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Maxwell Smart

Joined: 29 May 2005
Posts: 607
Location: London Town

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 9:56 am Post subject: Market Towns

So following on my thread looking for a place to rent and some of the friendly advice given there we have decided to refine our search to Market Towns (or other towns with character) such within about 2 hours to London.

So not knowing that many towns and before we spend our weekends trekking off to see them as the list seems rather extensive can anybody recommend any particularly nice ones?

1) Looking for a decent size that will have good schools
2) Access to good local farmers markets/farm shops
3) Reasonable access Train links to London.

Two towns I have found just from trawling the web are Chipping Campden and Sherborne, Dorset. Hey I'm a foreigner with romantic visions of England - what do you expect?

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 10:02 am Post subject:
What about costing, I like Cambridge and it is a more than plausible communte to London (The surrounding towns and villages can also be good) and I think it has good schools but it is an expensive place to live

Barefoot Andrew
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 22780
Location: In the 17th century

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 10:11 am Post subject:
Have you looked at Bracknell or Stevenage? sorry, that's just not helpful is it? A.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 10:14 am Post subject:
Loads of decent places around Chelmsford and Colchester

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 10:20 am Post subject:
Bishops Stortford is nice, again less than a hour outside london

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 10:23 am Post subject:

bagpuss wrote:

Bishops Stortford is nice, again less than a hour outside london

Yup

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 10:41 am Post subject:

bagpuss wrote:

Bishops Stortford is nice, again less than a hour outside london

Not a fan of Bishops Stortford. Its okay, but the proximity to Stansted Airport would put me off.

To be honest, Maxwell pretty much described Cambridge in his post. Character, great market and farmers markets, interesting shops (more of them than you'd think if you explore Mill Road and Burleigh Street), good schools... Only problem is that its almost stupidly expensive to live really close to the station. At the other end of town its only expensive though.

Worth costing up Cambridge, Maxwell.

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 10:44 am Post subject:

cab wrote:

bagpuss wrote:

Bishops Stortford is nice, again less than a hour outside london

On a bike even in North Cambridge or Fen Ditton you aren't that far from the station

Its also worth looking at Saffron Walden, Royston and Sawston, they don't have quite as good rail links to London but still fairly good and at least Royston is much cheaper than Cambridge

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 10:45 am Post subject:
Loads of nice places within easy drive of Cambridge

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 10:47 am Post subject:
and possibly by bike as well.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 10:48 am Post subject:

bagpuss wrote:

On a bike even in North Cambridge or Fen Ditton you aren't that far from the station

Four miles or so from where we live in North Cambridge, about the same from Fen Ditton. Probably a little under that. And as its flat as a pancake its a very easy ride. The ride in from North Cambridge is, in my opinion, far more pleasant than the ride in from Fen Ditton.

But for that matter it ain't far from Shelford, Girton or even Histon and Milton.

The only downer with that is cycle parking; rack after rack of cycle racks at the station, but try finding a place to lock up if you're running late. If I was a regular cycle-train commuter, I'd get a folding bike.

Quote:

Its also worth looking at Saffron Walden, Royston and Sawston, they don't have quite as good rail links to London but still fairly good and at least Royston is much cheaper than Cambridge

What would you rekon to Ely?

Last edited by cab on Mon Aug 20, 07 10:49 am; edited 1 time in total

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 10:49 am Post subject:

there are some nice villages and places in South and West Oxon with Paddington 40mins from Didcot Parkway. Abingdon isn't bad but the town centre is mixed, some bits nice, but with a concrete 70's shopping centre of charity shops and shoe shops. Village wise, the Hanneys and places around Harwell are pretty.

Witney is nice, and Wantage not a bad market town - Faringdon good as well. Anything within driving distance to Oxford gives you the advantage of Oxford main line trains or the Oxford Tube coach service in to London. Oxford itself is expensive for property rather like Cambridge.

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 10:51 am Post subject:

cab wrote:

What would you rekon to Ely?

Ely would also work, again good trainline, slight further out, a nice town though I think I prefer St Neots

Maxwell Smart

Joined: 29 May 2005
Posts: 607
Location: London Town

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 11:25 am Post subject:
Thanks for all the responses. Cambridge has come up in my mind but not sure if I could tolerate all the tourists/students. Getting old... Mrs Fiddlesticks - thanks for the suggestions I will investigate especially as we were thinking that the band from Oxford in an arc around to Cambridge might be quite nice. I guess many day trips are due.

bagpuss

Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 07 11:51 am Post subject:

Maxwell Smart wrote:

Thanks for all the responses. Cambridge has come up in my mind but not sure if I could tolerate all the tourists/students. Getting old...

Mrs Fiddlesticks - thanks for the suggestions I will investigate especially as we were thinking that the band from Oxford in an arc around to Cambridge might be quite nice.

I guess many day trips are due.

the neither the tourists or students are that bad. The start of the summer tends to be the worst with groups of teenagers here to learn english but it is generally tolerable.

It would definitely be a good idea to have a visit and get the feel for the place

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