If you could live anywhere in the UK...

[tribalsurfer]

Dorchester in West Dorset would be my dream location but while Salaries are high in North London / Hertfordshire I will be here for the foreseeable.

[PositronicRay]

I think by the sea, an estuary view would be nice.

[smifffymoto]

Get Carter's house.I would kick him out if I didn't have other commitments.

[brrapp]

Stuart12 said:

Sounds like you are close anyway but Northumberland National Park for us.

I’ve lived all over the country but we settled here, in my opinion the balance of cost of living, countryside, proximity to Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow, reasonable links south, schools and national park are hard to beat .

Similar here but I'm on the other/right side of the border . The other advantage of this area is the driving experience, great roads and minimal traffic. Just don't tell too many people about it though!

[Bill]

Pretty much anywhere in the UK that isn't urban sprawl is lovely, some of it's more dramatic, and some of it's more crowded (particularly in summer...) but most of the country is great. The problem with the hypothetical question is that the bits that are lovely with cheap housing have few jobs available.

[LimaDelta]

smifffymoto said:

Get Carter's house.I would kick him out if I didn't have other commitments.

Undoubtedly beautiful up there, but museums? Theatre? Sports? Could be a bit of a one-dimensional childhood I fear. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting out in the hills but there needs to be a balance.

[dazwalsh]

Shnozz said:

My vote is the golden triangle around North Leeds. York, Harrogate, Wetherby, Ilkley etc.

Good schools nearby, cosmopolitan life and range of employers in Leeds, cost of living day to day no different to the South but house prices far lower. Dales on your doorstep, Dales one way, Yorkshire Moors the other. Equidistant in terms of the UK from North to South. Rail link to London in 2 hrs 15.

This, ilkley is only let down by traffic but a lovely place otherwise, id be in and around there somewhere, on the leeds side of it. Menston perhaps.

Im in Baildon at the minute but its proximity to Shipley is its downfall otherwise id probably stay put.

[LimaDelta]

Bill said:

Pretty much anywhere in the UK that isn't urban sprawl is lovely, some of it's more dramatic, and some of it's more crowded (particularly in summer...) but most of the country is great. The problem with the hypothetical question is that the bits that are lovely with cheap housing have few jobs available.

It’s not a hypothetical, we are considering moving. I work overseas so am lucky enough to be able to live pretty much anywhere, as long as there is an airport within a couple of hours.

But you do make a valid point about job prospects for the children as they grow.

[akirk]

I would simply move west a bit from where you are now - Hexham way - stunningly beautiful and still easy access to Newcastle etc.

[Trevor450]

Exactly where I do now - a village in the North Pennines. 40 minutes to the centre of Newcaslte, 30 to Durham and 15 to the nearest big supermarket. Pub is a two minute walk away as is the village shop.

Fantastic views and miles of unspoilt moorland.

[Shnozz]

dazwalsh said:

This, ilkley is only let down by traffic but a lovely place otherwise, id be in and around there somewhere, on the leeds side of it. Menston perhaps.

Im in Baildon at the minute but its proximity to Shipley is its downfall otherwise id probably stay put.

True about the traffic.

It's Menston I will aim at when I am tired of city life I think.

Addingham would be nice but I do like the convenience of a rail station for a night in town still.

[Shnozz]

garyhun said:

Shnozz said:

My vote is the golden triangle around North Leeds. York, Harrogate, Wetherby, Ilkley etc.

Good schools nearby, cosmopolitan life and range of employers in Leeds, cost of living day to day no different to the South but house prices far lower. Dales on your doorstep, Dales one way, Yorkshire Moors the other. Equidistant in terms of the UK from North to South. Rail link to London in 2 hrs 15.

I’ve lived on the South Coast for the last 16 years but will be moving to this /\/\ area in the next few months. South too crowded for me now and the countryside ‘up there’ is breathtaking.

I lived the first 28 years of my life on the South Coast (Hampshire) and then a few years in the Midlands before ending up in Yorkshire.

Only thing I miss is the coastline occasionally and the weather; summer temps are not far adrift daytime but they differ greatly once sun falls - you don't get the balmy evenings. Similarly in winter you get 2 months of "proper" cold rather than the 2 weeks you get on the South Coast.

[Bill]

LimaDelta said:

It’s not a hypothetical, we are considering moving. I work overseas so am lucky enough to be able to live pretty much anywhere, as long as there is an airport within a couple of hours.

But you do make a valid point about job prospects for the children as they grow.

Fair enough, it's hypothetical for most of us. I'm also fortunate in that both of us work in healthcare, so can potentially live anywhere. We're in the Purbecks which is fantastic, and only lacks mountains.

[IanCress]

I spent the first 21 years of my life in Otley, but moved away almost 20 years ago due to finding the place a bit dull, and better job prospects in the Manchester area.

Since then, Leeds has gone through a transformation, and the river and parks of Otley that I found so dull as a teenager are tempting me back there.

[troika]

If I had to live in one place which provides a balance of everything, I’d say Henley. If you can be a bit further from the smoke but still need to get to it sometimes, Marlborough or Bath. If you don’t give a stuff about London, then North Wales, Lakes, Scotland.

[anonymous-user]

Shnozz said:

garyhun said:

Shnozz said:

My vote is the golden triangle around North Leeds. York, Harrogate, Wetherby, Ilkley etc.

Good schools nearby, cosmopolitan life and range of employers in Leeds, cost of living day to day no different to the South but house prices far lower. Dales on your doorstep, Dales one way, Yorkshire Moors the other. Equidistant in terms of the UK from North to South. Rail link to London in 2 hrs 15.

I’ve lived on the South Coast for the last 16 years but will be moving to this /\/\ area in the next few months. South too crowded for me now and the countryside ‘up there’ is breathtaking.

I lived the first 28 years of my life on the South Coast (Hampshire) and then a few years in the Midlands before ending up in Yorkshire.

Only thing I miss is the coastline occasionally and the weather; summer temps are not far adrift daytime but they differ greatly once sun falls - you don't get the balmy evenings. Similarly in winter you get 2 months of "proper" cold rather than the 2 weeks you get on the South Coast.

I still miss the coastline but tend to use that as an excuse to visit friends down there and have long weekends/driving trips there.

[Herbs]

Bill said:

LimaDelta said:

It’s not a hypothetical, we are considering moving. I work overseas so am lucky enough to be able to live pretty much anywhere, as long as there is an airport within a couple of hours.

But you do make a valid point about job prospects for the children as they grow.

Fair enough, it's hypothetical for most of us. I'm also fortunate in that both of us work in healthcare, so can potentially live anywhere. We're in the Purbecks which is fantastic, and only lacks mountains.

Just round the corner from me then. this is my commute:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.718815,-1.861433...

[57 Chevy]

We went though this when we moved away from London. We went for Dunblane in Scotland and love it. Easy access to Stirling, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, Dundee for cities or more countryside that you could ever need on your doorstep. Great community, great schools.

[Bill]

I go via the front when it's open.

[V8mate]

Essex.

Because it has the lowest rainfall in the UK. And I fking hate rain.