Oh Lord, here we go again, urbancentric Mumsnet throws up its hands in horror at the mere thought of living anywhere but in a town or city, surrounded by traffic noise, pollution, concrete, buildings and the ubiquitous 'must haves' of gyms, bars, restaurants, coffee shops and retail outlets. No wonder so few people these days can correctly identify the commonest tree, bird, wild flower or insect. And want to destroy them all, rather than learn to love and enjoy them. And the massive disconnect with farming, food production, knowing what seasonal agricultural operations and equipment are for, the rhythm of the seasons, failing to understand the value of precious life giving rain are all symptomatic of a virtual, sanitised world where an ability to shop 24 hours a day is paramount to one's enjoyment of life.
There is nothing wrong with rural living, it just requires a little adjustment for those who are not brought up in such an environment, and a little preplanning in respect of keeping a ready stock of consumables, for emergencies. There is plenty to keep one occupied and stimulated, more so, in my view, than in a town where there is little to do but trudge the streets from one shop to another! And, let's face it, most country towns have all the facilities one needs, even down to theatres, cinemas and museums ( they are not exclusive to London or other large cities), and readily accessible. We were given appendages, known as legs, which, strangely enough, are useful for propelling oneself about, either on foot or via the pedals of a bicycle, not to depress the pedals of a car! Sad really, that life has become all about the movement from one hermetically sealed static brick built box to another tin one on wheels! Yes, I concede that a car is a neccessity for rural living, given the paucity of public transport and you will, in all probability, be a taxi for your children from time to time, but surely a small price to pay for your children to grow up in a natural environment, far safer than in a town, fresh air, less light pollution, the natural sounds of cattle lowing, sheep bleating, owls at night, birdsong by day. Lie in bed at night, windows open, curtains pulled aside, watch the moon's transit across the sky - all things which are difficult to fully experience in a town.
But, living rurally, is the opportunity to engage more fully with the natural world, your children will learn, hopefully, an appreciation for all the wonderful creatures which inhabit it, the chance to learn about growing food, keeping livestock, learning how to create their own educational fun and, it is not like living on another planet, so cultural activities and leisure pursuits are within easy reach.
I was brought up in a very isolated environment - there was not even any vehicle access, one had to walk half a mile alongside a river to get to the house, everything from shopping to feed for our livestock had to be transported in a wheelbarrow. But my siblings and I loved it, helping my dad creosote his chicken sheds, helping with the bees, learning how to milk mum's goats, shear the sheep, grow vegetables, make jam, cottage cheese, wine etc - wonderful. But we still went out and did cultural things, my love of history partly stems from visiting museums and other attractions. Rural living is not primitive, uncivilised or a fate worse than death.
Go for it OP, say I, go for it, although I suspect that I am in the minority.