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Original poster

does this place exist?

188 replies

gingerhills · 07/02/2022 09:29

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?

OP posts:
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DottyHarmer · 07/02/2022 15:09

The thing is you are describing classic middle-class conservative (with a small c) England. Who do you think keeps farmers’ markets, theatres etc going? And, as a pp mentions, a constituency might be Tory today, but (probably) LibDem next time. Same people, though.

Although it’s a bit far (and expensive) somewhere in the Cotswolds might suit - a lot of Londoners have moved there.

SatinHeart · 07/02/2022 15:16

I was going to say Wiltshire right up until I read the bit about wanting bit left wing / not Tory heartland Confused

Sacada · 07/02/2022 15:22

The thing is you are describing classic middle-class conservative (with a small c) England. Who do you think keeps farmers’ markets, theatres etc going?
Exactly.

elfofftheshelf · 07/02/2022 15:29

Warwick, Stratford-on-Avon?? Both under 1.5 hours of London, both have nice villages surrounding them and lots going on. Countryside is lovely and you can be very rural in minutes. You're also within an hour of Birmingham and all easily accessible via train.

I guess they don't meet your no tory heartland requirement, but then if you want a 2 hour to London commute that's a tricky one!

playthatviolin · 07/02/2022 15:29

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/80235873

Malvern is lovely and has a train station but the fastest train is 2hr 15 (into Paddington)

FatherBuzzCagney · 07/02/2022 15:31

Cambridge city is very left but south Cambs is Tory.

Not any more. Lib Dems dominate the county council seats for South Cambs and everyone expects the constituency to go Lib Dem at the next election. The deep Tory/UKIP territory is north of the city.

Not sure you'd get a 4 bed with a large garden for £650k in a South Cambs village, though.

Maggiesgirl · 07/02/2022 15:34

Salisbury ? This looks lovely I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/118354523

playthatviolin · 07/02/2022 15:36

Missed the bit about Tory heartland....but Malvern still has a lovely theatre, fantastic hills to walk on, great views and plenty of other good points.

blitzen · 07/02/2022 15:41

Further away but there's plenty of houses like this in the North East....

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/118787132

caranations · 07/02/2022 15:42

Bury St Edmunds? Thetford?

BlueMongoose · 07/02/2022 16:44

In NW England the better countryside and small towns close to it tend to be away from direct London rail links. OTOH, you can get a LOT of bangs for your buck up here. Where I live you'd be able to get something really nice on a big plot with good views for that. Even the furthest parts of my town from the centre, directly on the edge of the fields with views over the the Yorkshire Dales, are only bout 10-15 minutes' walk from the supermarkets/town centre. But it's 4 hrs to London by train and costs a fortune. When the North grumbles about lousy public transport, especially for rail, they really aren't exaggerating.

Bumpsadaisie · 07/02/2022 17:05

Move up to the South Lakes eg villages around Kendal. Long standing lib dem MP.

2hrs 20 from Lancaster to London Euston direct. But you can get a lot of culture in Manchester and Leeds.

How about this one www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/108637604#/?channel=RES_BUY

Or this www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/109014320#/?channel=RES_BUY

It is not very ethnically diverse here but South Lakes has loads of people who are incomers who have moved in from other areas, as well as loads who have been here for generations.

And we have Booths!

wanderlove · 07/02/2022 17:21

Villages around York? Mainline train to London is pretty quick. Artsy culture vibe although not sure of the actual voting habits.

DaphneduM · 07/02/2022 17:31

Forest of Dean - absolutely beautiful and great if you love walking, cycling and the great outdoors. Two hours to Paddington from Gloucester. Bristol's an easy drive for theatre, Cheltenham has plenty of culture. Gloucester is massively improving too. It's also near the Welsh border and Wye Valley in Monmouthshire too.

You'd probably get something for your budget, depending on which area of the Forest you chose. We were looking in the Cotswolds a few years ago but ended up in the Forest instead, absolutely love it.

ineedsun · 07/02/2022 17:35

Sheffield. Ticks all the boxes I think. Aim for the west of the city.

Hoolihan · 07/02/2022 17:36

Lewes.

SwedishEdith · 07/02/2022 17:44

This one in Scarisbrick? Not walking distance for Ormskirk, but not far.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/119100869#/?channel=RES_BUY

SwedishEdith · 07/02/2022 17:48

This one is under offer and 3 bed but one is enormous so could be split. And walking distance to Ormskirk. Gives you an idea of what's around.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110959862#/floorplan?activePlan=1&channel=RES_BUY

froomeonthebroom · 07/02/2022 18:25

@playthatviolin

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/80235873

Malvern is lovely and has a train station but the fastest train is 2hr 15 (into Paddington)

I came on to say Malvern too! Has beautiful countryside, theatre, cinema, is quite arty. Unfortunately a tory seat but they get closer to being ousted every time.
BluebellsGreenbells · 07/02/2022 18:30

Isle of Man - tax free - short flight to London.

Murderinparadise · 07/02/2022 18:36

York? 2 hours to central London, trains every half hour or so. Lots of nice areas on the fringes of the city with excellent public transport, or walkable. York central has a labour Mp, lots of left thinking people and activities.

MrsMoastyToasty · 07/02/2022 18:37

Not between Bristol and Bath. JRM is our local MP.

Kyrae · 07/02/2022 18:38

How about Northumberland? Hexham has a good train line to Newcastle for events, cinemas, shopping etc, good nearby walks with Hadrian's Wall etc and it was recently voted one of the happiest places to live! It is a lot further from London though. Further north Morpeth and Alnwick are lovely too.

Wagsandclaws · 07/02/2022 18:47

I live in the mendips OP, about 18 mins from Frome. I love Frome - the cinema is great!

If I want to get to London I go from Westbury, Somerset is lovely and we are so glad we moved here.

WeAreTheHeroes · 07/02/2022 18:51

Come to the High Peak - gorgeous Peak District on the doorstep, trainlines to Manchester and Sheffield. We're near New Mills and it's quite arty and getting more so. Three nearby towns have independent cinemas, there's a theatre, some quirky shops, bakeries, etc. Villages still have traditional well dressings, carnivals and other annual events. Some lovely characterful houses for sale in the area.

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