Places to live an hour from Horsham

[LadyJaneGrey18]

We are looking for a place to move to about 50 to an hour from Horsham. Schools and schools and work not an issue so can be flexible. Looking for a good community feel, proximity to good public transport and countryside, safe and friendly with access to a nice leisure centre and decent facilities.
Hazlemere and Godalming are possibilities. We lived in Godalming years ago. Any suggestions welcome. I don’t know Hazelmere very well.
Budget up to £800,000 for three bed detached.

What are your interests? Who are we catering for? Does the good transport links have to be to Horsham, or just generally? Is it your last move or are you likely to move again? Beach or country? Include closer to London?

Personally, I'd go for Storrington (access to Worthing and Pulborough mainlines) or Hurstpierpoint (access to Hassocks on Brighton mainline)

Worthing or similar along the coast - Horsham is about 40 mins drive away (though trickier on the train)

Along the south coast, so Worthing, Shoreham, Ferring, Angmering, East Preston, Middleton on Sea, Birdham, Chichester.

Midhurst, Petworth, Arundel , Chichester

It's Haslemere with an S, Hazlemere is near High Wycombe

haslemere is ok but not much useful stuff in the town centre. Haslemere and Godalming people tend to go to Guildford for big shops

depends what direction. Caterham, Surrey just off the M25 is a lovely place and only about a 45 minute drive from Horsham. Good community feel and a safe area in general.Parks etc, plus not far from other big towns and cities

Interests are the countryside , independent cinema maybe, yoga, spirituality. Walking, wild swimming maybe. Art exhibitions , lovely pubs, independent shops.

We are a retired couple with friends in London and Godalming, relatives in Lewes and Hove, Horsham.

We are trying to escape heavy traffic, arterial roads , aircraft noise, anonymous environments. I would like there to be a community if possible. After 8 years in one place, we don’t even know the neighbours.

Hopefully close to a railway station or a good bus service so it’s easy for visitors to get to us or get places if one of us has the car.

Crikey. Welcome back!

I'd immediately say Lewes based on your wishes, but the traffic is hideous.

We moved from the cliquey SE to SW for our retirement. The first night out we passed a young lad in the street. He said "hello" to us. You could have knocked me down with a feather! We live in a market town and it's true that you have to allow extra time to talk to people on the way.

lewes is too expensive and somehow I just didn’t connect with it. I love the SW. Do you mind sharing where you live? That’s what I’m looking for, people who say hello!

I'm in East Devon - Sidmouth, Beer, Budleigh Salterton, Honiton area - just east of Exeter (which is also a traffic hellhole!).

I think that because there isn't over-tourism here, the locals seem to be more accepting than (no personal experience) may be the case in Cornwall.

But it's a 3.5 hour drive to where you want to go and only an hourly train service to London on the SWR line.