Artsy liberal places to live in the U.K.? (But still beautiful)

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We live in London but our work is going wfh pretty much completely. We both wfh part time, but now it looks like it’ll be permanently that way, with maybe one meeting a week in London.

DH and I like living in London, but open to moving and our young DS does not like living in london. Whenever we go to the countryside for the day he says “can we move here?!”. So now we’re thinking maybe we’ll try out living somewhere else.

We are from London so actually don’t know much of the UK!

Can anyone suggest a liberal, artsy place to live that is beautiful and has a great community? The thing I like best about london is how easy it is to find a very friendly community.

No idea where to start!!!

Our family is London or SE, friends London or SE / SW so somewhere easy to get back to for that.

Any suggestions welcome! And we will start taking day trips!

I immediately thought of the Stroud area

Hebden Bridge

Brighton, Lewes, Stratford on Avon, Leamington spa, York, Oxford, Bristol

Yes, Stroud. Good transport links to London and everywhere else really.

Hebden Bridge usually comes up. I hope you are fully waterproof and don't like sun if you move there. Same for York.

lovely places but do check geography.

Brighton was horribly racist when I grew up there but has hopefully changed.

Bristol, Bath and Cambridge.

Hastings.... really liked the artsy vibe.

Bristol.

Brighton, move to Fiveways "Golden Triangle". Great schoools and sixth form colleges, Preston park, Hollingbury park and Blakers park, 39 acre all on doorstep. 15 minute drive or 35 minute walk down to the beach, 5 minute drive to the south downs and 10 minutes up to Ditchling Beacon. So many walks round and about. Near London Road and Brighton mainline stations if you do need to commute into London for contract work or meetings. fantastic place to bring up children if you want to stay in SE, close to London.

Another vote for Hastings. Loads of creatives, fabulous countryside on your doorstep, and easy access to London. There's a big, and growing, creative community here.

Stroud or Frome were the first places that came to mind. I live in Bristol, which has easy access to countryside but don't think will satisfy your DS!

Was going to suggest Bristol or St Albans.

We are moving to Hastings for exactly that reason. St Leonard’s to be precise. Frome and Stroud for a more yoghurty vibe. Definitely not Bath anymore sadly, the liberal arty types all got priced out sadly and moved to Frome. Bristol is great but obv a city. BUT it does rain more in the West Country than in the SE.

Oh wow - 3 votes already for Hastings! That’s good to know!

Great suggestions - pretty much all these areas are new to me (though have, of course, heard of them). I am planning day trips!

Keep em coming!

Msloverlover by yoghurty, do you mean health food shops etc?

Another vote for Frome. Lots of ‘londoners’ have moved out to Frome. It’s only a small town but has an awful lot going on for children and families. Train links aren’t particularly good though.

St Leonards/Hastings. Beautiful in its own way (!), close to the wonderful South Downs. Still affordable. Bohemian, arty, friendly & welcoming.

Folkestone is great and really nice beach for the summer as well.

Lewes

Might be too far, but Narberth?

Totnes

I was going to say Lewes

Might be a bit far, but the nice (mainly West) parts of Sheffield are very liberal/artsy, and have some good schools. 2 hrs to London, but about 15 minutes to the Peak District!

We got this far and nobody has mentioned Edinburgh ?

Leigh in Sea / Chalkwell area is very artsy, by the sea and short train to London (lots commute daily)