- This topic has 45 replies, 36 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by CountZero.
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Moving from town to country
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alwillisFull Member
Anyone done it and hated it??
We currently live in a two bed flat right in the centre of town (10mins walk to mainline train, 5 min drive to the motorway). Our flat comes with 2 big garages, and is generally nice to live in. The downside is a view of a car park out one side, and another set of flats on the other.
So we are looking to move out of town. The village we like would mean both our commutes are still rideable (sub 10 miles) and on the right side of town for all the things we currenty use (cinema, swimming pool, supermarket etc).
The downside is the village doesn’t really have a shop (post office open one day a week!) and one pub. It does have a primary school and rugby club (we haven’t got any kids yet) so there is some social scene etc. But great links to countryside in all directions, a bigger house and garden etc.
All experiences welcome…
matt_outandaboutFull MemberIt’s not a far move – or one that far away from proper facilities by the sounds of things.
It does sound like increased faff and commuting.
Villages offer the best and worst in society, in a concentrated microcosm. You cannot escape those you don’t get on with – and it is about who you know, not what you know.So it comes down to choice – facilities or countryside?
We did it – from this:
to this
scotroutesFull MemberYou’ve identified the major problem and stated it as an advantage. A small village that is within easy commuting distance of a town will have little life about it, and few services. Other than a pleasant outlook and slightly fresher air it might be the worst compromise.
CaptainFlashheartFree Memberalwillis – Member
Town is Swindon if that changes anything!Run! Run as fast as you can!
There are some lovely villages just outside of town.
CountZeroFull MemberIt’s not so much villages that have an easy commute to nearby towns that don’t have much life, it’s villages within easy commute to a town on major transport routes, like a motorway or railway, they’re like ghost villages during the week. Castle Combe is a prime example, it’s a tourist trap, but few live there all week.
The fact that the intended village has a pub, a primary school, and a rugby club shows it’s got a lot more life than many, which is a positive sign.
It might be worth seeing if there’s a B&B around there, and stopping over for a weekend, just to see what things are like during the evening when you’re likely to be around, and check out local riding at the same time.esselgruntfuttockFree MemberTown is Swindon if that changes anything!
Anywhere near the Nationwide branch?
CougarFull MemberThe downside is the village doesn’t really have a shop (post office open one day a week!) and one pub.
Do you not have a car or the Internet?
whitestoneFree MemberOther than the lack of an aesthetic view, just why are you wanting to move? If you are moving for some indefinite reason, “we fancy the country life” and the like then you’ll struggle.
I’ve lived in the country all my life, only a few years of those have been in anything approaching a village in size, the vast majority have been in isolated houses. It’s not for everyone, everyone knows about you which is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Just nipping down to the corner shop because you’ve forgotten something is rarely an option.
AlphabetFull MemberWe moved rural/semi rural a few years ago from the city. We’ve now got sheep, chickens and ducks. Living the good life apart from hideous commutes. I’d say go for it although I loved city life when I was younger.
goldfish24Full MemberI’ve just done eclxctly what you’re proposing, just two weeks ago. So far loving it and not a hint of regret or worry, the positives are too great. I’ve made more neighbourly friends in the last two weeks than I did in four years in the nearby town. Sitting out the back garden and taking a walk across the fields feels like I’m on holiday.
CountZeroFull MemberOther than Old Town, ten miles is about as close as you need to get. Which village are you looking at? Swindon is surrounded by really nice villages, I’ll almost certainly know it, even if I don’t know it in detail; I live in Chippenham.
mikewsmithFree MemberCougar – Moderator
The downside is the village doesn’t really have a shop (post office open one day a week!) and one pub.
Do you not have a car or the Internet?[/quote]
Point normally being once you’re out of something it’s a drive, it takes a bit of getting used to, a bigger fridge and freezer. Especially on the weekend if you have a beer/glass of wine and discover there is no milk left for the morning etc. Little things like that, you need to be a bit more organised planning more etc. Social nights with friends (in town) either need taxi or working out who is driving etc. so it can be quite a changeCountZeroFull MemberPoint normally being once you’re out of something it’s a drive, it takes a bit of getting used to, a bigger fridge and freezer. Especially on the weekend if you have a beer/glass of wine and discover there is no milk left for the morning etc. Little things like that, you need to be a bit more organised planning more etc. Social nights with friends (in town) either need taxi or working out who is driving etc. so it can be quite a change
He’s within ten miles of Swindon! Not exactly the middle of the Peaks. Or Dartmoor!
mikewsmithFree Memberand not within walking distance of a shop etc. having done both there is a difference once it’s not just walking down the shops and it takes a bit of remembering. I assume STW are not all full of people who make accurate lists and plans for every day/week.
