Moving to the English countryside

[Isanyholeagoal]

I’m looking for recommendations on areas of English countryside. We have small DC and are hoping to move from a big city to a more peaceful area, ideally low in tourism.

considerations below

min 3 beds
open to barn conversions, listed buildings, thatched etc
must be close enough to a well equipt town with things to do for young children (we both drive though)
ideally 1/4 acre +
good schools
budget £450k

any and all ideas welcome

Considered rural parts of Devon?

North Bedfordshire/Northamptonshire.

I’d read the Northamptonshire threads before you look there.

East Anglia, near Louth.

Cotswolds, on the edge of (or just outside) Cheltenham which is a good town for families.

Cambridgeshire - to the north of Cambridge should get you something in budget.

Is there any city or area you need to be near for work or family reasons? ‘English countryside’ is a bit vague.

Lincolnshire

That's not east anglia, it's East Midlands. And pretty much where I grew up

I'd recommend Suffolk for that money. But better connected than Lincolnshire.

I’d be looking in east Lancs, the Pendle area around Burnley. The countryside is great, the tourists all go to the Ribble Valley one hillock over and there are several useful towns and cities close by.

For example:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/124459058#/?channel=RES_BUY

It's in a rural area but 10 mins from Bury St Edmunds. Only had a quick look so might not tick all the boxes.

Choose the town and schools first, then look further out. And narrow your search down. Do you need to fly frequently, which airport? Do you have any relatives you'd like to be within a comfortable drive of? You must know at least some people you are fond of. Where do you work?

"English countryside" is enormous!

Where do you want to be for family, travel, work commute etc? Your search criteria will get you lots of places, so narrow it down a bit. What do you like to do in your spare time?

Thanks for the correction.
Seems you can get a lot of house for the money round there, and near the seaside.

I think your description is too vague. Do you any general preference such as north, south, easy to get to London/Manchester/major airport for business meeting, or are you working from home? How rural do you want - living remotely or in a small village?

Shropshire, so much beautiful countryside, some beautiful market towns (Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Bridgnorth) but not heavy on the tourism. Also reasonable commute to west mids towns for work. Easy to access (1-1.5hour) Brum, Liverpool, Manchester as needed.

Was just coming on to say Shropshire - loads of barn conversions round us that fill your bill!

also, Northumberland - more for your money up north too.

I'd also recommend Suffolk for that money. Ideally one of the villages surrounding Bury St Edmunds Woodbridge, Stowmarket, Sudbury or Newmarket. We are the top end of Suffolk and find for most big town things we have to head down to one of the above towns which are all about an hour from us so for what you're looking for I'd suggest the Southern parts of Suffolk.
Lots of 3 beds with period features for that money here and we have decent trains into London from Ipswich and Stowmarket.

Do you need transport connections? Bury St Edmunds is lovely but train connections are terrible. I'd advocate for my area but town not as nice as Bury StE but transport better and nearer cambridge. It depends what is on your other criteria.

I think you’ll have to go up Midlands/north for the sort of house you’re looking for on your budget. It would get you a 3 bed in SW but not anything particularly impressive. I wouldn’t go graded/thatched though - it’s a romantic idea but cost a fortune in heating/maintenance, and it doesn’t sound like you’re very wealthy. With small kids, flagstone floors and big fireplaces are a total nightmare.

What about the Peak District? Absolutely gorgeous, peaceful, there is tourism but not overrun. Close to Manchester and you could get something pretty nice for that money.

Could drive 45 min to Colchester, Cambridge or 30 mins to Sudbury. But yes if a London commuter not ideal. I didn't get that impression from the post though.

@C4tastrophe for sure, a relative of mine lives in a lovely big barn conversion. I know lots of people who have no idea what counties are in 'the east' as it is a bit swathe of flat land to them (also not true!) or who think East Anglia is just Norfolk type of thing, so it makes me smile

Lincs is very nice in parts. But most people I know who grew up there moved away swiftly and only go back to see the parents at Xmas or Easter kind of a thing. It does feel quite cut off the further east you go, but then it is a bit county and you can be based more centrally like Lincoln or Stamford.

This is stunning and exactly the sort of house we would be looking for.

for those asking if we have family we need to visit or work/travel restrictions. The answers are no. We would be buying cash and work for ourselves so no restrictions on travel time hence the search being very wide. We can move anywhere within England.

having a train station with connections to London within a decent drive would be beneficial but not essential.

more concerned for the lifestyle of the DC and making sure there are things for them to do as they get older and they don’t feel isolated but equally for us having a quieter life

thank you for all of your suggestions. I’ll take a look at them 😊

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