Does this mythical place exist in London or environs?

[FeelingBored]

Thinking about what I want from the next phase of life and wondering if there is somewhere that ticks all these boxes:

• easy access to London (I don't need to go in each day for work but would like to be able to be within an hour and not have to spend £25+ on a train ticket)
• easy access to lovely countryside
• a fun feel with independent shops and things to do
• "affordable" (£300k or less for a nice 2 bed)

I know very little about the South East - am I living in a dream world or is there somewhere that would fit the bill?

Thank you!

I also thought of Windsor. If it's good enough for the Queen....

Folkestone to st Pancras fast train is 54 minutes , but yeah costs over £40.
Some parts of Kent are lovely and worth considering.
Chesham and amersham and that area are nice and are on the tube. You'd maybe get a flat there in your price range.

Train fares are high from all of these places I’m afraid.

Epping, Debden. Central line zone 6, Epping forest & Lea Valley. Good access to M25 and M11. The £300k would potentially limit what you could buy, and would probably rule out Loughton.

@MajesticWhine

Folkestone to st Pancras fast train is 54 minutes , but yeah costs over £40. Some parts of Kent are lovely and worth considering. Chesham and amersham and that area are nice and are on the tube. You'd maybe get a flat there in your price range.

Yes Chesham looks good and some nice affordable properties.

The beauty of HG is you're right next to Blackheath which is also lovely, Greenwich too.

@Alpinechalet

Epping, Debden. Central line zone 6, Epping forest & Lea Valley. Good access to M25 and M11. The £300k would potentially limit what you could buy, and would probably rule out Loughton.

Great suggestion - Epping looks v nice and I'd love to be so close to teh forest.

Yep. I moved to Hither green (for 6 months) from Hertfordshire when my children went to uni 4 years ago.

Then I bought just up the road in Blackheath after 6 months renting as I loved it here so much.

I love the 10 minute walk to Greenwich park.

That's exactly the kind of move I'd like to make, Laurie. So glad to hear that it's worked out so well for you.

I'm getting HG home sickness. Honestly if I could move back there now I would, it's such a great area and I'm sick of the country side

Are you in Kent Mrs Pellegrino?

It's lovely there - I went to Hever Castle for my birthday and stayed over - it only took me 40 minutes to drive there - was so shocked

@LaurieFairyCake

Are you in Kent Mrs Pellegrino?

It's lovely there - I went to Hever Castle for my birthday and stayed over - it only took me 40 minutes to drive there - was so shocked

No,moved right out of London. Hever Castle is one of my favourite places, I love it there,it's beautiful Apparently there are rooms you can stay there, I keep hinting to dh but he's not getting it so I think I'll have to book it myself!

Relatives in Hither Green/Blackheath and Greenwich so visit all three v regularly and all are fantastic but totally different propositions from Folkestone which has access to ‘real’ countryside in abundance. Plus Europe is only a short hop away too which was a huge selling point for us. We do pop back to London frequently (though there is so much artsy/cultural stuff going on here we really don’t need to) and if you have a Railcard it’s £30 and 45 mins to Stratford so broadly in your criteria. Plus thriving community of ex-Londoners with plenty of What’s App and FB groups so it is very easy to make friends.

Lewes meets many of your criteria but might fall down on train fares unless you can travel outside peak times.

Hanwell

When op is 60 she will qualify for a senior railcard, which will bring down the cost of train travel significantly, as long as she travels off-peak.

Lots of places in Kent to consider. The advantage of Kent over e.g. Herts or Berks is that you have London in one direction and the coast in the other, and lots of other lovely places in between.

@Davros

Hanwell

Hanwell looks nice. I love the idea of being within striking distance of Kew.

Hanwell has got a great community, quite green, canal area and it's IN London! One day it will be on the Elizabeth line

Crystal Palace/Sydenham area

@sarahb083

Crystal Palace/Sydenham area

Some lovely properties there - thanks!