It’s adding the cost of a couple of taxis onto a night out, skipping a trip to the pub after work or running out of a few things that normally would have meant nothing but will do.
Even 2 miles out of town was a barrier, no safe way to walk, riding not so much of an option in winter or for an evening, added reliance on cars etc. Nothing less fun than getting up on a Sunday morning heading to the shops to buy a bottle of milk for breakfast when all you wanted to do was have a lazy day and enjoy the peace and quiet.teamhurtmoreFree MemberDo it – but the microcosm idea ^ is v true, oh and stay off the moors at night obviously
thecaptainFree MemberFfs two miles is hardly an expedition. This is a cycling website!
Sounds like the options are a shit town or a shit village. I’d be thinking of moving more than 10 miles. If I never get that close to Swindon again it will be too soon.
mikewsmithFree Memberthecaptain – Member
Ffs two miles is hardly an expedition. This is a cycling website!Your misunderstanding what I’m saying. The difference between nipping down the corner shop/co-op/whatever at 10pm to grab something in a large town/city and when the nearest shop/garage invloves either a drive or ride. Would you hop on your bike at 10pm on a Friday to head down 2 miles of wet unlit roads? Well done if you would but you can conceede it’s not exactly practical.
I’m simply explaining the differences I experienced when living out of town/away from there. I guess that makes me soft or whatever you want to call it but I wasn’t up for wandering down sodden grass verges in the dark on a NSL road after a night out or rolling into town on a bike most of the time.
I live 2 miles from the centre of town now, it’s so utterly different in terms of walking/cycling and transport to 2 miles of open unlit roads with no footpaths.The OP’s village sounds like there are a few things on but will increase the reliance on cars, subconciously it changes behaviours about what is easy/zero effort and what isn’t, I forget that to be on STW you will automatically just ride 10 miles at all hours without considering that you might be wet/cold/muddy by the time you get to the night out you were heading too 😉
The other thing for the OP is what is the actual cycle commute? Is it a nice one or a rat run commuter village? Lived/driven through a few of those and high volumes of late commuters/bad roads would also be a big negative.
NobeerinthefridgeFree MemberNa, I love living in my town, best of both world’s – loads of pubs, eateries etc, and 2 or 3 minutes pedal from the countryside.
I’d be wary of a town with no shop and only one pub. Pub shuts, and your village is then no better than a big housing estate.
thecaptainFree MemberHonestly when I last lived in a decent sized town I was 2 miles from the shops and considered that to be plenty close enough. No car so yes it did involve hopping on a bike at al times of day and night. Other things being equal a short walk is better but other things aren’t always equal!
alwillisFull MemberSome good food for thought above.
I’m not afraid of riding 2 miles to the shops, in fact in the summer I imagine it would be a luxury compared to driving or riding in town. My commute is currently 13-14 miles out of town (75% country lanes) so would actually get a little bit shorter.
Minety is the village if anyone knows it.
The microcosm idea is pretty much my biggest concern, but being positive it means there are still some decent people around!
MSPFull MemberWatch out for the squirrels, they hunt in packs, country folk call them land piranhas for a reason.
mogrimFull MemberI live in a similar place, it’s not technically speaking a village, but might as well be. We’ve got one shop (that does at least open 7 days a week), and a couple of bars.
What mikewsmith says is spot on – you end up relying on your car far more than you expect. Add kids and it gets even worse, my wife and I spend most evenings on taxi duties to gymnastics / painting / music / friends / etc. I also miss the bustle of a town, being able to head down the high street, a choice of places to have a coffee, with people around.
That said, I don’t have any plans on moving. Where I live is great for biking and running, that lack of bustle is also a lack of noise at night, and the air’s certainly a lot fresher than in central Madrid where we lived previously.
trail_ratFree MemberGrew up in a small town
Moved to city when I finished uni
Hated it.
Moved to a village with no shop or pub . As no beer said big housing estate no soul and everyone seemed to hide in their houses 24/7 plus did about 20000miles that year – but still better than the city.
