Moving to Guildford/Winchester/Oxford?

[Poseylouise]

Hi all! Myself, my husband and our two children (4 months and 3 years) are looking to relocate out of London. We currently live in surbiton which my husband likes but I think is pretty dull (very suburban for me!). We need to be an hour train from London for husbands work/family so have been thinking guildford/winchester/oxford. I went to uni in Brighton and adored it - I like the lefty/bohemian vibe but after visiting he feels it's a bit too 'city' to bring up the kids 🙄

So we are trying to agree - we want somewhere big enough with a 'buzz', things going on, access to the countryside but with a community feel. Preferably I would like somewhere with a cultural/arty vibe but not sure I will get that in any of these towns? Advice please! Also schools are important but I feel there are good schools everywhere.

Thanks so much xxx

Thank you so so much for all that research- amazing 🥰 also great feedback re. Oxford from your friend. I've just been having a good look and the east side of the city looks fab. Really appreciate all the feedback. Relocating is so hard!

you're welcome OP

I hope others that live in Oxford can tell you more about areas and what it's like to live there. It's also worth looking up reviews online and you DH (& DCs) taking a drive round the city to get a feel of the areas, before you start looking to purchase.

Just since I spotted a mistake in my cut & pasting below in previous post : this was the £650k South city period 6 bedded semi.
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/105260912#/?channel=RES_BUY

I found this in reviews

Oxford is an exciting, vibrant city that offers world-class museums, music, theatre and art against a backdrop of stunning historic buildings in honey-coloured stone. It is also blessed with green spaces where you can escape the bustle, spend your lunch hour watching the cricket in the University Parks or take a breezy weekend walk along the river in beautiful Port Meadow.
Choose the neighbourhood that suits you best, whether it is bustling central Oxford, cosmopolitan East Oxford, leafy Summertown or a peaceful nearby village such as Cumnor or Wolvercote.

m.finders.co.uk/tenants/oxford-navigator-guide/culture-and-arts

Oxford Castle & Prisonon*_
A tour of the historic Oxford Castle is made all the more enjoyable when there's a delicious meal to follow it. A variety of restaurants offer everything from tapas to Italian. Throughout the summer a series of plays are performed in the grounds by the Creation Theatre Company. In the winter there is a small ice rink.
01865 201657

New Theatrere*_
Formerly known as the Apollo, New Theatre, is the main commercial centre for musicals, stand-up shows and concerts in the city centre. This old-fashion theatre has you covered from an intimate piano bar setting downstairs, a VIP section and spacious seating arrangements that hold up to 1,800 individuals.
0844 871 3020
Ashmoleon Museumum*_
Recognised as the world's first university museum, the Ashmoleon was founded in 1908. Filled with both historical and contemporary pieces, this venue has seasonal exhibitions celebrating art from all over the world, at various time periods. Most enjoyably, it has a rooftop restaurant that hosts wonderful events throughouot the year.
01865 278012
Oxford Playhousese*_
Hosting a rich programme of classic and contemporary drama, dance, opera and children's theatre. It is a key date on the touring circuit, allowing you the opportunity to see many plays before they open in London, and is increasingly producing and commissioning new work.
01865 305305
Sheldonian Theatrere*_
Despite supremely uncomfortable seating, the University-owned Sheldonian Theatre, Holywell Music Room and Jacqueline du Pré Music Building are musts for classical music lovers. They present all types of concert from a solo recital to the massed ranks of the Oxford Bach Choir, playing everything from Mozart to Gerald Barry. As of spring 2018, a dining option has also set foot into this historical building.
01865 305305

Where does your husband have to get to in London op?

The train from oxford city is a full hour to Paddington so you will need to allow time to get to oxford station and from Paddington to the office - when I did it it was a 2 hour commute each way.

Also Oxford's road system is struggling so you need to allow plenty of time for traffic to get anywhere - it is usually easier to go round the bypass than through the city, unless there is an accident.

Parkway is more accessible as a station and houses in the villages outside Oxford are generally cheaper than in oxford but you're running into the suburban issue again. Parkway is about 1 hour 15 minutes to London but comes into Marylebone which is less delayed and more useful for getting around London.

According to Rightmove , Winchester is the most expensive on average but the other two are much bigger with a wider variety of housing. Some really quite poky little houses on a par with London prices. Guildford's OK, not wildly exciting, its real "industry" is commuting to London. Of the three, I'd say Oxford for sheer ambience and more going on, but Waterloo is so much more convenient. Is Paddington the furthest out mainline station in London?

I can comment on Oxford too OP.

“Best” state schools (always a matter of opinion) are north and west, if you need both primary and secondary (decent primaries all over the place really, secondaries a bit more variable).

West is near the station. For your budget you’d easily get a nice terraced Victorian three bed with a decent garden, probably around 1100 sqft. Good amenities off the Botley Road and a short walk into town.

North is a 15-30 min walk to the main station or a short drive to Parkway. Hugely variable property depending on how far north you go. In Jericho (trendy) you’d get a small Victorian “workers cottage”, 2-3 bed. Further north in the Waterways development there are 3 bed newer builds listed for 750 but you’d probably get one a bit cheaper.

Otherwise consider Headington, you get more for your money and your husband could commute on the Oxford tube - a regular coach service that goes into Baker St and Victoria.

Hope that helps!

