Move from London to the countryside?

[GreenCat34]

We are living in a West London house paying nigh on £4k monthly in rent. We really like our community and have made a lot of friends, mostly through our local church. However, we miss wide open spaces and are thinking of making a change. I WFH and my husband partially works from home. He needs to be in the London office (near Covent Garden) on average about once a week - some weeks more, some not at all. He can WFH exclusively in the summer. We have 2 kids under 2, maybe more in the future.

In a perfect world (of the places we've been in the UK so far), we would live in Snowdonia or the Lake district. Either on a plot of land or in a quaint village. This is not feasible with my husband needing to go to London. We love the outdoors. Any recommendations on locales which are very outdoorsy, reasonably affordable, welcoming, and where you can get to London occasionally from? We are American expats, but don't care one way or the other if it's a place with other expats. Sorry for the rambling post. Thanks!

I wonder whether the Cotswolds would fit your brief? Bits of it are horrendously expensive, but it is lovely and more affordable around Stround/Cirencester.

I would recommend the Cotswolds too. Cheaper out towards the Forest of Dean/Wales but transport back to London more tricky.

Stroud to London is about 1hr 25 on the train but expensive

I’m also an expat and was always a bit homesick until I moved to Esher / Cobham in Surrey. There are loads of expats here so it’s easier to make friends. There is an American school here too as the area is popular with Americans as it feels more spacious than most areas yet is an easy commute into London.