Tring, Princes Risborough or somewhere else?

[Pomegranatemum]

We want to move out of London with our 2 preschool DC. Need to still be able to commute in 2 or 3 days per week. Family are in Cambridgeshire and West Mids. With a budget of 950k we’d like a 4 bed detached house with a not tiny garden. Somewhere with cleaner air than London(!), a bit going on, but easy access to nice countryside. I also really want the DC to be able to walk to their primary school.

We’re considering Princes Risborough but need to think if the Bucks grammar system is what we want.

Also considering Tring. I’ve seen it described as “sleepy”- what do people mean?! And I’m concerned about the station being out of Tring. We wouldn’t really want to be driving and parking, but is that the only way? If we lived on the side of Tring closest to the station is that doable without using the car? We’re used to walking lots in London.

We’ve never been to either place! Obviously we’ll go and check them out, but in the meantime where else could we look at? Amersham and Berkhamsted discounted due to budget.

TIA

Each to their own I guess. It’s certainly a lot cheaper than the other places OP mentioned so if she happened to agree with you she’d be quids in.

Stony Stratford ?
Buckingham ?
Haddenham

Agree L Buzzard town is not as nice as some of the others mentioned.
I'd avoid Aylesbury.

Will check them out, thanks.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156082382#/?channel=RES_BUY

Not too far from station OP

Thame or Tring. I’ve lived in both, prefer tring but if you have tweens Thame has better schools. And once they want to start going out with their friends Thame is easy for them to get to Oxford, Aylesbury or High Wycombe from. I absolutely loved Tring, lovely bars, cafes and restaurants.

There is a very quick, reliable bus route from Thame to haddenham station. And cheap taxis too.

Tring is really nice but the train station being out of town is not great. I find Berkhampstead a bit pretentious and posh. St Albans is nicer than both those, as is Harpenden but both are quite ££.
Boxmoor in Hemel Hempstead also worth considering.

Stony Stratford, lively High Street, river walks etc. Station is walkable I think at Wolverton. Grammar schools nearby Buckingham and Aylesbury. You would get a lot for your money but not many detached houses as many are either small victorian or large Edwardian.

I’d head further north & get much more for your money but only 20 minutes more on the train

Literally just been looking at Boxmoor on Rightmove as a PP mentioned it up thread 🙂

Agree with PP on Haddenham - it’s a lovely big village with amenities, school etc, and a station. Nearby Thame is lovely and has more facilities, and only a short drive.

Tring - lovely little town, but a long walk to the station!

As a further alternative, how about looking at some of the Oxfordshire villages which are on the Paddington line? e.g. Long Hanborough, Combe, Finstock, Charlbury, Wychwoods, Kingham.

Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury are in a different league to Tring, Buckingham, Haddenham, Thame etc and not in a good way

Tring is lovely. A lot of young families moved in during Covid and the high street has a lot going on. Everyone drives to the station but there’s also a bus.

Thame is also wonderful but you’ll spend your commuting days tearing your hair out on the Chiltern line. A daily train ticket is also £50 before parking or onward Tube travel. Chiltern, fundamentally, don’t own enough trains to run peak hour services having sold a number of them during Covid, are in no danger of getting any more as it’s up to the Government to approve it, and trains are generally full to bursting by Haddenham, with the added benefit of regular breakdowns or short forming of services.

I would look around the Met line to see what you can afford around there.

Before you get deciding, think whether you want to live with the 11plus exam and grammar school/secondary modern type school system.

Or a good comprehensive (like Thame)

Boxmoor is nice but no real “centre” to it. A pub or two, antique shop and a couple of restaurants but everything spread out. Your money would go further there though. I would personally choose Kings Langley over Boxmoor as it has a little High Street.

I am amazed by the comments about Berkhamsted. Yes, it’s full of reasonably affluent people with young families moving out of London, but it has a great community. Some of the parents of children at the private school in town are a bit “self selecting” and up themselves, but it’s a generalisation and not everyone. Most children in the town go to the (very good!!!) state schools and some to the grammars in Bucks. One negative though is there is virtually zero ethnic diversity. It’s a white middle class ghetto.

I would honestly concentrate on and prioritise what amenities you want. There are some great recommendations on here but they offer very different things in terms of lifestyle - some quite far removed from London life.

Just to add to what PPs have said - Tring is lovely, problem is the station but depends where your house is I suppose. I think Thame isn't as nice/some social issues

Very good friend has a university aged child who split time between (separated) parents in Tring & Berkhamsted - said there is actually more for teens going on in Tring vs 'Berko' which surprised me a lot as its the bigger town

In all cases, if you want to be walkable, then a town centre location for Bucks/Berks/Oxon borders is a must, public transport really isn't up to much and this is the worst thing for teens. From my experience of these towns, sleepy is right, but then people make their own lives & social lives... perhaps decide if you want to be in a grammar school area & take it from there?

Agree to check affordability at end of Met line - you might find little difference & more frequent and MUCH cheaper commuting. Also more attractive as kids can get around more independently

Berkhamsted and Harpenden full of very 'sharp elbowed' parents

@Pomegranatemum actually no station in Buckingham sorry

@notatinydancer I realised, don’t worry 🙂

I’ve been taking on board everyone’s suggestions and it’s been really helpful. I’m hoping to have an initial shortlist that we then use to go and visit and see what we think.

Wild card here. I know that you've been talking north west London but depending on how often you're in Cambridge, have a look at places along the A10. Hertford / Bengeo / Ware.
You get a lot more for your money in these areas

@Pipsquiggle I considered those a while ago actually but we thought the countryside seems nicer in the Chilterns. That’s a big motivator for DH, who loves very long country walks (though to be fair he hasn’t had time to go on any since DC2 was born). TBH if it weren’t for family we’d be looking in Hampshire or Sussex….

Hi @Pomegranatemum - I was wondering how you got on? I am making similar decisions right now between Tring and Berkhamsted too

Where do you need to commute to, in London?