“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,” said poet and critic Samuel Johnson in 1777, but he didn’t have to contend with today’s super competitive housing market, rammed public transport and a population north of nine million. For those who do, and who might be contemplating a new life outside the capital, where are the prime alternatives that come close to the compelling variety of capital living while also offering a golden lifestyle alongside interesting financial value? Here are ten locations to kickstart your search.
House prices all taken from Rightmove and correct as of 1st May 2024. Train times are the fastest according to thetrainline.com. Average times are slower.
Bath, Somerset
Honey-stoned Bath has proved a favourite London escape route for some time, thanks to its enticing mix of cosmopolitan verve and rural peace. Yes, it’s grand – the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site headlined by the ever-impressive Royal Crescent, perhaps Europe’s most famous sweep of Georgian architecture - but it’s also local and community focused. Start the weekend with a boot camp fitness class in Victoria Park, shop at the UK’s oldest farmers market and take in lunch at any number of independent restaurants and cafes. The city unites over its fervent following of Bath Rugby Club, and there’s culture from the Theatre Royal to art galleries with a packed calendar of annual events.
Average property price: £598,249
Trains to London: Bath Spa to London Paddington in 1 hour 16 minutes.
Exmouth, Devon
For a breezy outdoor life of water sports, clifftop walks on the Jurassic Coast, a jumble of cycling trails and nearby golf courses, Exmouth is a winner. It sits where the Exe estuary meets the sea and boasts a marina and two miles of sandy beach, one of the longest in the Southwest. Property prices are significantly lower than its nearby waterfront rivals of Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton and this value is one reason for Exmouth’s increasingly youthful vibe, a step change from its more traditional retirement home reputation. The shops, theatres and business life of Devon’s capital, Exeter, are 30 minutes away, accessible via a direct train service, and one of the southwest’s best regarded grammar schools, Colyton, is 40 minutes by car.
Average property price: £377,271
Trains to London: Exmouth to London Paddington in 2 hours 44 minutes
Winchester, Hampshire
Catch the 06.47 train from Winchester station and one hour later you arrive on London’s South Bank, an easy commute that’s one reason for both the popularity of this Hampshire cathedral city and its relative high property prices. Excellent schools, low crime, and a long-held reputation as one of the happiest places in the UK (helped no doubt by its buzzy food scene) make Winchester a firm family favourite. It has great architectural beauty and history, good sports facilities and a theatre – while for rural pleasures, the South Downs National Park are immediately on hand with the New Forest and sailing at Chichester both easy day trips.
Average property price: £654,528
Trains to London: Winchester to Waterloo in 56 minutes
Bridport, Dorset
The wide streets and charming lanes of the West Dorset market town of Bridport are in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that comes with true farming heritage, something reflected in the twice weekly market and monthly farmers market. The harbour at West Bay is a thirty minute walk away, sandy East Beach is within seven miles and the dramatic cliffs of the Jurassic Coast are on hand. Quirky, bohemian and arty? Certainly; there’s Bridport Electric Palace, an Art Deco cinema first opened in 1926, Bridport Arts Centre housed in a 19th-century former chapel and annual literary and film festivals.
Average property price: £390,238
Trains to London: Dorchester (14 miles away) to Waterloo in 2 hours and 33 minutes
Edinburgh
If the measure of a good city includes architectural splendour and the ease of reaching rural beauty, then Edinburgh is a high flyer. The compact Scottish capital is cultured and elegant, one of Europe’s largest financial sectors and second only to London as the UK city with the most FTSE 100 companies. Yet within 15 minutes you have the seaside and rural greenery and within one hour, you find the gateway to the Highlands. Superb schools, good rail and air connections and 11 annual festivals, not to mention the legendary Hogmanay celebrations means you’ll never be bored. Stockbridge, Morningside, Bruntsfield and the glorious Georgian New Town are among popular residential locations.
Average property price: £337,511
Trains to London: Edinburgh Waverley to King’s Cross in 4 hours 11 minutes
Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Surrounded by a necklace of handsome villages in bucolic Cotswolds countryside, the Roman town of Cirencester offers a fabulous food scene, good schooling and a genuine community vibe. Stow-on-the-Wold might be closer to the prime members’ clubs of Soho Farmhouse and Daylesford, but Cirencester’s average property price is substantially lower. Cirencester is 12 minutes from both Kemble station and Elkstone Studios – a set of refurbished farm buildings providing those 21st-century essentials of co-working space, wellness studios and a padel court.
Average property price: £387,383
Trains to London: Kemble to Paddington in 1 hour and 8 minutes
Stamford, Lincolnshire
“The finest stone town in England,” said historian Sir Walter Scott. “England’s best town,” agreed poet John Betjeman. Limestone-covered Stamford was the UK’s first urban conservation area (created in 1967) and has over 600 listed buildings. Beauty aside, there’s much else to enjoy: a vibrant high street packed with independent shops, weekly markets and a monthly farmers market, the Stamford Arts Centre and good schools. This is an historic part of England with several stately homes to tour including Burghley House and Belvoir Castle, or if activity is more your thing, head to Rutland Water, six miles away, the largest man-made lake in England, for walks, cycle trails, fishing, nature reserves and on-water action.
Average property price: £387,768
Trains to London: Stamford to London King’s Cross changing at Peterborough in 1 hour 10 minutes
Kendal, Cumbria
Ahh the gateway to the Lake District, a watery walking-hiking wonderland on your doorstep. ‘Auld Grey’ as the riverside market town of Kendal is known, is perfectly placed for not one but two National Parks: the Lake District to the northwest and the Yorkshire Dales to the southeast. Don’t forget to pack your waterproofs along with your walking boots though because Cumbria is one of the wettest parts of the UK. For robust outdoor types, that seems a minor inconvenience because despite the annual rainfall, Kendal also scores highly for residents’ happiness quotas. One cause of that happiness is the town’s ongoing and well-funded regeneration that aims to invigorate the centre, already home to many independent shops and a thriving farmers market.
Average property price: £272,653
Trains to London: Kendal to London Euston in 2 hours and 58 minutes
Norwich, Norfolk
Welcome to England’s only city set directly in a National Park: Norfolk’s attractive county town of Norwich in the Norfolk Broads. To those unfamiliar with the charming streets and its two cathedrals, theatres and art venues, Norwich is perhaps best known for celebrity chef Delia Smith and her passionate love (and part ownership) of the local football team. Daily life might seem overwhelmingly sedate, but Norwich is also future-proofing itself admirably, developing a digital tech corridor with Cambridge that aims to attract highly skilled workers. Rural beauty, a vibrant job market and good value properties for London relocators: Norfolk shoots and scores.
Average property price: £286,321
Trains to London: Norwich to London Liverpool Street in 1 hour and 33 minutes
Chichester, West Sussex
For an enchanting Swallows and Amazons lifestyle, head to the sheltered waters of Chichester Harbour, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for 60 years, where you’ll find a choice of 14 sailing clubs. Close enough to London for a regular burst of capital life (80 miles away) yet far enough to leave the crowds behind, chi-chi-Chichester is a piece of perfection for anyone who likes messing about on the water. For landlubbers, Chichester has good arts venues including theatre and cinema, and puts you next door to the South Downs, five miles from pretty Bosham, three miles from Goodwood and eight miles from Blue Flag West Wittering beach.
Average property price: £451,569
Trains to London: Chichester to London Victoria in 1 hour and 34 minutes
