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.

Ditto . My parents retired down there. I would love to join them but budget says otherwise .

New Forest is beautiful too and closer, but unsure of close stations

You probably need a better idea of where your kids will settle. I'm in one of the areas mentioned and it's a breeze from Euston or Marylebone but a pain from south London which is where most people buying in London seem to go currently.

Thanks everyone - so many great ideas for us in this thread. Need to visit a range of these places and see what looks like us. Children are in mid 20s and might not settle for a while so it is tricky to make decisions for what might work for them to visit easily. Good advice on here though about areas that might be within 2 hrs by train but a lot further if driving and also it really depends which side of London children decide to settle in! Just our luck would be one in North London and other in South London!

Another vote for Wiltshire, hugely underrated county. Lots of lovely villages and walks.
There are some lovely villages in Hertfordshire and North Essex if you want to be closer to London.

My PIL are in Dorset and it’s such a lovely place to visit, with the sea nearby.