MGH888

Hello - my wife (also British) and family (kids 9 and 12) returning to England next year from the States. My wife's parents recently moved to Colwyn Bay and the plan is to be closer to them - within a 2-1/2 hour drive or so. We both used to live in Hitchin, Herts - and we both like the feel and size of a smaller town (10-70K population or so) but don't want to be too remote or rural. Clearly good schools are an important. Somewhere safe, family friendly, ideally walkable town center/shops/restaurants ... and I think most places on the list are short drives away from countryside and outdoor 'stuff'. Easy access (60-80 minute drive or so) to an airport serving Europe would be a bonus.

Financially we are doing ok - and can probably work from home or travel as needed for employment. So no hard strings or ties. And really just looking for any first hand advise on towns or cities to take a good hard look at in addition to the ones we already have added to a first pass long list !

I'm planning a week long visit to zig zag through the midlands and northwest in the Spring. Visit, talk to locals, drive neighborhoods/schools visit estate agents in any areas that appeal strongly. Then in the Summer - hoping to visit with the family and hit the top 3 or 4 areas.

The current list - as far east as Rugby. Something just appeals to me a lot about Rugby. In that vicinity - Nuneaton and Leamington Spa. . . . Lichfield, Burton on Trent, Stafford as the next sort of group. Then Northwich, Chester, Wrexham and Shrewsbury. There are a handful of much smaller villages that might make the list because of outstanding schools - but I am a bit concerned about adaptation to rural life by the kids: Whitchurch, Oswestry, Duffield (Derby).

Anyone with thoughts or advise - please chime in. All feedback - both positive and negative - welcome. What else do we need to consider or something we overlooked or places we should consider?

THANK YOU !

Lion in Winter

Sorry, no suggestions on your specific questions, but just joining in as another long-time US resident returning to the UK this year, probably in May, and interested in area recommendations. We will need to be on a good train line, not be totally car dependent (OH can't drive for health reasons), and at least at first be within striking distance of London.

Good luck with your move.

MGH888

Lion in Winter - I used to live in Hitchin & Baldock. It's about an hour drive to central London - and the Hitchin to Kings Cross line has a high speed connection with only one stop in Stevenage. Hitchin is really nice - and there are several other towns within 20 minutes that are also very nice although not with the same connection by train to London. St Albans is in that vicinity too and another really nice city but more pricey. If you have any other parameters or criteria - shout and I can try to give you more meat on the bones regards specifics.

Lion in Winter

I will look, thank you.

Do you have any views on Ipswich and Colchester?

I don't want to hijack your thread though.

Chocolate eclair

I used to stay in North Wales quite a lot as a child, there are some lovely villages around Chester and towards Nantwich, Frodsham, Delamere, Tattenhall.

I personally don't like Rugby, or Nuneaton though Daventry used to be nice near the canal. Lichfield is a lovely Town, Stafford not quite as nice but still very liveable. Burton on Trent is a busy town with lots of lovely villages surrounding it. Repton, Bretby, Tatenhill, Tutbury, Needwood, Abbots Bromley, Colton. Avoid Rugeley and Swadlincote.
Lots of villages around Belper (Derbys) are good. Have friends in Holbrook, Crich, Horsley Woodhouse and Breadsall. Very convenient for the Peak District. Derby City Centre itself isn't much to write home about and traffic gets very congested on the A38 at Markeaton Island.

Chester is very expensive but a lovely place. So much history, as well as the river Dee. I don't know Shropshire at all though we gave friends in Loggerheads, near Market Drayton which was pleasant enough.
There are lots of great places to live in that Cheshire/Derbyshire/Staffordshire area. I'd avoid Stoke-on-Trent area.

We are trying to decide where to live when we return. Thinking of getting an AirBnB somewhere in the Peak District as a base initially and take it from there. We don't have family to take into consideration, just finances!
It feels very scary

Moses2013

Maybe money is not an issue but is your list based on housing availability or just general preference? Like Ireland, I do hear that a lot of people moving back often struggle to find suitable housing. If it's not the high price, it might be the case that there are no properties you like and there is a huge shortage at the moment.

MGH888

No problem with adding to the list of places people are talking about !

I only visited Ipswich one time to go to a football game! It seemed long a long way from everywhere else to me at the time ! I have heard decent things about Colchester, but no first hand knowledge. Royston is really as far East as I know well and that is a nice small town not too far from Cambridge.

MGH888

Brilliant - thank you for the feedback. I'll add Belper to the places to check out and probably some others once I get a chance to fully review. ** And - super good info on the traffic. That's something I would dearly love to avoid if we can.

Interested to hear what it was about Rugby you didn't care for? I have never been and am purely going off 3rd party comments and internet research.

I'm sure I will like Chester. My reservation their is that it's 45 minutes to the inlaws but then a full 3 1/2 hours to my friends and family in Herts.

Good luck with your plans and return ... what sort of timing are you thinking?

MGH888

Well money is an issue in as much as we can't afford whatever we want. But we should be ok to get back in to the high property prices in the UK - though even knowing that house prices are high, it's still somewhat surprising to see what your money gets you compared to (most parts of) the USA. Wife and I have ben using Rightmove to review and keep looking and looking. There are definitely lots of options - but as you say I think we are partly looking at a wide range of places to help with the house choices when it comes time. If we fell in love with a single location it's going to be a really big compromise on the house. If we can pick 3 locations we are more than happy with, hopefully we'll have much better options on the house front. As mentioned by Choc Eclair - it is definitely daunting.

ianandhelena

This page might be useful-zoomable maps of the UK on lots of topics and different databases. The one I've linked here shows more/less affluent areas: https://mapmaker.cdrc.ac.uk/#/index-...745&zoom=11.29

MGH888

Brilliant and very helpful. Thank you.

Sabrinahntr

[QUOTE=ianandhelena;13092866]This page might be useful-zoomable maps of the UK on lots of topics and different databases. The one I've linked here shows more/less /QUOTE]
Thanks for the website

brits1

Hi, there are some nice towns in north of Wales as well but if you want to be a bit further away from the Parents then here’s a few other suggestions in the Wirral I would choose Corby, Heswall, West Kirby away other parts of the North West which are nice areas and just off the M56, easy access to North Wales) Lymm, Knutsford, Hale and Altrincham away from the North West there is Hereford and Worcester which are nice sized cities with plenty of history and surrounded by good links and very nice countryside, good luck

MGH888

Thank you ! I've added Knutsford to the list for sure. Worcester (and Herefordshire) were on the initial list but being right on about 3 hours, we were looking a little closer on the first pass. If anyone has intimate knowledge of Worcerster, please share. I have never been but when I do any research online it seems to have an awful lot going for it.

Jerseygirl

Add Tarporley to the list. I lived in the Chester area for many years before moving to the US in ‘96. If we moved back we would definitely go back to Cheshire.