Thinking of leaving London, but don't know where to....please help.

[where2next]

First world problem.
DH and I are currently deciding whether to up sticks and move from London before DD starts school.
DH is happy with our current living situation (3 bed victorian terrace, zone 4), but I'm not such a fan. I feel like although we technically live in London we might as well live outside of London as I'm unable to access the amenities of central London that easily (we do not live near a tube) and I really miss that. Most of our close friends now have children and are spread across London. Trying to see them is equally hard. Also, I've been told by mums in our area that our house is 2 streets out of the catchment of the good school.....which got me thinking, should we up sticks and move???
To give you a bit of background about myself, I grew up in Edinburgh and really miss the lifestyle I had there. I came to London in my twenties and loved living in here as a single person, but now married with a family I am less keen. I cannot help but compare the life I had and my friends with families up north have to my life down hear. I miss the North, although perhaps not the weather! In an ideal world I'd move Edinburgh to an hours commute of London and move there, but I can't move mountains let alone cities! DH on the other hand would be happy living anywhere (wish I was like this), but because of his job (media) we have to remain near London for the time being.

The nuts and bolts of our search:
House, budget ??700K (preferably period)
Good primary
Approx 1-1.5hr commute to Oxford Circus for DH
Access to Norfolk and Scotland preferred, but not essential
Nice independent shops, cafes, restaurants etc.

Not a tall order by any means! Thanks for reading.

Cambridge isn't boring!

OP if you don't want a terraced house then the Mill Road area may not be ideal. There are bigger houses around Coleridge Park so that could be an option. You could also look at Chesterton, where the new station will be (but your DH will have to cycle to the existing station until the new one opens). You could definitely get a 3-4 bed semi within your budget.

And last but not least you could look at villages along the train line, depending whether your DH needs to go to Kings Cross or Liverpool Street.

Guildford? www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-36310377.html

Thame? This is near Haddenham & Thame parkway - 50 minutes to marylebone

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-35967954.html

Peterborough would give you a much bigger house for that sort of budget and great access to the north. Just not as 'happening' a place.

Love the idea of Cambridge being boring relative to Hitchen . OP, there are more affordable areas than Mill Road in Cambridge, you'd just be further away from the station. But you're never that far away from anything. This has just come up for sale, max. 5 minutes walk from the station.

Would also look at Grantham and Bourne as well, both have excellent Grammar schools, lovely and easy to get to Edinburgh either train or A1 and also to Norfolk as well. Your budget would get a huge character property up here. Train from Grantham takes just over a hour to Kings cross and Peterborough is quicker again

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-49800733.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-32607444.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54241928.html

Hope the links work

It all comes down to personal preference but I think for its size Cambridge is (was?) lacking in some areas that matter to me (or did then anyways). The live music scene was non-existent, theatre really poor. Pubs nearly all closed at 11 (a shock to an irish woman who came to Cambridge via edinburgh, took me ages to find a lock in). I found eating out to be particularly bad, and having been back a few times recently doesn't seem to have improved (very chainy and i can't afford midsummer house). Also the punting touts were completely out of control. Worse than the curry touts on brick lane and that is saying something. It is a nice place to shop though as long as you don't have to drive into town as the traffic is mental.

In my opinion I don't think Cambridge offers enough for the premium you now have to pay to live there. I didn't have kids when I lived there so might be different with a family, but I didn't even consider going back when moving out of London.

Hitchin on the other hand, eating out fantastic, two theatres, really good comedy scene, amazing outdoor pool, reasonable shopping, faster and cheaper into London, nicer countryside, houses about one third cheaper than Cambridge and don't have the looming presence of the university to contend with. Hitchin wins, so there.

Belleende. Look, just because you prefer Hitchin doesn't mean everyone will. If you call Cambridge "boring" you have to expect some people to find that ironic.

And to answer these points:
"The live music scene was non-existent, theatre really poor. Pubs nearly all closed at 11 (a shock to an irish woman who came to Cambridge via edinburgh, took me ages to find a lock in). I found eating out to be particularly bad, and having been back a few times recently doesn't seem to have improved (very chainy and i can't afford midsummer house)."
You're just wrong, sorry. There is live music and decent theatre in Cambridge, less than in Edinburgh but more than in Hitchin I should think! Plenty of pubs close after 11pm at the weekend (some in the week too) - the Maypole springs to mind but there are others. And although there are lots of chain restaurants we have some great independents too: The Oak Bistro, De Luca, Bedouin, to name just a few.

Manchester!

With Media City booming the creative industries are growing quickly.

You will get a lot for your money as property is still very reasonable but rising quickly.