Now we live 2 miles from a village with a couple shops/post office/restaurants/petrol station. And only 10miles from the city with an off the road tarmac cycle path into the centre from the village
Have now lived here for 8 years and love it.
Choose the village carefully
allfankledupFull MemberHaving commuted into swindon ( a few years ago now) – I’d say there are nicer villages around the area than Minety…. We ended up in the town of Devizes – I’d go back there, thought it was a nice place to live, good access to the byways and the plain…. yes, get out of Swindon, but have a look south, rather than north of the m4 …
jambalayaFree MemberFor me that would be a no-brainer, country over city anytime. I have lived in both and I only consider city for convenience for work, 8 min commute instead of 75 but even then I chose the 75 option for 25 years.
One pub – if its decent enough do you really care ? A couple of pints once a week and I’m sure there are plenty of other country oubs to visit
One shop ? Good for a few basics if you forget something (support the shop to keep it open) and your weekly shop is done at the supermarket as usual with the carEnjoy the fresh air and the garden 🙂
Sitting out the back garden and taking a walk across the fields feels like I’m on holiday.
whitestoneFree MemberNot all villages are the same. It’s a bit like assuming Wandsworth and Knightsbridge are the same if moving to London. There are definitely some “High six!” type communities around as well as some that feel like rural retirement homes.
We are roughly equidistant from four villages. The nearest has a thriving primary school (it’s a feeder to a highly rated secondary school in the nearest town), no shop and possibly no pub since the previous landlord sold up. Village two is on a main road and has a lot of problems with drunken youths and has a bit of reputation locally. Village three is next to the railway with good connections to the nearest cities, has two decent pubs, a village store/PO and has the “classic” village look and feel. The final one is actually two combined and has pubs, one with its own microbrewery, small supermarket, filling stations primary and secondary schools as well as secondary level shops like hair dressers, tanning salon.
So within a small area, probably 3 miles between any of them, there are four completely different villages.
peteimprezaFull Member“I’d say there are nicer villages around the area than Minety…. “
Thus much better options around , widen your search if possible.
Where do you commute to ?
futonrivercrossingFree MemberBar the occasional cow invasion of the garden, it’s been great, do it!
wobbliscottFree MemberNo downsides to living in the country. People waffle on about the lack of being able to pop out to the shops for a pint of milk……really? Sounds like a benefit to me, anyway they is what the wonders of fridge freezers are for. Worried about lack of eateries and pubs? Well if you’re talking about Somewhere like Swindon you can keep your Pizza Expresses, Nando’s and Weatherspoons. You can make far better grub yourself and the local village pub probably serves up decent beer, had bar staff that will talk to you and remember you when you next visit.
We’re semi-rural at the mo, one of those small villages that has had a large modern housing estate built up around it, but it has a couple of decent pubs, some amenities and a decent school. But once the kids have left school we’ll be off to somewhere more into the country. I love it, I couldn’t live in a town or city if you pa F me, can’t think of a worse place to live
NobeerinthefridgeFree Membercan’t think of a worse place to live
You don’t watch the news then?.
dooosukFree MemberJust in the process of selling up from Chorlton and moving out to High Lane (yes I know about the traffic – but i’ll be able to work from home a couple of days a week and hopefully the new link road will make the traffic better in Spring next year).
We’re looking forward to it. Two kids now mean we’re not making the most of the city anyway.
benp1Full MemberAre you buying or renting? The former being more long term in nature than the latter
If you vaguely might have children you should consider schools, being near one is helpful, even better if it’s a good one
Can you afford to get the place you actually want?
Being near transport will significantly held with house price stability, though might be more expensive to acquire it in the first place
Swindon, poor you!
spacemonkeyFull MemberLike others above, I’ve lived and worked in London but spent most of my years out in the sticks. Former has its advantages, but being out in the country wins every time for me.
Currently live in a very quiet village – maybe 100 houses. 2 pubs, 2 buses (per day) and no shops. Neighbouring villages (3-4 miles away) have most of the things we ‘need’, as of course do the towns another couple of miles away.
Very close to North Downs and Surrey Hills, so we’re blessed to have not only some awesome trails and scenery, but also some epic pubs/eateries and events.
ransosFree MemberI always assumed that we’d move out of Bristol once we had kids, but I think we’ll stay. We have all the conveniences and attractions of a nice city within walking distance, yet I can be out in the countryside in 15 minutes of cycling. Win/ win as far as I’m concerned.
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