do you live somewhere amazing?

[RiverTam]

I'm talking location-wise, not house-wise.

After a summer of being out and about in the countryside we are (again!) pondering a move out of London. So I thought I'd turn to MN with this question.

Do you live somewhere amazing - I'm talking about fantatsic countryside/beaches, that kind of thing, somewhere you'd recommend unreservedly? Good schools, decent housing, access to a bit of culture should you fancy it. City, small town, village.

It's me, DH and DD (4).

Anywhere in England. North, south, east or west, or slapbang in the middle. But not London .

Just somewhere you think couldn't be bettered. Oh, and why would be good to know too!

BadRoly - yes my fave local beach, although they are being well behaved at the moment and not clearing the seaweed, so although its great for wildlife etc, its a bit smelly and dd refuses to go in the water.

Yes I love that house too, I spotted another gorgeous one, if you are on swanpool, look to your right, its amazing!

oh wow, that view?! stunning.

we left London for Bristol 2.5 years ago and I wouldn't move back for love nor money. in fact dh and I actually questioned if we would consider going back even for a £1m salary. And we wouldn't.

for £600k you could buy a big, 'done' Victorian house where we are. less if you wanted a project. We also have three outstanding primary schools in close proximity.

saying that, we weren't and still aren't ready for a country existence.

Apparently they are not allowed to clear the seaweed as it will damage the marine life - according to Mr Maenporth!

The one at Swanpool (if it's the same one) has been for sale for a whole - my Mr has his eye on it (in his dreams).

My other dream house was sold and renovated last year - on the road down towards Gylly beach...

Essex :-)

I live in Monmouthshire. Excellent schools, very beautiful countryside, seriously good restaurants, mountains and no traffic jams.

It is in Wales though and you said England. It has been in England, in the past

I'm about to live somewhere amazing ! In Cumbria just outside the Lake District National Park, overlooking the upper part of Morecambe Bay. So... sea views from the house, lakes and mountains very nearby. I can't wait! (probably moving first week in October).

Maenporth is lovely, we were there on Saturday. DH has just found an amazing house for sale in St Austell, which I didn't think was the nicest place down there. But overall I do think it's a bit far away.

Tell me more about Essex, Essex.

Oh and schools are really good, Yorkshire Dales not far away, and it's not far from the M6 so not toooo inaccessible.

Herefordshire. It's stunning and property wise you get lots for your money.

This is what you get for your money up here www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-42619063.html?premiumA=true
Newark is an hour and fifteen minutes on the train to kings cross.

Catalan coast

be careful, OP. It's not just about stunning views and a big house - after London the main problem imo is adjusting to provincial mentality and general lack of options in a small place. I'm in no way criticising it, but all depends on what you are used to - you could feel the lack of vibrancy/open-mindedness out of London.
Also 'a bit of culture' makes life dull, so be very wary of far away places like Cornwall or rural Norfolk (and Essex, unless bordering with London). At least choose somewhere within an hour of London if you lived there for a long time and if you love it. Of course if you grew up in the country and KNOW that you love it no less than you love London, then go for it! but still not too far

The problem with some Londoners is that they find anywhere outside of London dull and provincial. Us ex Londoners who chose to live in the provinces don't have this view. Even when I lived in the London area I didn't visit museums or the theatre that often. If anything I go more often now. It just isn't the West End or the V & A.

Within an hour's drive I have Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester and York - all easily visitable for a day's culture, including national museums. We also have many stately homes and the odd castle.

What we do have that London doesn't have is fabulous countryside, and much cleaner air - something I noticed when I was in London for the weekend recently. We have rivers, reservoirs, caves, beautiful landscape, historical industrial architecture and.... affordable housing, friendly people and good schools.

And I'm not telling you where I live because it would out me

I live in Gloucester so have many of the benefits of Cheltenham with somewhat cheaper housing

I love the historical docks, the cathedral and the fact that I can walk into the city centre or into proper countryside (Robinwoods Hill) within 20 mins.

Housing isn't that expensive yet there are lots of good salaried jobs. I can't think of many other places where DH and I could earn what we do without paying a lot more for a house.

I don't know why I read these threads because there is always someone who says life stops outside of London, there is nothing to do, you need a particular mentality to live in the provinces and no-one's open minded like they are in London. Arggghhh

I agree .. don't be too idealistic about the countryside. We moved 4 years ago from London to a small seaside town. It's beautiful. Views of lush countryside out of all our windows. Swimming in the sea after work. Walking miles and not seeing a soul. But but but... we totally rely on our car, there are ukip posters everywhere, I have small dcs and have felt isolated. Most mums I neet are friendly but have lived here all there lives and I've felt like an outsider. It takes 3 hours just to mow our garden.
So we're moving to a town (not london) we are swapping views of fields for a view of a housing estate, I cant wait!

well, I'm a Londoner born and bred and I have never left, not even for uni!

We do still go to the museums and galleries pretty often but my mum lives here so we'll easily be able to come to London for the weekend and gorge, should we feel the need. But I'm not so London-centric to think that other cities don't have fantastic museums and galleries too - we always go to Birmingham Art Gallery and the Ikon when we're in Brum (where DH grew up), for example.

But I'm getting fed up of how long it takes to get out of town to the countryside (this has been a niggle for a long time), and the nearest sandy beach is pushing 2 hours away, through hellish traffic for a lot of that. We love walking in the countryside and DD is definitely an outdoors child, our weekend in Cornwall has taken away any doubts about that!

I do have a slight horror that I could end up living next to a UKIP supporter (not something that's likely to happen where I live!) , but equally my neighbours at the mo are a pain in the arse so it doesn't really mean anything!

What always makes me laugh on these threads is the assumption that everyone in the country is racist or a ukip or , heaven forfend, a TORY

As if those people didn't exist in London.

Minkah - the area of norfolk around Yarmouth is "terribly flat" . The rest isn't! Quite a sweeping statement.
It isn't exactly hilly or mountainous but it's not fenland flat.

I think the question of mentality is a vital one. If we agree that different places carry different mentalities -speaking as a general rule of thumb, not discounting individuals at variance with their local mainstream- it's something people don't always talk about honestly.

When I moved to the country I was shocked by the mental inertia, racism, conservatism, and lack of ready wit.

Prejudice, un examined ideas.

Essentially, what used to be called 'provincialism' but nowadays that word is too 'judgy', so the truth in it is discounted.

People happily contrast, say, walthamstow with Chelsea, and freely admit the contrast between hoxtonites and residents of Fulham. But what about the character of other locales?

What places genuinely are an easy shift to make, for a born and bred Londoner?

Mumti3dc, I was quoting Noël Coward. Just a joke! Norfolk is beautiful.

Honestly though, you were just meeting those types of people. There are different kinds of people in all places. There really are.

I have lived outside of London for my entire life and have never mixed with only one type of person. You are basically implying that all of us in the provinces are provincial, stupid and possibly racist. Can you not see that that is a little bit annoying?

Minkah what a load of crap. That's all.

yes, of course, though in my little bit of London UKIP (and the Tories) don't stand a chance, and I've certainly never seen a UKIP poster anywhere round here - contrast to practically the first thing we saw in Falmouth on getting out of the car - under the Trago Mills sign was a Support UKIP poster.

But it's not something that would keep me in London, I don't think, it's a minor concern, and one that I hope is more in my head than in reality!

minkah - that does seem rather sweeping.

could I try to push this back on track to amazing places to live ? Please??