Where is a nice rural place to live?

[missyfafa]

We want to move from the dirty old city, we want a nice house with a wee bit of land in a pretty village or nearby.Due to the fact my husband works from home we can just about live anywhere, this has given us TOO much choice and we can't seem to make a decision so... If you could live anywhere where in the country would it be?

Think about the weather though - it's bloody cold up t'north. I wouldn't go back now after relocating to the sunnier west country - earlier spring, shorter winters and just WARMER, and i was a hardy northern lass

I'm in semi-rural Shropshire on the dry side of the Welsh border. :-)

broadband is fine, village has shop, pub, bus, lovely walks and cycle rides, 6 miles to a full-service town. Temperature very similar to darn sarf -believe me, this was all researched! Mobile a little iffy in house, but so what, I've got a landline.

Wait until after September before deciding on Scotland.

Another vote for Northumberland. Or North Yorkshire.

Highland wise Rosemarkie, Cromarty, Fortrose etc all lovely. Also around Loch Ness nice too.

However I also love the east coast. Cellardyke and all along that East Neuk is lovely!

Cambridgeshire and borders. This area has excellent links to london if you ever need fast lines etc. We moved in december from se london to the depths of nowhere As we were never going to be able to afford to buy and the rents are extortionate. We chose to pay for school though so it was a stay and payfor house or move and scrape for school entirely another thread! However we have rented as we dont know where we would like to live eventually. Dont trust BT with their broadband checker though, they said they could provide us with internet and cant we just about got a phone line. Its amazing living out here and now would not change it for the world (bar the shitty internet)!

Shropshire
Warwickshire
Leics- villages
Shetland...
What do you mean by rural

Diss / Garboldisham / Harleston / Yaxham - Norfolk

isn't Suffolk very nice? expensive on essex borders, but cheaper towards coast, ot to the north (bad train lines there!)
Around Stroud also, though I think villages are more expensive than the rundown cheap Stroud itself.

Shropshire in/near Shrewsbury is very nice - everyone waxes lyrical! I'd go there if I didn't need to be in london often.

Fairylea has hit the nail on the head.

Cornwall can be expensive but it's a big area to search you would have to decide on an area first. Lots has changed in the county and lots of 'brighter' folk have been tempted back.

Schools here are fabulous, where I live 2 v good choices of secondary. And we have the beach the moors the microclimates and generally the work life balance swings the way you want it because people/employers generally assume family comes first. No better place to raise a family.

Dumfries and Galloway. Cheap property. East side nearer rail and motorway connections, West nearer beaches.
Quite arty, folk music, many potters/painters.

www.dgspc.co.uk/

I was going to suggest Northumberland too... I love Alnwick.

Fife - stick to east fife. It's cold though :)

The moray coast further north is lovely - slightly better weather too (than further west) . Beautiful beaches - think you would get a lot for your dosh inland.

I love the Scottish Borders. Close enough to edinburgh but stunning in their own rights. Melrose/peebles/ west linton.

Also in scotland is bridge of Allan/dunblane which have great schools and still quite close to edinburgh. Highlands very accessible as a day trip but close to amenities for kids.

Another vote for south norfolk,beautiful countryside,train links to London,close to lovely beaches,quite roads,& the driest part of the country,anywhere along the Waveney valley.

Wherever you choose be sure to check out the state of rural broadband.

Monmouth - green, bumpy, not too far from the sea or motorway and a bit alternative.

Northumberland is a great idea too. Alnwick area.

Actually usk in Monmouthshire - stunning area

County Durham. I'm of course biased as I love here but countryside, close to the beauty of Northumberland, excellent schools and the area has fibreoptic broadband so rather handy for working from home.

Norfolk gets my vote as well - countryside & coast plus better weather than Northumberland/Yorkshire.

Isn't Norfolk dead flat?

It's gently rolling,not flat like lincs & parts of cambs.

Shrops much more picturesque/charming than Norfolk (sorry to the fans!)