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Original poster

Would you live in a village with no shop?

117 replies

ButIGetUpAgain · 27/11/2019 19:46

Hi,

Just that really. Seen a house which we really like, in a really pretty village, 10 minute drive from DD's high school, with school bus, gorgeous gastro pub, but yes, no shop.

The closest would be only a couple of minutes drive away and the next well equipped village is only 5 or 6 minutes drive away, so hardly a trek. That said, I would have liked my DD to have the freedom to walk to the shops on her own. She can't where we currently live and this was something on our list. Not top of it though.

What are your thoughts? Would you? Do you?

OP posts:

KatherineJaneway · 28/11/2019 04:34

I wouldn't live so remotely with dc. How will she socialise with friends unless you ferry her about? I lived remotely as a teen and hated not being able to go anywhere without being taken as there was no public transport.

As an adult I lived in a village with no shop and it wasn't an issue. You just plan carefully and / or always make sure you have bread, milk etc in the freezer for emergencies.

Megan2018 · 28/11/2019 04:44

I live in a hamlet with no shop, nearest town about 8 miles. You get used to it, doesn’t cause us any issues. We shop online and as we commute to a city (20 miles away) it’s easy to get to a shop daily.

BitOfFun · 28/11/2019 04:51

What about with teenagers though, Megan?

I think that some adults romanticise the country life when they have little children, and imagine long summer days of tree-climbing and treasure hunts for them, or splashing around in muddy puddles in wellies and a tutu. Realistically though, that stage is so fleeting.

Megan2018 · 28/11/2019 05:48

The teenagers here seem to manage fine without a village shop? They get school buses to schools in town with shops.
My DD only 10 weeks old but we won’t be moving when she is a teen. Obviously we’ll have to be taxi but there’s plenty to do here-active hunting/shooting community and young farmers. It remains to be seen if DD has the horse bug like me but odds are she’ll be glued to the saddle like her mother (and ponies are a great distraction from boys ).

There is absolutely no way DH or I would live in town, we are just not that way inclined. It’s not romanticised, but we just love country life.

SantasLittleHelper2019 · 28/11/2019 05:52

If I had to choose I would rather have a gastopub in walking distance (so I could have a glass of wine with dinner) than a shop 2 minutes drive away.

Our village has no shop but like there is one 2 minutes drive away and we have a big shopping center within 10 mins.

But our lovely local bar and restaurant closed down (due to the building being redeveloped) 2 years ago and we miss it terribly.

CherryPavlova · 28/11/2019 07:31

Ours managed fine in their teenage years as did all the other teenagers.
The less affluent spent weekends working as beaters, tractor drivers, dog walkers and waiters/washer uppers.

The more affluent were usually boarding from 13.

The in between parents worked together to share lifts and planned.

We had a visiting youth club bus each month which the children thought was hilarious as it was definitely geared towards those who spent their urban life ‘chilling’. The yoof workers ‘call me Mickey, mate’ had queues of parents complaining that their 13/14 year olds were being told that it was OK to have sex as long as it was protected and that everyone experimented with drugs it was knowing what each drug did that was important. They didn’t last long.

They have a tennis league, a film group, some houses with swimming pools and cinemas that are big enough to congregate in with a degree of adult supervision. They have tobogganing if it snows.

They also have homework and exam preparation that takes up much time and as it’s the norm there are fewer battles.

They have a church youth group that do lovely things like bellringing, clay shooting, swimming BBQs and concerts for the elderly. They all attend, rich and poor. They all adore the 75 year old leader.

Original poster

ButIGetUpAgain · 28/11/2019 08:18

Having a 12 year old in such a small village is a concern, but her friends are dotted about in different villages anyway and so I've always had to get involved with travel.

As others have said, a local shop doesn't always equal convenience. Not if their stock is over priced and mostly unwanted.

My sister lives somewhere like that. Gorgeous village, with a very up market pub/restaurant and a "convenience" shop, but they charge like service stations. A tin of beans could set you back £2.50.

That said, a genuine convenience store would still be on my list. Just not high enough to completely rule it out.

OP posts:

leckford · 28/11/2019 08:36

We have a fantastic small local shop run by a very enterprising lady. If you live in a small village with a shop and pub you need to use them or they will go out of business. We use it nearly every day

icannotremember · 28/11/2019 08:44

No, but I don't drive, so I wouldn't live anywhere a car was a necessity. And even if I did drive I don't think I'd like to live somewhere without a shop.

madameweasel · 28/11/2019 10:35

Having a village shop was a godsend for us last year when our only car was written off just before Christmas! The next nearest shop is a 3 mile walk cross country, I don't think I would have fancied that just to pick up milk or anything else I'd forgotten.

