NICEST Town to Live in if you want Weather/Outdoor stuff?

NICEST Town to Live in if you want Weather/Outdoor stuff?

Author
Discussion

bagusbagus

Original Poster:

451 posts

87 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
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I'm considering purchasing another property and moving somewhere down south as Most of my clients are from there and It's really soul crushing having at least one whole-day commute per week.
What would you say is the Nicest Smallish town you have ever lived or have visited within about 100mile range from London?

-Best weather overall (Not just the temperature,but the least wind/gloom/rain possible ,most sunshine and all that,but specially the least wind...)
-If possible Good Bicycle Infrastructure connecting with other towns ( I cycle a lot, but I hate cycling on open road but love all the paths)
-Clean,quiet, Not Overpopulated ,but within 10-30miles from a Large city in case you need something.
-Has a Nice countryside/Nature places where you can go and enjoy yourself,Don't really care about the Sea as you can't go and swim in it anyway, only more wind...

I realise ''the best'' is way different for every person, but what is your Dream City/Town to live in and why?

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
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If you hadn't said within a 100 miles of London I would have said Tenerife or one of the Balearic islands smile
Much better climate than this pit in South Manchesterirked

croyde

22,701 posts

229 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
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Isn't the Isle of Wight supposed to be the sunniest place in the UK.

Within your 100 mile of London criteria but then there's that pesky bit of water in the way and darned expensive to cross it too.

E65Ross

34,945 posts

211 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
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Depends how much of a busy place you need (local supermarkets etc) and your budget, but there are plenty of places around the South Downs National Park which is a wonderful part of the world IMO.

louiebaby

10,651 posts

190 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
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I lived in Henley-On-Thames for a few years, when I was rowing.

I used to have my breakfast with my housemate, he would then get on a train, do a full day in Canary Wharf, and come home on the train. We had dinner together too. I went rowing and to work in Henley, then rowing again in the same time...

I'd live there again.

oxford drinker

1,870 posts

228 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
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I live in Charlbury in Oxfordshire. Fits most of your criteria - nice place, 80 mins direct train to London, 15 miles from Oxford 7 miles to smaller towns such as Witney or Chipping Norton; in the Cotswolds, good pubs and shops locally, plenty of cycling (but hilly).

Usget

5,426 posts

210 months

Tuesday 1st May 2018
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Henley is a lovely place, Pangbourne is also a great place to live. Not sure if they qualify under the weather requirements though.

Poole is supposed to be in its own little microclimate for some reason - I've not been there but it's supposed to be a nice place to live. Lovely countryside to the North and the New Forest not too far away to the North East. 2h direct train from Waterloo.

kingb

1,151 posts

225 months

Wednesday 2nd May 2018
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Haywards Heath area has good train lines into London and its easy to get to the Downs, Surrey hills, Coast - South is generally the best place to be.

I think Hastings claims to have the most dry days or the most sun!

tankplanker

2,479 posts

278 months

Wednesday 2nd May 2018
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croyde said:
Isn't the Isle of Wight supposed to be the sunniest place in the UK.

Within your 100 mile of London criteria but then there's that pesky bit of water in the way and darned expensive to cross it too.
I would quite like to live on the Isle of Wight but I'd want to be well off enough to not to need to work and to be able to afford my own decent sized boat for messing about in with all that free time.

Southampton's Ocean Village wouldn't be too bad a commute to London, although its 1 hour 16 minute train journey could be better as I can just about beat that from the Midlands. There is the New Forest down the road if you want to do something outdoors that doesn't involve boats.



Daveyraveygravey

2,018 posts

183 months

Thursday 3rd May 2018
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kingb said:
Haywards Heath area has good train lines into London and its easy to get to the Downs, Surrey hills, Coast - South is generally the best place to be.

