Where to buy for beautiful rolling english countryside and lots of dog walking options

[PoodlenotDoodle]

Hello this is my first post on Mumsnet! We are recent empty nesters and starting to thinking about our next and final house move. Here is a basic list of our requirements. I am hoping for some advice on areas and villages that we should consider and any thoughts are most welcome:

1. Around a 2 hour or less train commute to London
2. Beautiful rolling english countryside
3. Away from large towns
4. Away from major airport/flight path
5. Areas with pretty villages and nice housing stock
6. Great dog walking options in local vicinity is a key
7. Budget around £2m (or less!)

I expect you will all say "The Cotswolds" and we do love the Cotswolds but we also want to consider other areas that might be less on the tourist trail and still come with a similar offer. I have read that the "Notswolds" (Northamptionshire/Rutland etc) area is worth a look but have not actually been to this area (we know the Gloucestershire/Somerset area well) so any thoughts most welcome on this area as well as any others we should consider. Thanks in advance.

I thought of Wiltshire too although I don’t know it very well. Just driven down through there on way to East Devon and the countrysid3 looked amazing. Malmesbury is a place I would love to explore. It has an Abbey and is a market town.. No train station though.

New forest ticks all those boxes

Pewsey Valley in Wiltshire .

Another recc for Wiltshire - we’re in north Wilts and it’s an hour by train to London. Surrounded by gorgeous rolling (both hilly & flat) countryside, loads of dog walking & new housing developments. Plus old villages / towns, Bath, Salisbury, Bristol & water/sea fronts inc Weston Supermare, within an hour.
I’m from southern Hampshire / Dorset so also recommend for beautiful New Forest and coast.

Yes to Lewes area or South Downs. Good train links and although near Gatwick the planes don’t bother us.

There is the Malmesbury river walk, a 2 mile scenic circular trail loops along the river Avon and through the historic town of Malmesbury, not far from m4 for any visitors. Also not too far from Cotswolds.

worried about flight paths over New Forest?

East Hampshire (ie around Petersfield) or maybe West Sussex. Because good connections (ferry and tunnel) to France and rest of Europe (without flying) might be relevant with more time on your hands. Just over an hour to London and plenty of wild spaces still.

the Coastal area of Northumberland north of amble is beautiful and ticks all your boxes really , there Is lots of lovely little villages and loads of amazing walks . The only problem is with being that far up the country is that it’s a 3 hour train journey to London from Newcastle .
Its also inbetween Edinburgh and Newcastle airport so plenty of flights to London if that an option .

Mere looked very nice when I stopped there for a wee on the way to Heathrow.

@PoodlenotDoodle draw a rough parallelogram between Farnham (yes, I know it's in Surrey), Petersfield, Winchester and just south of Basingstoke. There you will find everything on your list. Mentions for the Candover valley, Odiham and New Alresford (in no particular order). Alton and Bentley (& Farnham) for rail links to London (plus Winchester obviously) and everywhere in between for glorious countryside, dog walking and housing stock.

North Hertfordshire

very useful thanks so much!

I’d agree with the South Downs, and would also look west of Storington as well. This house outside Midhurst is over budget, but it does have lovely views of the rolling downs… :)

I think the being within 2 hours of London, while attractive, is a difficult call if you don’t know where in London the children are likely to settle. My husband and I were west / south west London, and so places off the M4 corridor and M3/A3 like the Cotswolds, Sussex, Hampshire were easily reachable in 2 hours. Wiltshire, at least the quiet pretty bits to the south west, were a bit further. And Kent or any where north unreachable in 2 hours. Since he died and I’ve retired I am moving…and selling our place in London and the Cotswolds. We have a place on the coast in Sussex…but I’ll move inland a bit, broadly north of the A27, west of the A29 and east of the M3 I think

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/161716325?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

For me the South East/Home Counties always feels hemmed in if you want proper countryside.

I would look around York (which is 1 Hr 50 Ish to KX)

Howardian Hills are stunning, proper countryside and villages. For £2m this would do me very nicely
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/159074396?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

What a stunning house but a little outside of our budget! 😍Yes it isnt easy when our children are not settled themselves (other than working and currently renting in the City) but I wonder if we decide on an area that is within a 2 hr commute to London if they will look at the same county when they do settle down (as long as it works for their jobs).

We are in Lincolnshire. We tend to go from Grantham station, but sometimes Newark, if we want to train it into London.
We are a 45 min drive from Grantham, so we have to add that to travel time but these might be areas to consider?

I hear it is lovely in Lincolnshire - also considered part of the 'Notswolds". Are there areas/villages in particular that you would suggest to look look at?

We're in York and was just about to post something very similar! 2 hours to King's Cross and some fantastic walking on your doorstep. Wolds, Howardian Hills in particular are fantastic, with the North Yorkshire Moors, the Dales and coast a bit further out. You'll get a fantastic house for your budget.

wow this is absolutely stunning!

there are lots of lovely parts of rural Leicestershire. Lots of 'wolds' villages. Wymeswold, Burton on the Wold. Basically anything east towards Melton Mowbray.

Ok now you have me interested! We havent considered anything that far up country but 2hrs to King's Cross is doable!

Around Chichester, sea in front of you and South downs behind you.
Beautiful area.
Lots of gorgeous properties.

Second that York and surrounding areas is great. I used to live there and loved it.

Parts of Derbyshire. You can commute to London in about 2 hours via train, depending where you are. And the Peak District lovely, with lots of beautiful villages.

You'll also get an absolute mansion in parts of Derbyshire with that budget 😂

Hampshire is packed, with more houses coming ( especially near what used to be lovely towns and villages) . Yes the odd bits of rural housing is great but ideally it should be for people investing more in the rural community than just dog walking or cycling.
All the main roads in Hampshire are busy A3 M27, A27 , A34 with frequent accidents and road works.