Sorry, I live in Hitchin, and I love the place, but I can't say I recognise it from your description!

I think Leamington or Warwick would be to far s comute op....

Don't do!!

It's an easy train ride of hour and twenty and you can easily get onto m40 in five minutes first thing.

Good schools both secondary and primary.
Fab shops
Close to b/ ham for theatre city shops etc
Great sports for dc with swimming, rugby, football, athletics clubs etc
Great facilities for adults cinemas, theatres, clubs etc
Warwick & Leamington blend into one but are very different towns, both pleasant though

As there is a large amount of business done here is supports the local restaurants and there is a decent choice for eating out.

Don't miss Kenilworth either as an alternative with the option of travel from Coventry station rather than leam or Warwick - cov goes into euston

Saffron Walden? (Market town just south of Cambridge) - train service from Audley End. Alternatively, Canterbury? Fast train to St P....Fist bump of solidarity...I miss Edinburgh desperately too but am stranded in London because of DH's job too. Been thinking all the same things as you!

We're in Notth Oxfordshire, DH commutes - Marylebone is 40 mins from Bicester North and the new Watsr Eaton station (near posh North Oxford) is going to be just under an hour to Marylebone.

Love living here, it's a fantastic part of the county.

Bristol is a really great city to live in op.

...Cotto, the Backstreet Bistro, the Sea Tree, Fitzbillies, the Rice Boat. Hotel du Vin isn't bad as posh chains go. Fifteen years or so ago you used to hear 'there's nowhere decent to eat in Cambridge' a lot; it wasn't true then and sounds really odd now. And yes to everything Emma said, plus beautiful lido, great arts cinema, and brilliant classical music, one of the country's biggest film festivals, the internationally famous folk festival, fantastic galleries and museums, and a huge number of community events. Just in my small part of town there's a food festival four times a year, an art festival, at least 5 or 6 annual street parties and a massive winter fair.

Belle it must be a very long time ago that you knew Cambridge if all the pubs closed at 11. A walk down St Andrew's Street at 2am tomorrow morning would be an eye opener (not necessarily in a good way...).

I guess if you consider the university to be a looming presence rather than a magnet pulling academic and business talent and money into the city and providing it with some of the most beautiful buildings in Britain, then you're going to have a slightly less positive view of Cambridge. I'll give you the better countryside though, Belle - the only thing I miss about my home county of Hertfordshire - not even the most rabid Cambridge nationalist could argue with you there .

Well said Father, thank you for chiming in! Feel less indignant about my beloved city now

It's true that Cambridgeshire is never going to have rolling hills. But I do love Grantchester and the river.

Me too, Emma. And the Botanical Gardens.

Glad to see another Bedouin customer on MN!

We moved out of West London to Bucks. Still close enough to get in to London without much effort but far enough out to have peace and quiet, plenty of greenery and a drive!! Good schools on the doorstep too.

lots for your money with good school

Good school catchment, less than an hour to London from St Neots Station.

Agree all down to personal preference and I left Cambridge 10 years ago so acknowledge it has changed in that time.
I was studying At the time but lived with locals. Never completely comfortable with the town vs gown thing. Whilst I could wander in and out of college buildings my friends who were born and bred in Cambridge had to pay, rendering vast swathes of the centre of town out of bounds to them. Didn't sit right with me.

I still don't think Cambridge offers enough for the amount you have to pay to live there now, especially not if you have to commute into London (season ticket is now over 4K I think). I will admit to being in the first flush of love with hitchin. Been here 6 months and have my snuggly new born on my lap so may have a degree of rose tint to my glasses.

Cirencester. Cotswold stone, lovely countyside, great schools, train from Kemble close by, good access to Oxford

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34052979.html

I think the places mentioned around Bham are great options leamington Spa and Warwickshire which are close to Stratford too are all stunning and you will get loads for your money. I think they are commutable too for London but because of proximity of Bham it's easy to get up north.

Then someone has mentioned Cotswolds and Gloucestershire side which are all very beautiful.

Down south which is where my DF originates and where I'll be going when I finish training up here in Bham id have to recommend Worthing and Brighton/Hove expensive but beautiful period properties and just all round nice places with culture and by the sea but easy to get into London.

If we have to stay around midlands though we'd go for Warwickshire or Cotswolds side.

Absolutely cannot agree that there is no decent theatre in Cambridge. On Friday I went to see The Father at the Arts Theatre, pre-West End. It was staggeringly good, and if you know anything about theatre you will have read the reviews. There's also The Junction, and the Corn Exchange. The Arts Theatre has had a change of management and a stunning facelift in the last 10 years. I would go every week if I could afford it!