Moving out of London - but to where?!
Discussion
Hi all,
After living in London for fifteen years it’s time to get out of the city.
We’re at the early stages of planning – currently there are too many options and I’d like to harness the collective experience out there to help me apply some filters!
I want my kids to grow up with access to plenty of outside space and somewhere with a strong sense of local community. We’re not getting this in London.
My initial parameters are:
I’ll be commuting back into London Paddington - ideally no more than an hour or so including driving/cycling to the station but there is some scope for stretch there.
I want to be as far out as possible to maximise our slightly restricted house budget (c. £700k for 4+ beds and decent sized garden) but my wife’s parents live in North London so there’s an element of compromise there.
Got three young kids (eldest is 6) so a decent primary schools within walking/cycling distance would be good.
We wouldn’t want to be too far from a decent secondary school too. There is scope for a fee-paying school at secondary level and would be interested in hearing recommendations, but a good state school would be OK.
Would prefer a large village to a town – somewhere with a pub and a primary school would be perfect. Of the places I know well I'd say Aldbourne in Wiltshire would be perfect but my wife thinks it’s just that bit too far away from London (Swindon is local train station).
My heritage is English and middle-class and I’d like that to be the predominant culture. It sound rather grim to say it like that, but since growing up in the country I’ve spent my adult life living in multi-cultural communities in London and Amsterdam which has been interesting and stimulating but I’d like a change.
Can anyone suggest some areas to focus on?
After living in London for fifteen years it’s time to get out of the city.
We’re at the early stages of planning – currently there are too many options and I’d like to harness the collective experience out there to help me apply some filters!
I want my kids to grow up with access to plenty of outside space and somewhere with a strong sense of local community. We’re not getting this in London.
My initial parameters are:
I’ll be commuting back into London Paddington - ideally no more than an hour or so including driving/cycling to the station but there is some scope for stretch there.
I want to be as far out as possible to maximise our slightly restricted house budget (c. £700k for 4+ beds and decent sized garden) but my wife’s parents live in North London so there’s an element of compromise there.
Got three young kids (eldest is 6) so a decent primary schools within walking/cycling distance would be good.
We wouldn’t want to be too far from a decent secondary school too. There is scope for a fee-paying school at secondary level and would be interested in hearing recommendations, but a good state school would be OK.
Would prefer a large village to a town – somewhere with a pub and a primary school would be perfect. Of the places I know well I'd say Aldbourne in Wiltshire would be perfect but my wife thinks it’s just that bit too far away from London (Swindon is local train station).
My heritage is English and middle-class and I’d like that to be the predominant culture. It sound rather grim to say it like that, but since growing up in the country I’ve spent my adult life living in multi-cultural communities in London and Amsterdam which has been interesting and stimulating but I’d like a change.
Can anyone suggest some areas to focus on?
t is obvious.If I were you I'd junk the commuting plan and find a job closer to where you want be, then move, you may have to compromise on future prospects and current salary levels but it will be worth it in the long run.
No point moving to 1 hr outside London as all the best bits are just as expensive and still full of Londoner's, plus you'll spend more time traveling and less time with your family which is the opposite of what you really want.
No point moving to 1 hr outside London as all the best bits are just as expensive and still full of Londoner's, plus you'll spend more time traveling and less time with your family which is the opposite of what you really want.
maturin23 said:
Hi all,
After living in London for fifteen years it’s time to get out of the city.
We’re at the early stages of planning – currently there are too many options and I’d like to harness the collective experience out there to help me apply some filters!
I want my kids to grow up with access to plenty of outside space and somewhere with a strong sense of local community. We’re not getting this in London.
My initial parameters are:
I’ll be commuting back into London Paddington - ideally no more than an hour or so including driving/cycling to the station but there is some scope for stretch there.
I want to be as far out as possible to maximise our slightly restricted house budget (c. £700k for 4+ beds and decent sized garden) but my wife’s parents live in North London so there’s an element of compromise there.
Got three young kids (eldest is 6) so a decent primary schools within walking/cycling distance would be good.
We wouldn’t want to be too far from a decent secondary school too. There is scope for a fee-paying school at secondary level and would be interested in hearing recommendations, but a good state school would be OK.
Would prefer a large village to a town – somewhere with a pub and a primary school would be perfect. Of the places I know well I'd say Aldbourne in Wiltshire would be perfect but my wife thinks it’s just that bit too far away from London (Swindon is local train station).
My heritage is English and middle-class and I’d like that to be the predominant culture. It sound rather grim to say it like that, but since growing up in the country I’ve spent my adult life living in multi-cultural communities in London and Amsterdam which has been interesting and stimulating but I’d like a change.
Can anyone suggest some areas to focus on?
