Location location location.. (England) Advice Welcomed

[Uther]

Do you recall the title?

'A country life for half the price'

 

[ahar]

Oxfordshire is expensive and the traffic is bad it’s like the South East - lite. But green and pleasant

I grew up in Oxfordshire and this is exactly right.

Scotland is where you want to go, Edinburgh if you can afford it, otherwise north of Glasgow is nice. Also, benefit of lots of scots and few English there, which is nice.

 

[kaiowas]

I’ve lived in Norfolk for pretty much my whole life and have no complaints. Based on people’s experiences in other parts of the country there seem to be far fewer issues out here. Plenty of small market towns to choose from, Norwich is a nice enough city for when you need a bit more civilization.

 

[swillsy]

There is nothing in Lincolnshire apart from bad internet

Leicestershire is the best

 

[DanTheMan]

I had never even considered East Yorkshire / Yorkshire wolds as a lovely part of the world until my wife's parents moved there 6 years ago.

They live a mile or so from Pocklington which is a small market town with a nice vibe. There's lots of other lovely villages and towns nearby (Malton, Thirsk, Pickering, Stamford Bridge) and miles of countryside to enjoy. To me, its like the cotswolds without the tourist and less elitism.

It's also pretty easy to get to the coast with Whitby, Scarborough, Bridlington and Filey not being too far away.

If I didn't have to work, I'd absolutely move there but there are not an awful lot of jobs around and most people commute to York / Hull.

 

[PeteGibbons]

Wow so many great replies, thank you all for your insights. I'll be spending some time having a browse online at all of the many places mentioned (except Milton Keynes perhaps) and later tonight or tomorrow respond to some questions that were aimed my way. Thanks again.

Also I appreciate as others have mentioned that everyone has their own idea of what is nice, but to just hear the names of some places with some brief insight to begin my own research is a big help. I shan't be buying a house just based off of one persons ideas!

 

[SPG]

Derby cheap as chips easy for nottingham amd brum. Surrounding area is lovely if you like the outside.

Downside...City center is a dump but who cares when nottingham or Birmingham is a 30min train journey.

 

[iamdjdz]

Merseyside is decent tbh, lots going on in Liverpool and depending where you go the surrounding areas are quiet. Or north Cheshire but not Warrington or Runcorn.

 

[Angilion]

I love the highlands but for practical reasons I think I'd live around Falkirk, Stirling area. Close enough to Edinburgh and Glasgow, but not too close, and only a short distance to travel north to some of the most beautiful areas in the world.

The nicest place I've been to is Glenfinnan, but that was over 40 years ago. I've no idea what it's like now, but back then it was idyllic. Tiny village, but the hotel/pub/shop sold all the essentials and the railway station was still in operation and there was a road. A road, singular. The countryside was spectacular and the loch was like something out of a fantasy film. It wouldn't have seemed out of place to encounter a wizard and a water spirit having a chat there. Even the architecture fits - there's a huge viaduct nearby but it was carefully made to be as pretty as the countryside. Lovely place.

 

[Quartz]

Edinburgh if you can afford it. Otherwise Glasgow if you cannot.

No and hell no!

You can't get further than Aberdeen

Apart from Inverness. Lots of nice places between Aberdeen & Inverness.

but it's quite pricey up there due to the booming oil industry Scotland has.

Not any more.

 

[gailjon]

went to Lincolnshire recently and I was pleasantly surprised at how friendly and laid back people were compared to where I'm from, so this is the kind of environment I'm looking for. I like the feel of old historic towns but can not really tell whether they would be as nice as they seem.

We moved from Angus, Scotland, where I had lived for 25 years after uni in Dundee and Aberdeen and moved to just outside Lincoln.

The change is remarkable, especially in how friendly everyone is. Talking to you in shops, etc and generally seeming a lot happier than we saw in Angus.

I did notice a massive change in Scotland over the years, with an all-pervasive Nationalist undercurrent to every conversation and attitude. You were either for or against with nothing in between.

My wife and two children were born in Dundee but no-one wants to go back. We visit her parents and family but I don't regret moving after all those years at all.

Lincoln is a fabulous little city with really reasonable house prices and lots of surrounding towns and villages that provide as rural an environment as you could want.

Lincolnshire reminds me of Norfolk, where I was born, with a more relaxed attitude towards life, probably coming from the fact that Lincolnshire can be very rural/isolated (depending on your point of view).

 

[Quartz]

The nicest place I've been to is Glenfinnan, but that was over 40 years ago.

Glenfinnan is on the midge coast. The east coast is far more congenial.

 

[Gypo]

Come to Cheshire

Short commute to Liverpool & Manchester, lot's of nice little towns dotted about and we are in the countryside within touching distance of some beautiful sights and things to do.

Highly recommend a few places like Nantwich, Knutsford, Wilmslow, Sandbach.

Depends on budget and what you want.

 

[Arcane]

Sometimes I feel like people are more friendly up north.

I think you're confusing friendly with simple.

 

[shadow_boxer]

Come to Cheshire

This is a good shout.

Unfortunately we're on the other side is the M6 in Newcastle Under Lyme / Stoke but Cheshire side is lovely. Some nice smallish towns and within easy access to Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester to larger shopping centres, Trafford centre and 4 major airports (inc East Midlands). Close to Snowdonia and Peak District with the Lake District within reasonable distance for a weekend away.

What about job opportunities? Or have you won the Euros / are a Nigerian Prince?

 

[PeteGibbons]

Looking at houses in Devon which has been mentioned a couple of times and many of them are absolutely gorgeous, on houses alone it's winning me over. Only houses I've seen in Oxfordshire seem to compare so far. I may have to visit, covid permitting, and try and see what it's really about. You only seem to hear nice things about Devon.

 

[Kutter]

Move to Burnley for a couple of years, after that anywhere is a better place to live.

 

[Eurofighter]

Move to Burnley for a couple of years, after that anywhere is a better place to live.

My parents live in a village close to Burnley, quite nice.

 

[Nathan]

Shrewsbury, Shropshire or Cotswolds, Gloucestershire

 

[moon man]

Mmmm these places are making me drool with jealousy , Leicestershire ,place of dreams ,sigh

It's all about lifestyle imho ,nice long period swell for essential exercise today
https://magicseaweed.com/Polzeath-Surf-Report/969/

Just saying