Coastal Relocation help please

[HopefulElle]

Hi all,

We’re looking to relocate from midlands to the coast (husband, baby DS and I). We love being by the sea, walking the dog and DH enjoys surfing. I have to be in the office (alternating Birmingham and London) once a week, husband is fully remote.

In a dream world, we’d like to be:

• Within 3 hours, or thereabouts, whether by train or by car, of both Birmingham and London. Birmingham more important if everything else ticked..
• Somewhere with a nice community feel
• In walking distance or v short drive from a large dog friendly beach, with some surf)
• Somewhere not too bustling, more rural. (Eg not Brighton, Newquay)..
• somewhere in budget - up to £650k. not scared of a project. Need some outdoor space
• Absolute dream would have lots of outdoor space, in a large village, with large quiet beach and amazing pub…
• Just somewhere our son can have the best childhood running riot in the country side and on the beach, basically! We feel like we’re not making the most of our WFH benefits right now and both feel significantly happier by the sea.

Our plan is to sell up here and then rent in new place for a while before committing.
Have just finished a campervan conversion and plan to do lots of recce weekends to get a feel for places. Based on above list, is there anywhere you could recommend we check out?

thanks so much for any advice/ recommendations xx

p.s please don’t tell my MIL just yet..

How many bedrooms and what spec of house? I. E. Detached etc

There was a fantastic thread on here a couple of years ago about seaside destinations 3 hours from Birmingham. I'll see if I can find it!

The Heritage Coast in South Wales suits your brief. Southerndown in particular is a lovely little village with beaches on your doorstep. Plus a great pub.

There are good rail links from Bridgend and Cardiff is within easy reach too.

Oh f*&k, you can drive from Worthing to Birmingham in 2h 59m. Spammer incoming.

I haven't been there personally, but I saw some fond discussions of Dinas Powys (half--way between Cardiff and Barry). 2h to Birmingham. On train routes. Looks idyllic but may be pricy looking at RM.

Have you considered west of Brighton in West Sussex. There are plenty of coastal villages and towns, the South Downs, loads of attractions, museums and theatres. Your son would enjoy the working museum at Amberley, the Weald & Downland Living Museum, where The Repair Shop is filmed, plenty of pubs and restaurants and watersports.

@Geneticsbunny definitely not a flat but otherwise fairly flexible really, don’t want too big of a house so that we end up consumed with cleaning and DIY forevermore. Probably 3 bed. Small house big garden would be wonderful!
ooh thanks @AlwaysFreezing, I did a search before posting but will take another look!
@ReluctantBikini @Bluevelvetsofa @XVGN thanks so much for the suggestions, all new places to us so will take a good look. South Downs especially looks absolutely gorgeous. (I didn’t understand the spammer comment, though?)

You might look at New Forest too, but beware of eroding cliffs. So a cliff top house might be cheap for a good reason. (Huge advantage is routes “north” avoiding M25).

Don't worry, she'll be along soon with a cut and paste tourist blog for Worthing! Just read few of the other recent threads around the south coast.

Anyhow, if you like the look of the South Downs then I'd recommend taking a look at Storrington. It's a few miles north of Worthing (so closer to Birmingham!!!) and just on the other side of of the Downs. You'll have fantastic views and walks.

Back to Worthing. I was there the other night. It was eerily quiet. No one in Wimpeys. A few "gangsta" kids shouting the odds on Chapel Road. We had a light dinner at the Arcades Fish Restaurant which I can recommend. I love the sea air on the front when the rotting seaweed is not prevelant.