Swindon is an hour platform to platform, the 7.20 is actually 55 mins and when electrified by 20sometime in the future should be quicker. A monthly season ticket is about £710 incl Tube.After living in London for fifteen years it’s time to get out of the city.
We’re at the early stages of planning – currently there are too many options and I’d like to harness the collective experience out there to help me apply some filters!
I want my kids to grow up with access to plenty of outside space and somewhere with a strong sense of local community. We’re not getting this in London.
My initial parameters are:
I’ll be commuting back into London Paddington - ideally no more than an hour or so including driving/cycling to the station but there is some scope for stretch there.
I want to be as far out as possible to maximise our slightly restricted house budget (c. £700k for 4+ beds and decent sized garden) but my wife’s parents live in North London so there’s an element of compromise there.
Got three young kids (eldest is 6) so a decent primary schools within walking/cycling distance would be good.
We wouldn’t want to be too far from a decent secondary school too. There is scope for a fee-paying school at secondary level and would be interested in hearing recommendations, but a good state school would be OK.
Would prefer a large village to a town – somewhere with a pub and a primary school would be perfect. Of the places I know well I'd say Aldbourne in Wiltshire would be perfect but my wife thinks it’s just that bit too far away from London (Swindon is local train station).
My heritage is English and middle-class and I’d like that to be the predominant culture. It sound rather grim to say it like that, but since growing up in the country I’ve spent my adult life living in multi-cultural communities in London and Amsterdam which has been interesting and stimulating but I’d like a change.
Can anyone suggest some areas to focus on?
This is 3 miles out of Swindon.
http://www.primelocation.com/uk-property-for-sale/...
If it were me, I'd be thinking Cirencester (and surrounding area) and a 15 minute drive, somewhere like South Cerney or the Ampneys.
The alternative is Didcot which is Oxon but 15 mins closer to London and gives more scope for the drive in also.
I grew up in Wendover (Buckinghamshire) and IIRC it's approx 40mins from there into London Marylebone.
Great schools in Wendover(primary & middle) and Aylesbury has a number of grammar schools.
It's a lovely little market town with plenty of open space (although HS2 may cause a few issues in a couple of years).
£700k would get you into a very nice property
Great schools in Wendover(primary & middle) and Aylesbury has a number of grammar schools.
It's a lovely little market town with plenty of open space (although HS2 may cause a few issues in a couple of years).
£700k would get you into a very nice property
This is good - thanks. Keep 'em coming!
OneDs, I have my own business (training company) so in theory I could do what I like, but the revenue generated by having a London location is worth the cost/time of a commute to London.
My views on this may change, but my wife's desire to be near enough to London to be able to visit her parents forces the hand anyway.
OneDs, I have my own business (training company) so in theory I could do what I like, but the revenue generated by having a London location is worth the cost/time of a commute to London.
My views on this may change, but my wife's desire to be near enough to London to be able to visit her parents forces the hand anyway.
Pangbourne, Goring, Streatly, Wallingford, Benson (if the RAF base isnt an issue), Mouslford, Basildon (& upper & lower basildon) Nettlebed, loads of others in that area.
All within an 60 minute train ride to Paddington, some have a station, others will need a short bike ride/drive to the local station.
with a 700k budget you wont struggle to get a very nice family house in some very nice areas in south oxfordshire, west berkshire.
All within an 60 minute train ride to Paddington, some have a station, others will need a short bike ride/drive to the local station.
with a 700k budget you wont struggle to get a very nice family house in some very nice areas in south oxfordshire, west berkshire.
Superhoop said:
What about Leamington Spa/Warwick or the surrounding area?
The train into London is about 1 hour, and there are some lovely small towns, Villages around there too
isnt it two hours from Warwick to paddington? (1:45 for a fast train, over 2 hours for a slower one when I checked before looking to move there)The train into London is about 1 hour, and there are some lovely small towns, Villages around there too
pmanson said:
I grew up in Wendover (Buckinghamshire) and IIRC it's approx 40mins from there into London Marylebone.
Great schools in Wendover(primary & middle) and Aylesbury has a number of grammar schools.
It's a lovely little market town with plenty of open space (although HS2 may cause a few issues in a couple of years).
£700k would get you into a very nice property
Beat me to it Phill!Great schools in Wendover(primary & middle) and Aylesbury has a number of grammar schools.
It's a lovely little market town with plenty of open space (although HS2 may cause a few issues in a couple of years).
£700k would get you into a very nice property
Plus there's an excellent pub not too far away.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Newbury and the surrounding areas are nice, and you are on the border of a lot of things, so convenient for lots of stuff. BUT, be careful on the train situation though. FGW are a hateful company who run a shockingly EXPENSIVE train service!I am not on the Newbury loop (I am on the GWR line to Bristol) and it costs a small fortune to get in and out of London. Thankfully I can expense it, but I would hate to see what the commute costs would be. Newbury will be cheaper though, but worth checking.
