Friendly, social village life - suggestions

[Cherryblossom200]

Hello!

I'm looking for some recommendations to relocate to.

Firstly I'm a solo mum to a nearly 9 year old. I work full time but work from home, so I can move where ever. Currently we own a lovely house in Essex. Our town is surrounded by countryside which is lovely, but it's expensive and perhaps not exactly what I'm looking for.

My daughter suffers with anxiety at times. So this is a lifestyle choice. It's something I've been thinking of doing for a number is years, and recently I'm thinking more seriously of doing the move.

We both love the outdoors lifestyle. My daughter rides, and ideally it would be lovely to have a house with a bit of land which is surrounded by rural countryside. However at the same time we're both social and would love to integrate into the community and make lots of friends. So it's essential that the community/ area is welcoming.

Some of the countryside in wales is breathtaking, also Yorkshire is stunning. My only concern is the weather 😬 I'm used to the southern climate!

I have 4 years to decide because my mortgage needs renewing. I know it'll clash with high school, however I think my disgust would thrive in a smaller community lead secondary school. Our current secondary school is massive, and I worry that she will struggle. Being around countryside and animals would make us both happy.

I'd like to start the planning now...any ideas? x

Forest of Dean area ticks a lot of your boxes. Lots of opportunities for outdoorsy activities and lifestyle within the forest itself, ample riding, housing not too expensive and plenty available with land, not too far north, lots of different villages and communities to integrate into. Also not a million miles away from bigger cities (Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bristol and Cardiff) for shopping and home comforts. We moved to the area from a Midlands city 3 years ago and have found everyone to be really welcoming, best decision we ever made.

Thank you! I'll take a look, sounds perfect 😊

I read your post and was going to say Forest of Dean and then saw CSPS2019 had got there first! I've been here 20 years and found people to be friendly, there's plenty to do and lovely walks.

Thanks...I recently watched Sex Education and fell in love with the scenery and I think some of it is filmed in the Wye valley.

Wye Valley is beautiful but housing tends to be more expensive vs FOD despite them being right next to each other! There’s an episode of ‘Escape to the Country’ on BBC iplayer that looks at both areas (The Wye Valley one). It gives a good overview of both areas and was filmed in early 2023 and so fairly up to date in terms of house prices featured.

I live rurally but not anywhere particularly stunning so I won't recommend it but one thing jumped out at me: the high school thing. I'd make sure you definitely do research the high school situation wherever you end up choosing.

We live rurally and the secondary schools aren't "small community focused" ones. They're the same large sized schools you get in cities and kids from various villages are just bussed to the nearest one. Large expanses of countryside don’t mean lots of smaller schools in those areas like it does for primary, it just means a long bus trip for the kids. Even the smallest ones under our council have PANs of 150+, and most of them are the same size as the ones under Manchester council (our nearest big city).

Come to Swanage. Lots of countryside and a small secondary school (350 pupils). https://www.theswanageschool.co.uk/

Shropshire is great if you can work remotely - particularly in the Shropshire Hills AONB.

I’d second this, also live semi rurally but this seems to the norm
re secondary schools, or certainly all the ones I know of, for example the Our Yorkshire Farm kids has to travel I think it was 2 hours to the large secondary school

I live rurally and agree that the secondary schools are still massive - with the added disadvantage of being much further from your house with no public transport.

I'd think about the teen years if you are going really rural. You are basically committing yourself to being Mum's taxi for years as otherwise your DD can go nowhere.

I live in a really lovely part of cornwall. But if I was to live anywhere else it would be Hay on Wye. Gorgeous countryside, lots happening. Feels like a proper community despite the annual hoo-ha of the festival.

Thanks everyone for your ideas. I think maybe I'd have to think about the move realistically once my DD finished secondary school. I don't want her having to travel for hours on buses! 🤪

Not all rural secondary schools are massive, many/most are, but here in North Yorkshire we also have 3 schools with under 500 pupils each within fifteen miles of home.