Have you thought about Lewes? Not far from Brighton and has a community/hippy feel with lots going on

I would stay in SW London OP. You have better shopping there (Kingston) the parks (Bushy and Richmond) and great schools. I moved away and regret it. Guildford is nice but your budget won't get you anything significantly better than Surbiton.

Winchester and Oxford are too far and too long to commute to London imo. You'll spend all your time and money on trains. The Rose is a much better theatre than in the other towns, plus you're 15 minutes away from central London.

I lived in Oxford temporarily while working in London and hated it. Once you factor in a drive to the station, parking the car, the unreliable train service and the commute the other end, it is not great! Also if you then get to Marylebone (Oxford parkway) or Paddington (Oxford) and still have to use the tube you have to add that on. Train looks like it is an hour but door to door ends up taking 2 hours with all the other bits.

I lived off the A34 so went to Oxford Parkway.

The traffic is also horrific that side and what should take you 20 mins can take hours sometimes.

If you want a city vibe, you would need to stay in Oxford and be near the station and property is expensive there. The city is hugely car unfriendly too.

The house we had was amazing and the countryside beautiful but everything else was not great!

I’ve lived in Brighton and would much prefer to live in Oxford. I think Brighton is very young and not totally family oriented. Also, secondary schools are still a big issue.

I love Oxford, it’s a beautiful city. No sea but you’ve got the river and canal.

Hi OP, I've lived in Winchester and now live in East Oxford which I think would suit you better - great community feel, very liberal/lefty, lovely pubs etc, diverse, lots of families and only a short walk/bus ride into town. Have a look at the area in between the Iffley & Cowley roads (especially the roads around Magdalen Rd), the Divinity Rd area and Florence Park, all of which should be within your budget. You need to choose your road carefully as some are very student heavy, although the number of student houses decreases the further away you are from The Plain. Downsides are the traffic, which will get even worse once the next lot of planned LTNs are put in place, and you're the wrong side of town for the train station - would your dh be happy to cycle there in the mornings as that's the best way to avoid the traffic through town? I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about either place!

Wow thank you everyone for your amazing feedback. We have done the rounds and yes, Oxford is wonderful. The only issue is we really need to be a 10/15 min walk to the station to london to make the commute mildly bearable. Are there areas this close to the station that are family friendly or would we be really in the thick of it?

We have also visited Farnham and really like it. Much smaller so less going on but very pretty and good schools - if anyone hs feedback on this? X

I lived in Oxford for 5 years and I don't think I ever went into London by train, always went by the coaches. There used to be two companies so a coach would leave every 10-15 mins for a fraction of the cost.. But maybe covid has changed all that

I know those places really well - have lived in Oxford and Winchester. It's a difficult one, and would depend very much on how often and where in London your DH has to get to.
Oxford has a bigger cultural centre than Winchester in terms of theatre and museums. They both have a lot of great pubs! Personally I prefer the countryside surrounding Winchester.
I wouldn't go to Guildford - I think that's the most similar to your current setup - however it's the most convenient in terms of travel to London (unless you are going to Paddington area from Oxford).
Farnham is absolutely lovely - smaller and much more conservative than Oxford. It really depends what you're most interested in. Winchester is somewhere in between. The high street in Winchester is very up and down - shops always seem to be closing. I haven't lived in Oxford for 20 years, but it doesn't seem to suffer from quite the same high street decline as Winchester.
The state schools in Winchester are excellent - I don't know about the other places.
Good luck with your choice. The London commute is very important to get right, but otherwise I'd say all these places have pros and cons - you may just have to go with gut feel.

I'm not sure why you haven't considered Reading. It isn't as fancy or quite as pretty as the places you mention but it has everything you're looking for. Beautiful countryside all around it, with lots of waterways through it providing wilder spaces. You might think from the outside that it's very chain-y and commercial but there's a thriving arts scene (see Jelly arts community group)- Banksy has done everything he can to help turn the old prison into an arts hub. It's very convenient to live here, 25 mins straight to Paddington and is at the end of the Elizabeth Line. I wouldn't let you preconceptions discount it, your money would go further here than Oxford and you'd spend less time on the train.

Farnham is very nice indeed but you would want South Farnham near the station and it’s expensive.

Traffic is busy, but it’s a very nice town with some useful shops and a lovely old fashioned department store. A range of restaurants and pubs and some pretty little streets and courtyard areas.

It’s popular and rightly so but this then equals pricey for the south side town location. I personally would not want the cheaper north area though this is a bone of contention between those living in the south/north areas of the town!

Agree Oxford is the best of the bunch. Walton Street/south end of Jericho would seem your best bet - it’s got a strong (smug) neighbourhood vibe, despite being quite central.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111824273#/?channel=RES_BUY This is quite charming.

Would your husband consider Hove, instead of Brighton?

I'm not sure why you haven't considered Reading. It isn't as fancy or quite as pretty as the places you mention but it has everything you're looking for

This.

I'm confused. You find Surbiton dull? Is that because your day to day dirdnt involve going anywhere else, and not into London? Having been at Brighton Uni. The 3 places you've listed are even more quiet and reserved. I know all 3 reasonably, plus my parents lived near Oxford, my brother has lived in Brighton for 20 years and visit often, and I was in Guildford yesterday. None of the 3 places have anything like you want. Have you actually considered moving somewhere near Brighton.

I think you’d like Summertown In Oxford, lovely arty vibe though might stretch your budget a little…