Reading does get a lot of commuters though - trains will be pretty much FULL and you will have to be committed to get a seat. It does annoy me that people going all the way to Bristol and beyond have to stand because of the commuters to Reading, but to be fair everyone has a right to a seat, its just that FGW dont put on enough carriages!!!!
If you want a decent secondary education you don't have to pay for - you need to be in Bucks for the grammar schools, but may need a fall-back position if your kids don't pass the 11+. I'd look around the Marlow/Bourne End area, but there are some nice villages between H.Wycombe and Gt.Missenden, and also in the Hambleden valley west of Marlow. Commute would be into Marylebone, but this is about the best line into London - least crowded, v.reliable, and you could always use a folding bike/Boris bike to get from there to the office.
You could also consider Cookham, which although in Berks is often in catchment for some of the S.Bucks grammars. You could get the train to Maidenhead from here to pick up the Paddington line.
Another option is Henley, but many kids go to private schools from there (although it does have a reasonable comprehensive). Your commute from there would be to Twyford to pick up the Paddington line from there.
I would personally re-think your idea of a little village - they are fine when the kids are small, but when they are older and wanting to attend clubs/visit friends, you will spend your entire time ferrying them to and fro. Also, roads to small villages are the last to get cleared/gritted when the weather is bad - some villages in the Chilterns were inaccessible for for up to a week in the last heavy snow, which is great fun at first, but not so good if you have a business to run in London.
You could also consider Cookham, which although in Berks is often in catchment for some of the S.Bucks grammars. You could get the train to Maidenhead from here to pick up the Paddington line.
Another option is Henley, but many kids go to private schools from there (although it does have a reasonable comprehensive). Your commute from there would be to Twyford to pick up the Paddington line from there.
I would personally re-think your idea of a little village - they are fine when the kids are small, but when they are older and wanting to attend clubs/visit friends, you will spend your entire time ferrying them to and fro. Also, roads to small villages are the last to get cleared/gritted when the weather is bad - some villages in the Chilterns were inaccessible for for up to a week in the last heavy snow, which is great fun at first, but not so good if you have a business to run in London.
Landlord said:
pmanson said:
I grew up in Wendover (Buckinghamshire) and IIRC it's approx 40mins from there into London Marylebone.
Great schools in Wendover(primary & middle) and Aylesbury has a number of grammar schools.
It's a lovely little market town with plenty of open space (although HS2 may cause a few issues in a couple of years).
£700k would get you into a very nice property
Beat me to it Phill!Great schools in Wendover(primary & middle) and Aylesbury has a number of grammar schools.
It's a lovely little market town with plenty of open space (although HS2 may cause a few issues in a couple of years).
£700k would get you into a very nice property
Plus there's an excellent pub not too far away.
Thanks chaps - will be ploughing through this later and checking out some suggestions.
Are there any exceptionally-good state or fee-paying secondary schools that we should aim for in the areas mentioned? I guess this is a key factor as I'd rather not either have to move again or spend my entire life shuttling kids around.
Are there any exceptionally-good state or fee-paying secondary schools that we should aim for in the areas mentioned? I guess this is a key factor as I'd rather not either have to move again or spend my entire life shuttling kids around.
Another shout for South Bucks. Amersham is 35 - 55 mins from the centre of london depending on Met or Chiltern line.
A few schools in the area, specifically, Amersham / Chesham Bois / Chesham.
Mixed lower age schools,
http://chestnutlane.bucks.sch.uk/
http://buckinghamshire.schooljotter.com/elangeni
Tough to get kids into these if you don't live on the doorstep.
For the boys,
http://www.beaconschool.co.uk/
http://www.challoners.com/index.aspx?section=main
http://www.rgshw.com/ (High Wycombe)
For the girls
http://www.heathertonhouse.co.uk/
http://www.challonershigh.com/page/?title=HOME&...
Mixed upper,
http://www.cheshamgrammar.bucks.sch.uk/
A few schools in the area, specifically, Amersham / Chesham Bois / Chesham.
Mixed lower age schools,
http://chestnutlane.bucks.sch.uk/
http://buckinghamshire.schooljotter.com/elangeni
Tough to get kids into these if you don't live on the doorstep.
For the boys,
http://www.beaconschool.co.uk/
http://www.challoners.com/index.aspx?section=main
http://www.rgshw.com/ (High Wycombe)
For the girls
http://www.heathertonhouse.co.uk/
http://www.challonershigh.com/page/?title=HOME&...
Mixed upper,
http://www.cheshamgrammar.bucks.sch.uk/
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