does this place exist?

[gingerhills]

DC have grown up and DH is retired so we can now move away from the expensive London commuter village we've lived in for years.

We are prepared to move anywhere in England, pretty much, if we can find these things:

4 bed house with large garden for £650k or less

on the outskirts of a small town/big busy village as DH insists on having rural views and I insist on being walking distance from centre

town with lots of life - theatres, cinema, swimming pool, market and loads of community stuff going on

Not too cliquey - not too 'you have to be born here to belong here'

Ideally not Tory heartland. Diverse, bit left wing/arty eccentric.

ideally not more than 2 hours from London as we still have lots of friends there and I still have work meetings there a couple of times a month.

Does this place exist?

2 hours from London doesn’t fit with anywhere in England?

Realise that wasn’t helpful. But you can have everything you want further than 2 hours from London. Is this a dealbreaker? Or I think you can everything you want within 2 hours of London but will have to compromise elsewhere.

We are prepared to move anywhere in England, pretty much, if we can find these things:

If you're prepared to move pretty much anywhere you'll easily find somewhere that has many / most of the things you're looking for.

ideally not more than 2 hours from London as we still have lots of friends there and I still have work meetings there a couple of times a month.

This is a very different situation from anywhere in England, and a 2 hour limit will make it much more difficult to find what you're looking for.

Have you looked at villages and towns around Bath and Bristol? What about the other side in Kent? Rochester way, maybe?

Recon you need to contact kirsty and Phil

Virtually everywhere within 2 hrs of London is currently Tory.

@Thatsajokeright

Have you looked at villages and towns around Bath and Bristol? What about the other side in Kent? Rochester way, maybe?

You mean slap bang in the middle of the Toryland that OP didn't want?

I was going to suggest looking at the villages around Exeter, until I read that you want to be within 2 hours of London. I think it's 3 to Paddington from Exeter St Davids. Pretty sure Exeter is a labour string hold, if not then that's only a recent change and I wouldn't say the area feels particularly Tory anyway.

Fast train from Exeter to London is 2 hrs 15.

Norwich surrounding villages

If you come up to the North West you can buy something fit for a king for that price.

@Dammitthisisshit

2 hours from London doesn’t fit with anywhere in England?

That's true, but that's why I said ideally rather than essential. I mean if the perfect place is a lot further away we'd have to rethink my work etc. But I love my job and would prefer to not have to stay over in a hotel or spend two days travelling every time I have a 2-3 hour in-person meeting.

If this is somewhere to retire to have you considered how your aging will impact your ability to look after that large garden?

@TheAbbotOfUnreason

Virtually everywhere within 2 hrs of London is currently Tory.

I think you've just highlighted why we can't find anywhere.

Maybe we need to move properly North.

@SpaghettiArmsMurderer

If this is somewhere to retire to have you considered how your aging will impact your ability to look after that large garden?

Hoping to be sprightly enough to garden (it's retired DH's main hobby) for a good twenty years and then we'll think again. But I really want to grow my own veg. My DDad used to and I used to help him. I've always wanted to have my own veg patch.

@TheVolturi

If you come up to the North West you can buy something fit for a king for that price.

Thank you. I don't know the North West at all. Are there places like I describe? Is Lancaster like this? Or Penrith?

TBF where we live (south coast) is a Tory stronghold, but it doesn’t really affect our lives. You could get a decent sized house for your budget, but not the big garden. Otherwise, we had the same requirements (train to London / countryside / good sized town with leisure facilities) plus we needed decent schools but not grammars.

There are pockets even within Tory heartland

How about Stroud?
2 hours to London on train.
I have no idea of house prices though.
Fits with your lefty/arty/eccentric vibe

@steppemum

There are pockets even within Tory heartland

How about Stroud?
2 hours to London on train.
I have no idea of house prices though.
Fits with your lefty/arty/eccentric vibe

Thank you. We'll look at Stroud.

Forest Row?

@TheVolturi

If you come up to the North West you can buy something fit for a king for that price.

Why do people hold this view. The North West is a diverse place. £650k would buy you a palace in Wigan but a terrace in Alderley Edge. It's not all cheap.

Shrewsbury has a lot going for it but it doesn't tick every box.

Sounds like Frome, Somerset. Almost everyone here has moved from London with your wish list.
Also Bruton maybe, but slightly more tweedy there.

If you are thinking proper north west, have a look at somewhere where you could get to Manchester picadilly easily for the fast train to London. Perhaps some Cheshire villages? Although they aren't cheap cheap

I'm going to say Altrincham. It's not cheap but worth a look.

Or yes, Lancaster might be a good option, it has a nice, if slightly tired feel. Penrith doesn't really do it for me. And feels very remote (despite the transport links).

Perhaps also look at Buxton. A bit smaller than Lancaster, but less tired and there is a train service into Manc, fantastic countryside and great bars & restaurants in town.