Megan2018 · 28/11/2019 11:42

I should have added that we keep hens so always have eggs (and practically every house has eggs for sale) and you can actually buy raw milk from the farm. But we have never run out of anything as you get used to keeping enough in. We can get online shopping from all the big supermarkets.
Even in the worst snow we’ve only had 48hrs of being snowed in, after that a road always gets cleared by the farmers and we put winter tyres on all the cars so even my rear wheel drive was fine to drive (no gritted roads).
I have lived in suburban Bristol, central London, Milton Keynes and several big and small villages. I don’t miss shops (apart from Ikea, I do miss being able to pop in there-it is now an expedition).

Velveteenfruitbowl · 28/11/2019 11:45

I lived walking distance to a corner store as a child. Never went unless my mother sent me. I can’t really imagine a child tearing to but groceries. I’ve lived in villages with no shop and in town centres with all the shops the next street over. I found the later arrangement convenient but didn’t hesitate to move away from it.

Missillusioned · 28/11/2019 11:48

There can be quite a big drug problem in rural areas. Because there's nothing else to do.
Apart from gather in the field after dark, drink Stella and throw cans at each other. Popular with the local teens.

All this wholesome tree climbing and den building doesn't last past high school yr 7. And in any case in the winter it's pitch black after 4pm

PigletJohn · 28/11/2019 14:30

some villages have roads with no pavements.

I was once with a group of people at the side of the road mown down by a driver whose night vision was poor.

smugmug · 28/11/2019 14:53

No not again , I lived on the edge of nowhere , nearest village 30 mins walk , 20 mins walk to neighbouring property , never again , it's too isolating

BentNeckLady · 28/11/2019 15:06

I live in surburbia and it would take me more than 10 minutes to walk to the nearest shop

hazelnutlatte · 28/11/2019 15:17

I have the same dilemma as the OP so watching this thread with interest! The village we are considering is just 4 miles to the nearest town but still rural compared to what we are used to! No shop but there is a pub (which doubles as an Indian takeaway). There is also a farm shop5 mins drive away. Busses are only 5 x per day which won't be ideal when we have teenagers. There are pavements and footpaths so it's possible to go for walks without using the car, and there is a riverside path that goes all the way into town so when we have teens they will be able to cycle in. There is a school bus and the school catchment is lots of villages so the kids would be in a similar position to most of the other children at school. We have always lived in towns though so it would feel like quite a change! Reason for moving is to get into a better secondary school catchment area.

BikeRunSki · 28/11/2019 15:20

I have done. I was fine. You just have to be a bit organised, and like UHT milk occassionally. I have become massively disorganised since Tesco opened a convenience store 8 or 9 years ago!

BeyondMyWits · 28/11/2019 15:27

School buses are ok if they have no extra curricular activities - or mum/dad are at home willing to taxi

stay late for netball - til 4.30/5pm - how do they get home?
Helping out on the open evening? (ours is 5 til 8pm) How do they get there and back?
Study class - extra hour after school before exam season - til 4.15 - how do they get home?

BeyondMyWits · 28/11/2019 15:29

Sorry - those were all this week - her dad is away with work, I work til 6pm... my DD walks 10min on well lit pavements...

PowerHooper · 28/11/2019 15:35

I've lived in the countryside for 25 years and only moved to a village with village shop in the last 12 months. I can't say it's made a massive difference - you just get used to making a mental note of whether there's any milk/eggs in the fridge before you go into town for something else. The main thing we seem to get in the village shop is gossip.

Annasgirl · 28/11/2019 15:36

No but I have never lived in the country - I grew up in a small town and now live in a city so I've never been more than 100 metres from a shop.

grandmasterstitch · 28/11/2019 15:39

We have no shop or pub in our village. The next village over has one, it's maybe a 45 minute walk. It doesn't bother me driving unless it snows

Redglitter · 28/11/2019 15:42

Theres 2 shops in the village I live in. Have been here 3 years and havent set foot in either. So definitely wouldnt bother me

ohfuckimskint · 28/11/2019 15:42

Only thing to bare in mind is the buses?!

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