I think Hastings claims to have the most dry days or the most sun!
Another vote for the South Downs! Friends live in Worthing, and if you can stand being around a lot of older people, I believe the weather is generally drier/warmer than on the north side. But the coastal side of the Downs is pretty much built up everywhere so is busier and you are more likely to get in a traffic jam.
I live in Steyning which is arguably perfect for cycling. If I want to ride on the roads, there are miles and miles of quiet country lanes heading anywhere but south. If I want to ride off road, I can be heading uphill to the South Downs Way in under 5 minutes, and once there, there are enough trails to keep me happy for 20 years. I've never been to a man made off road cycling place, I don't see the point. If you don't drive or your car is out of action, Steyning doesn't have great transport links, 90 minutes to Brighton on the bus, although Shoreham is 20 minutes en route and has a train station.
Plenty of other places worth a look, Pulborough possibly one of the better ones because of the train line.

Sa Calobra

37,010 posts

210 months

Saturday 5th May 2018
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North Downs

NatAsp

175 posts

127 months

Sunday 6th May 2018
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I’d suggest Pulborough, West Sussex:

Small town (edit: just found out it’s a large village) with lots of amenities, 3 pubs iirc, supermarket, train station, big green/recreation ground
South Downs way only a few miles away, will get you very close to Chichester, Worthing or Brighton by bike
Horsham an Guildford also within 30 miles
Very quiet and clean, certainly not overpopulated
Has a nature reserve and set in very nice countryside
The region has one of the warmest climates, there are a few vineyards in the area, put it that way

Just noticed that someone has already mentioned Pulborough above, so there must be something in it!

There are nicer places I can think of, but not small towns with the same level of infrastructure











Edited by NatAsp on Sunday 6th May 13:58

oddball1313

1,178 posts

122 months

Sunday 6th May 2018
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Stamford is nice, looks of good quiet roads and good scenery - peterborugh isnt far and the train from there to London is only 45minutes. Weather on far with 95% the rest of the UK though

sparks_E46

12,738 posts

212 months

Sunday 6th May 2018
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Usget said:
Poole is supposed to be in its own little microclimate for some reason - I've not been there but it's supposed to be a nice place to live. Lovely countryside to the North and the New Forest not too far away to the North East. 2h direct train from Waterloo.
I’ve lived in Poole. It’s a steaming cesspit. Surrounding towns Wimborne and Corfe Mullen are much nicer, and a bit further out you have Blandford and Shaftesbury, and the Dorset countryside is lovely. But definitely stay away from Poole, it’s a right hole. Literally only the harbour is the only redeeming feature.

croyde

22,701 posts

229 months

Monday 7th May 2018
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Sa Calobra said:
North Downs
I'm a Londoner born and bred but have just returned from a 2.5 year stint on the North Downs. Bloody love it.

Walking, cycling and quiet roads for hooning. Dorking lovely for shopping, supermarkets, antiques etc.

Plus once in area, the South Downs and coast are all accessible via country roads.

I miss it terribly and hate being back in London but family circumstances forced the return.

Usget

5,426 posts

210 months

Monday 7th May 2018
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sparks_E46 said:
I’ve lived in Poole. It’s a steaming cesspit.
Ha! Fair play. I think I was going from some half-forgotten memories from when I was 9.

troc

3,740 posts

174 months

Monday 7th May 2018
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Usget said:
sparks_E46 said:
I’ve lived in Poole. It’s a steaming cesspit.
Ha! Fair play. I think I was going from some half-forgotten memories from when I was 9.
You were peobably thinking of Sandbanks which is an enclave of the pointlessly rich and almost dead, between Bournemouth and Poole.

But yeah, Poole is rubbish.

JustinF

6,795 posts

202 months

Monday 7th May 2018
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Horsham

Robertj21a

16,475 posts

104 months

Monday 7th May 2018
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JustinF said:
Horsham
I would have suggested virtually anywhere in the box Horsham - Guildford - Southampton - Chichester

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 9th May 2018
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It’s a bit like those daft property shows, I don’t know if I want to live in Devon or Ibiza! If you have no clue, a stranger can’t help you wink