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?

Cheltenham is a great place to live. Stroud and the surrounding villages are also lovely.

Where are your DC OP? Do you want/need to be nearish them?

Newton abbot. Just as well connected as Exeter, not as wierd and cheaper than Totnes and our MP is a tory rebel and now independent. I've lived all over the UK and just settled here and I love it!

Glastonbury or Wells in Somerset both lovely. There are some great villages just outside Taunton too, which OK you can't walk in but a short drive.

Hebden Bridge?

For North West consider chorley or South Ribble. We moved to outskirts of Chorley, just on the edge of the west Pennine moors. Glorious views, can see to the lakes on a clear day. Chorley itself isn't trendy but is nice and developing (imo). Much friendlier than where we were before, Can get pretty much everywhere in a 5 min drive. Quick onto the m61 and m6, lakes and forest of Bowland very accessible. Coast about 35 mins away. Train from Preston to London 2h15. Your definitely find a good size plot with that budget.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110084366
This would have plenty of land if you wanted a project!

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/112711271
This village is lovely

Oh and Chorley MP is speaker Lindsay Hoyle! (Lab)

I came in to suggest Stroud.

But actually my own area would fit the bill although it’s in Wales. Just outside Cardiff. Penarth is Labour, lots of beautiful places with country / sea views, nice little town with a great community, little art gallery etc. 10 mins by train to Cardiff (which is 2 hours by train from Paddington).

Chester

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/119351972

Imabouttoexplode

Yep! And at the mo £650 for a terrace in Alderley is pushing it.
A couple are up at £695 though.

I'd also recommend South Wales

Cardiff is a fabulous city with lots of lovely suburbs

Suffolk is lovely and under rated.

Hexham, Morpeth or Corbridge may well fit the bill- albeit not quite on desired distance to London.

Another vote for the North West. Worth looking at Stockport and surrounding areas for what you're after. Sounds like our house would suit you, and when it goes up for sale in a couple of months it'll be for quite a bit less than 650. Victorian semi 4 beds, on the outskirts of a village and bordering woods / walks. Views to Peak District and large garden. Location is quick train from the village, or 20 mins drive (outside rush hour) to Manchester city centre.

Another vote for Norwich and surrounds! I have been living between Norwich and London for the past year (partner was seconded for work) and I've been pleasantly surprised by the city, bustling town centre, great independent shops, loads of beautiful pubs and architecture, countryside right on your doorstep, and two hour train journey to London!

@workininacoalmine might be onto something, Marple might suit you. It's prime suburbia but surrounded by countryside, train into Manchester city centre (but not Stockport as it's on a different line), nice walks along the canal.....your budget won't get you a mansion but it would get you a decent 4 bed.

Sheffield Hallam. Labour politician, educated area, lots of it in the Peak District. Very countrified in places.

And walkable into the centre.

How about the Kent coast, places like Hastings, Ramsgate? Used to be quite seedy but now lots of arty/trendy pockets. Not sure about house prices though.

Outskirts of Chester or York?

@glassn

How about the Kent coast, places like Hastings, Ramsgate? Used to be quite seedy but now lots of arty/trendy pockets. Not sure about house prices though.

Ramsgate is fab. Very arty these days, I've not met a single Tory here yet and I think 'eccentric' is a very good word for it

You could have a veg patch here but no rural views I'm afraid. There's gorgeous beaches, a huge nature reserve and a beautiful bay 10 mins walk away though. And mind-blowing sunsets.

Plus it has a Waitrose and a fast train into London (1hr 14 mins to St Pancras)!

Fine with a budget north of £500k, I really don't think I'd want to live in hastings, bexhill or st leonards on a budget below that. I know it sounds snobby, but there are a lot of huge houses that have been used as HMOs which need a ton of work. The facades are glorious, but the fabric of the buildings has been neglected for 40 years. There are a lot of pitfalls.

Kent's rural villages or coastal towns. Beautiful scenery.

We live in meopham Kent , it's beautiful !
We're 45 mins from London on the train , good motorway links . Definitely rural.
There's meopham (culverstone in particular has a valley with beautiful houses that people have built it's all greenbelt now so no more building! There's also locally , Vigo , harvel ,Wrotham village , west kingsdown ( brands hatch race track) , Fawkham , sevenoaks, all this area is lovely and parts AONOB etc .

I wouldn't want to move from here unless going to Devon !

Your price may be tight but sometimes they so come up .

Good luck xx

I'd second Stroud, it is exactly the sort of place you describe. Cheltenham or Cirencester would also be a good shout.