Looking to move within 1 hour’s commute of central London

[Roberta268]

Hi there, I’m a single 30 something woman. I’d still like a family but it’s not going well so far… 😬 I’d like to move to somewhere within 1 hour’s commute of central London. I want a proper community with proximity to the countryside. Budget is £1.5m. Thanks in advance 😊

Which part of London do you need to be within an hour off? Answers for the city will be very different to Mayfair.

Which part of London do you need access to?

Look at the main train lines. 60 mins commute takes you out as far as Basingstoke, Newbury, Oxford to the West. All have access to beautiful countryside and are established towns with plenty going on.

Gerrards Cross and Beaconsfield are very nice and very easy commute in.

Ok at 30 wanting a family may mean living somewhere lively with other single people your age to meet rather than an hour away family focused suburb with mostly coupled up people?

Which part of London do you need to get to and where else in the Uk SE...Kent is reasonable but awful if you need to visit family north of the teams frequently 😊

Disclaimer - I have never lived there but whenever I visit I think it would be lovely to live in Guildford. Gorgeous countryside on your doorstep, river, great shops and restaurants and a couple of theatres and 40 minutes by train to Waterloo.

With your budget I think you could manage a flat in central-ish London though. Depends what you want.

Guildford probably a good shout. <40 mins to Waterloo on the faster trains. Quite a big town still.

Quite posh. Decent high street.

Probably still a decent dating pool.

Lovely countryside nearby.

Look at Petts wood/Orpington/Chislehurst, they're really close to countryside and only half an hour in to Central London.

Cambridge. It’s 48mins on the fast (non stop) train to King’s X and there are lots of people around your age either commuting or working at the University. It’s not just a nappy valley suburb, but still a great place to raise a family when you decide to x

Agree with pp who said Cambridge!

If you want to push the hour commute, Brighton is fun and full of young people, independent shops and cafes. Nearby Hove and Preston Park very family friendly too. South Downs and coastal walks on your doorstep.

Door to door 1hr commute?

With your budget & considering you want a family I would stay more central. Probably not helpful…

Cambridge fits your bill. The immediate countryside isn't great but you can get to beautiful countryside around Saffron Walden or in Hertfordshire within 20 minutes drive

Isn’t the fast train from Cambridge about 50-55mins so unless the OP is on top of the station & works in Kings x the journey won’t be within an hour?

Yes if OP still has the appetite for central London she’ll have plenty of options.

This flat is share of freehold, just off Fulham Road:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/149307323#/?channel=RES_BUY

Oxford

Sevenoaks or the surrounding villages

Lots vs of these places suggested are nice, but agree with some PPs you will make your chances of meeting someone the right age much smaller. Gerrards Cross a hard no for that reason. Also Sevenoaks.

Would you consider somewhere leafy like Richmond which is away from the centre of town, but still got a lively social scene?

Sevenoaks or tunbridge wells for me - lovely and surrounding countryside lovely too plus not too far from a day at the beach if you fancied it

St Albans

Lovely places, but very boring for a single gal in her thirties?