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Original poster

Do you / would you live in the countryside?

42 replies

WantingToMove · 03/04/2009 23:21

I've seen a house that is semi-detached & it is with 4 other houses set back from the road in the countryside, so not totally remote. I am a scaredycat & am wondering if I would be scared lving there without having a lot of people around me like now. It is a nice house & lots of space & lovely views of the countryside. Does anyone who lives in the countryside feel too remote at home with their children?

OP posts:

NormaJeanBaker · 04/04/2009 22:27

We are about to move. I am a Londoner and so are all the children (5,3, and 1) and DH has lived in London since he was 18 - but going to a hamlet 20 mins walk to nearest pub - although 15 mins to nearest pub in east London too and hardly ever go since...we have children. Nervous about a lot of things but can always come back if we've made a mistake. But can't wait for the big garden - DCs are free range if they are allowed to be but no space here in the big smoke for that. Like the saying says, you regret more the things you don't do so we are doing it. Good luck if you decide to go for it. Which county are you aiming for?

PlumpChocEggyBaps · 04/04/2009 22:43

Watching this with interest as we're planning on moving to the country (altough not a few years, when ds1 has finished school). To this end we've decided to start mooching round a few counties now and then to see where we like the look of. Though, have to say, would prefer to be near a village.

One point- we currently live in a very urban area and had a drunken nutter trying to smash our door down in the small hours. None of our neighbours came to help- and the nearest lives about five metres away. Having near nieghbours doesn't necessarily mean anything......

Original poster

WantingToMove · 04/04/2009 22:55

Still mulling things over & over! We are in Hertfordshire & the village is 15 minutes drive from the town we currently live (which we love, but are struggling to find a house as 3/4 bedrooms are in short supply). The house itself is fab, upstairs it has a 20' x 12' master bedroom with massive ensuite 11' x 9'3, 3 further double bedrooms & bathroom. Downstairs it has a lovely huge big lounge with a window at the front & french windows at the back leading onto the garden. The kitchen is a bit smaller than we would ideally wanted but there is a dining room next door which would work & also a utility room. Downstairs cloakroom & garage plus ample parking. Cripes have just re-read that & realised it would cost double the price to get all that in my town! Another thing that is preying on my mind is the fact that I won't be able to walk anywhere with the kids, as there are no pavements, although I do not know if there is much traffic anyway. We have a 2 year old & plan to try for another this year. I bet I can't sleep tonight
Good luck with the move NormaJeanBaker, it is true what you said & I hope it works out for you all

OP posts:

PlumpChocEggyBaps · 04/04/2009 22:56

Ooh- Hertfordshire is no 1 on our list!

Original poster

WantingToMove · 04/04/2009 22:58

We moved here from London coming up to 9 years ago & have never looked back. Love it

OP posts:

mooseloose · 04/04/2009 23:00

I live in a cul de sac on the edge of a village. There is only one other child in the road, and the rest are all elderly, but lovely - always want to say hello.

My house backs onto miles and miles of open countryside and I just LOVE it. I would never ever move. The peace and prettiness is undescribable. I frequently tell the children how lucky they are.

We have a village school, and a coop too. Perfect.

Jajas · 04/04/2009 23:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HolyGuacamole · 04/04/2009 23:15

We live two miles from the nearest village. There's a few farm type houses along the road but that's it. Don't have kids yet but we did worry before we moved here that we'd be too isolated or bored. Well, we absolutely love it and could never go back to city living

We love the idea of eventually bringing kids up out here and people love coming out to visit us because it is so peaceful. DH works shifts including nightshift and it's totally fine, not scared at all. You get used to the quietness.

You can't live your life based on worst case scenarios. If your heart is in it then go for it.

PlumpChocEggyBaps · 04/04/2009 23:27

I don't know, jajas! We don't know it at all (well, DH knows bits, but he's asleep so I can't ask him). I've only seen bits on TV etc, which is the reason for the 'jaunts' to scope some places out.

Where would you recommend?!?

peanutbutterkid · 05/04/2009 08:43

Tony Martin didn't live in a huge mansion; he lived in a run down hovel (by some accounts). And he had repeat problems with burglars -- until he became famous for shooting one of them in the back, anyway. He lived (lives) in an isolated house in the middle of nowhere.

I know other people who live in isolated houses who have never had trouble. But it is isolated. How secure would the electricity connection be, are you happy to go on oil for heating? What are the drains like? Is the lane going to be a mud bath half the year (are there root crops planted in surrounding fields?). They just planted potatoes in the fields around us and I am already bracing myself for the mudbath at lifting time.

Original poster

WantingToMove · 05/04/2009 09:24

Morning everyone
To those of you who live in the countryside, where do you walk with your kids if there are no pavements? The roads would be too dangerous for a 2 year old who has to look at everything & won't walk the way his Mum wants him to . Do you walk in the road pushing the pram? Thanks

OP posts:

ouchitreallyhurts · 05/04/2009 09:32

We live in a rural area and our hamlet has no pavements. I have 4 dd's and I'll be honest, it is stressful having a 'nice stroll' with them! I walk in the road with the pram and luckily most people are quite considerate with how they drive here - apart from some of the young farm hands who zoom through (grr)

hardest part is now the older 2 want to go on their bikes, if all of us are out we are constantly shouting "not too far.." or "car! get over to the side".

there are some nice fields and footpaths though so now we are growing out of the buggy, at least we can enjoy them (in wellies!)

Wank · 05/04/2009 09:36

I know Tony Martin! My ex MIL went out with him a few times - he's really quite gregarious and fun in real life. House neither a mansion nor a hovel, other Norfolkians can confirm this? I wouldn't want to live round there though, maybe inside one of the actual villages like Upwell or Outwell but otherwise it is all too flat, black and desolate for my mental well-being in the Fens.

paisleyleaf · 05/04/2009 20:57

I only have the one DD (she's 4), so much easier for me to keep her to the edge of the road walking with me. And I often pull her along in a cart
We don't usually have to walk far along the roads as there are footpaths in the fields. But yes, I do worry about the road, and the bends and the rubbish drivers.
DD has a 'get-yourself-seen' florescent tunic for the winter months. We carry torches.

Jajas · 05/04/2009 21:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Twinklemegan · 05/04/2009 22:25

If you're scared of your own shadow and can't cope with the occasional power cut, then the countryside wouldn't be for you. If you haven't lost touch with the real/natural world completely then you'll be perfectly OK. Horses for courses.

peanutbutterkid · 06/04/2009 08:47

Oil fired heating tends to be more expensive than GFCH -- and stinkier ime, when the boiler fires up, that's why I mentioned it. Also, you are subject to larger fluctuations in the price; we managed to fill our tank near the price peak in oil last summer. And you end up with a wopping great big ugly tank taking up space somewhere in the garden, plus worries about someone pinching the oil from the tank (has happened fairly often around here, especially among the most isolated houses).

We live on the edge of a small town which is like the best of all worlds for us. Still walking distance to the town centre. But there is NO pavement out front, which makes it very hard for kids to play out, and some people still try to drive to fast down our single car-width lane. One reason I decided against living in a village was the awkwardness in trying to walk down the lanes with fast drivers and no pavement. And the amount of insect/micro-beast life we get in the house -- sheesh. I am constantly evicting spiders.

When they planted potatoes the other day there were 7 tractors involved (entertaining), BUT they also were spraying something in the furrows -- fungicide? Better than high daily benzene exposure, I hope, at least.

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