I want to move south and live near woods, where can I afford?

[Neednewwellies]

We live in the North. It’s cold and damp and I’ve come to hate it when I used to love it. We have 3 children, one in senior school (y10) and two in junior school (Y3&Y1). Our eldest is very academic but also easy going so would happily move somewhere else for Alevels. So my biggest issue would be looking for catchment for an excellent senior school for all 3. We are very urban here with not much greenery and for health reasons I want to take a step back from work and get a dog. I’d really love to be walking distance to woodland or if not then maybe some coast but not a commercially built up seaside town. Ideally I’d like to be in Hampshire or Sussex but open to ideas. We need 4 bedrooms and DH would need to get to London 2days a week. I don’t want to be somewhere too build up so just what we have here but further south if that makes sense. I crave more space around me but I also know with a teenager, we can’t be in the middle of nowhere. Our absolute max budget would be 700k but ideally no more than 675k. Is any of this doable? Is my head in the clouds? Where we live is expensive and that gets us a good size 4 bed but I know it’s far more expensive in the SE. Any help appreciated and we’d be looking to move when my daughter finishes GCSEs so next summer.

Have a look at Lyndhurst in the New Forest. You can get a lovely 4 bed there for £700k

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76781950.html

hi can I offer a left field idea.

somewhere like Cambridgeshire/ bedfordshire/ Northampton way- easy access to London (under the hour), good schools (depending on the actual town or village|) and very reasonable house prices. as its east of England Cambridgeshire is one of the driest counties in the uk. we have done the opposite to your plan for family reasons, but we had dogs and lived close to fields and woods so very outdoorsy. lots and lots of great features about the area. summers were generally hot and dry for us. but as we were rural frosts were hard- but that would be the case anywhere.

I moved from new forest as the particular area was awful for trouble and drugs!

A good friend lives in Petersfield Hampshire. Excellent school, nice community, countryside, commutable etc.

New Forest is gorgeous (we visit a lot) but gets rammed in summer and in general, kids have long distances to travel to schools, particularly 6 form.

Look at the village of sway in the new forest. You can walk to woodland from there and there are 4 bed houses in your price bracket.

@Neednewwellies
If the damp is a major consideration I'd suggest that you consider a move east rather than south.
Having lived in the SW it's damp for most of the year - I live in Scotland now and whilst is often 1-2C chillier it's usually clear and dry - I wouldn't live in the west again for anything - I can't bear damp.

The east of the countryis generally drier - Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk or Essex May all suit your needs and budget better
This rainfall map might help
www.british-towns.net/weather/uk-annual-rainfall

Oh @reefedsail, that house looks lovely and woody and I see green space right behind on the map. It’s also in catchment for an outstanding comp with excellent results. Thanks you

Ashdown Forest, Sussex. Twigs essential.

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/publications/2019/09/woodland-indicators-by-parliamentary-constituency/

See maps on page 9, 11 and 13 for areas in South East with best access to woodland.

We live in Market Rasen on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds which is a designated area of natural beauty. With the budget you've mentioned you would get a lot for your money in terms of houses.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-67777443.html#_map-view
In the South Downs National Park, at the foot of the South Downs, 10 minutes from Shoreham beach (lovely), walking distance to the river Adur, local amenities in Small Dole and Henfield. Plenty of woodland nearby. Shoreham Academy nearby is rated Outstanding, and Steyning Grammar is rated Good. Your older one could also choose to travel to Worthing or Brighton for college.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/fullscreen/image-gallery.html?propertyId=84115472&photoIndex=0
Five Oaks is in the low weald, close to woodland, near to the Downslink - a disused railway line, now bridleway, that spans from Shoreham to Guildford. Close to Billingshurst for amenities. The Weald Community School is rated Outstanding.

West Sussex is great basically.

Plumpton in East Sussex?
West Gate, Plumpton
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-67309158.html

Hartley Witney

As @TuckMyWin said Newbury, I live in Greenham on the South side of Newbury literally on my doorstep is Greenham common -the airfield restored to common land 5,000 acres 1,000 of them woodland.
My teen can walk to the shops and town Catchement for good secondaries and an outstanding primary.
Paddington 49 mins on the fast train and will get faster once cross rail fully opens.

Near Marlborough or hungerFord? Amazing walks in savernake forest...

Also Bracknell forest area ...

My other recommendation is a bit closer to London...around Tring /ivinghoe beacon ... great walking on the ridgeway and there's woods there too...
On a map follow the ridgeway and it goes through great country side

Draw a triangle betwee Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton. Loads of small towns and villages in that area, plenty of woodland. Good transport links to London as well.

Take a look at Letchworth Garden City in Hertfordshire as well.

New Forest - good secondary schools (Ringwood and Highcliffe and if nearer Bournemouth end then might be Twynham catchment)

Yes Tring/Berkhamsted or a bit further out. Chnnor, Watlington, pretty much on the Ridgeway which is gorgeous and pretty woody esp the closer to Ivinghoe end you go. I totally understand your requirement to walk straight out to woods!

You can easily get four beds in Sussex for that. If you want to be in the country wadhurst is good as it has a good link to London. To be honest if he's only going two days a week you could look a bit further out - Battle is lovely. Fast train from London Bridge at 16:27!

Justoneuse's choices are excellent, especially the Cookham and Marlow ones!

I live right next to woods in the Chilterns but we are a bit isolated in our village. Definitely not good for teens. It’s in Bucks so we have grammar schools that recruit into their 6th forms. Is your y10 up for leaving friends? Usually this is a big “No” for teenagers.

The other massive problem is primary schools with vacancies. The decent schools are full.

Also around here, the slightly cheaper places to live where your money would get you what you want don’t have walkable woodland nearby. You’d have to walk to it. The smaller towns and villages with woodland are more expensive because they are more sought after especially when you want good transport links too.

You’d have to drive to it.

Thanks again for all the information. Forgive me if I don’t personally ref everyone but I’m reading it all and genuinely making notes on areas and schools. We will be making the move next summer after my daughter’s GCSEs so we have time to visit and explore the areas.

I don't think all schools in new forest are great. Avoid the outskirts and you might be ok!