Location (for me) is very important, as you’ll only be at work for roughly a 1/3rd of the day.
I moved from a place 40 mins away from the Derbyshire peaks, to a place inside the M25 (long story involving a very messy divorce with a philandering wife), and to be honest there isn’t a single day when don’t miss it!
I’d choose Bristol over Brighton, assuming that you’re not planning on living IN Bristol.
Bristol has the option of the Chilterns, Forest of Dean, Dartmoor/Exmoor, and Wales for a longer trip. It’s also gonna be easier to get to Cumbria from Bristol than navigating around the M25 from Brighton.
The downside is that cheeky trips across the Belgium and France is gonna be less likely from Bristol.