Help where to live between London/Staffordshire/MK

[Foresthealing]

Hi all, my partner is working in Milton Keynes and we currently live in south london. We are considering moving and possibly Staffordshire to be closer to family but I’m not sold yet! I’ve been in London a long time and love my life here so I’m conflicted. But wanting a family means Staffordshire is the better choice (Lichfield way). Had anyone made the move and have any experiences?

Hmm it doesn't seem to like me posting a photo into my message, but basically it's just under an hour.

I did Leamington Spa to MK for a few months about 15 years ago, car commuting and it was awful even back then, the south bound M1 was PITA to get to (Fosse Way, M45, M1) and was always gridlocked. For context, I now do much further in miles northbound up the M1 and it’s nowhere near as bad!
Tamworth and surrounding is a good shout for MK and Lichfield but not for a regular London trip, trains are too unreliable IMO

He's okay with a commute up to an hour so it could work. I did wonder about Berkhampsted as it has came up on a few of my searches as well.

I know St Albans and berkhampstead are potentially pricey areas but they have other perks that suit our lifestyle.

I looked at Tring but I think the commute to London is a little to long.

Yes, you're right - Whilst I'll only be in office (London) twice a week we do have friends there and tend to go to gigs etc in London often so I think it's a little to far plus we've been checking traffic to his job which is south of MK way and it is coming between 1.5 to 2 hours commute for him.

We did think about Leamington Spa actually but got so many mixed message from friends and family about the area and commute.

@Foresthealing Leamington is lovely and worked well for getting into London on the Chiltern line. We moved out 15 years ago and it was already quite a busy town, now whenever I go back I’m taken aback by just how busy and crowded everywhere seems. Parking is also a nightmare. There are loads of bars, restaurants and things to do with kids however and you’d get a decent property in a nice area for the money.
Schools would be my only other watch out, the secondary provision in Warwickshire is not great in general although they are slowly changing so it depends how old your kids are. Grammars are an option in South Warks however and there is a lot of very good private options

I have a great job in London that I love and offers a great salary so leaving isn't an option I'm afraid

How about Chorleywood or Rickmansworth? Or Amersham/Chesham. All on the met line into London, lovely places and the right side of London for commuting to Milton Keynes

Thank you, that's good food for thought. We will likely go private for Schools.

Are there any particular areas in Leam you'd recommend?

ohhhhhhhhh thank you for these options! Many Ihave not thought about or looked into so I'll pop this on my saved list.

Fair enough.

Also Buckinghamshire has great schools. Grammar if that’s what your kids may want.

Look at Olney, Stony Stratford or the Shenley in MK. There are quite a few new build estates, but also lots of areas that have character and good road connections. You could also look at Buckingham or Weedon for reasonable commutes in with some history and character.

St Albans is as interesting as you make it! Theres loads to do - cinema, theatres, comedy festivals, music etc

hitchin is similar and closer to MK. Maybe a bit cheaper but not loads cheaper.

you could look at Hertford too. All have good train lines to London.

All of the towns mentioned Amersham / Chesham etc are m25/m1 and then into mk, which is a bit of a slog.

You could also consider the villages around Bedford, the train links to London are good and there will be regular services into Mk at some point. Mk to Bedford is a decent run.

Buckingham is a lovely market town, and you’d find something really nice for your budget. MK is 20 mins drive to the station, so all the amenities and the station close by. Good shopping, theatre, cinemas, sports, etc.

Plus for when you have children, it’s within the grammar school system.

I used to live there and commuted to London - I could be in my office near Euston in 1h10 mins door to door.

You mentioned St Albans - which is lovely, but not a good commute to MK unless you like sitting on the M1, and is very expensive.

@Foresthealing I’ve lived in St Albans twice - if you factor in the train cost it may well suit you - my son went to busy bees nursery there - we moved away the second time because to be honest I think it suited us more with younger kids ( was ideal then) found it a bit lacking once son was14 as had to go into London for decent shopping ( in my opinion) - and a lot of the things I liked on Holywell hill had all shut- I know lots love it though and it has enough for them -( did us to be honest with a young son)

@Foresthealing Where in Leam depends on if you want to be able to walk into town and what sort of house you want - for example lots of people will recommend Milverton/Old Milverton because it’s old, large Victorian terraces and walking distance into Leam and Warwick.
Northumberland road and the more central areas will be out of your budget for the 4 beds.
Personally we lived slightly further out, Lillington, Whitnash, Bishop’s Tachbrook are all good options that are within a 5-10 minute drive to the town centre. We’ve got friends out in Southam, Radford Semele and Lighthorne which are all nice and village-y but if you want more entertainment than footpaths and pubs within walking distance then may not be for you

For MK area check out Woburn Sands, Stony Stratford or even Olney.

Birmingham? Or one of the suburbs of it?

I would think seriously of Rugby as it is fairly equidistant between Staffordshire and Milton Keynes. It is a quick journey to London by train, too. Northampton and Brackley might be worth considering, too. Interesting you should mention Shenstone. I know it well as family members lived there for a very long time. It is a lovely village but you obviously need somewhere more urban and that is fine.

It’s no use me copying the link to the Telegraph, as it’s behind a paywall, but AI summarises what it said on the top ten places to live:

www.google.com/gasearch?q=telegraph%20top%2010%20ten%20towns%20uk&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5

This is a link to the article:

archive.ph/y2lHJ