifton. Village.
Dh and I were in Windsor a few months ago. God we both love Windsor and said we would live there if we could afford to. But there isn't a cat-in-hells-chance. Unless we win lottery. And even Windsor, which I luuuurve, is nothing like clifton.

shall I go on .......