By now you’ll probably have a good idea of what you want to do. You may well know the sort of area you want to live in but haven’t made that final decision yet as to exactly where. It’s important to look at all the options open to you as it is going to be vital to your future happiness and the success of your business. This chapter will present some of the possibilities for your consideration. We strongly recommend that you visit the specific areas you shortlist to get a real feel for the locations.

Britain has an incredibly varied countryside, ranging from wild mountains to idyllic villages among green fields to long open sea coasts and wide marshlands. The weather too will make an impact on where you want to be. Cornwall, Wales and the west coast of Scotland have high rainfall but a milder climate than the drier and colder east. In general, though, the further north you go, the colder it will be.

Commuting territory

This need not be as restrictive as it sounds. When you think of commuting you may automatically think of London, but all over Britain people are travelling into cities to work. According to a study by the RAC in 2003, Britons spend more time commuting than any other nation in Europe. The average British worker spends 22-25 minutes travelling each way to and from work, twice that of the Italians. In fact, commuting time varies in Britain from 19 minutes each way for the average worker in Wales to 56 minutes for the Central London worker. If your future life involves one of you carrying on with their present job, at least for a while, then this is something you’ll have to consider.

Moving out of London to the countryside within commuting reach might be your favoured option. Check on the possibilities. We lived in Wiltshire for a number of years, when I worked first in London and then in Reading. Conveniently, many of the regular trains from Penzance to Paddington stopped at the small station in our nearby village of Pewsey. When we first moved there, it was not a well-known station and there were only about ten people waiting on the platform in the early morning. By the time we were thinking of moving on, the number had risen to over 50.

With the increasing popularity of the counties within reach of London however, house prices have risen steeply. Commuters are travelling longer and longer distances. One or two fellow travellers on that train were commuting daily from Devon. London is a special case, but it is worth considering breaking the link with the southeast of England and working in a different city. In the RAC study, the average commuting time for the north-east of England was shown to be a reasonable 21 minutes each way.

In Scotland, Edinburgh is expanding rapidly, pushing up house prices in all the surrounding villages. Commuters are now starting to look further afield, even as far as the Borders, although there is as yet no direct rail link. Newspaper articles laud Moffat, which is only a mile from the M74 and about 50 miles from Glasgow or Edinburgh, as a town with many attractions where commuters are buying homes. Dunfermline, the ancient capital of Scotland, is only four miles from the Forth Bridge and convenient for travelling to Edinburgh, Glasgow or Perth. Here and in many similar small towns, quality of life is a plus factor. Property is much cheaper and the family can benefit from a more peaceful existence and space to breathe.

If you don’t have to commute, you have a far wider choice. Your business may of course dictate the sort of area you’ll settle in. The following is not a comprehensive list, only a guide to your decision, but it may give you some new ideas, or simply confirm what you already know.

Coastal areas

Which do you prefer: wide, flat, sandy beaches or rocks and cliffs? Crowds or quiet? A few places you might consider are:

• the busy towns and villages of the south coast of England;
• the beautiful bays and cliffs of Cornwall and Devon;
• the wilder reaches of the Gower peninsula in Wales;
• the wide stretches of the north-east beaches of England;
• the picturesque coast of Fife;
• the glorious west of Scotland.

Life on the coasts of Britain is as varied as you make it. If you want to run a bed and breakfast, for example, you’re looking for somewhere visitors will want to come to. But it must be right for you too. Devon and Cornwall are popular, but perhaps there are enough B & Bs there already. If you want cliffs and rocky shores, think of the coast of west Wales, of Dorset, of the north-east of England or the east and far north of Scotland. Perhaps you’d be happier in a resort such as Scarborough, Torquay, Aberystwyth, Ayr or Lyme Regis. If you want a more remote option, how about living in a lighthouse or an old coastguard’s cottage?

The coast of the West Highlands is beautiful, with such places as Lochinver, Mallaig and Ullapool. Fishing villages have a great attraction and are sources of interest all year round. The coasts of Cornwall and the east of Scotland are full of them. Beachcombing, cliff path walking, swimming or just watching the changing face of the sea are enjoyable activities all year round (except the swimming perhaps!). Cold winds off the North Sea in winter and the damp sea haar creeping in over the land are features of some parts of the east coast. The west is wetter but the sea keeps frosts to a minimum and generally the weather is milder in winter.

Farm and arable land

During the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 it became clear how much of Britain is involved in farming. If you mean to buy and run a farm, your area will be determined by the sort of farm you are looking for – arable, dairy or sheep, for example. However, you might be considering market gardening, a plant nursery or self-sufficiency. Check the local markets where you will see farmers and market gardeners with their produce. Many counties are ideal for this:

• Devon
• Hereford
• Norfolk
• Perthshire
• Angus
• Dumfries and Galloway
• Wiltshire.

If you want to run a farm, you need to know a great deal before you start. Unless you have lived or worked on a farm already, I would say it’s potentially a rash choice. Theoretical knowledge is not enough for so practical a lifestyle, where a wrong decision can cause serious problems. If you are a small farmer, it is a precarious way to make a living unless you specialize.

Organic farming is increasingly popular these days. Take advice from those who are in the business already. Market gardening, too, can be an attractive option. The farmers’ markets in towns and villages throughout Britain are growing in popularity as people become more concerned with what they are eating. Complete self-sufficiency is rare, but there is no reason why you should not make a success of growing most of your own vegetables. You could even consider selling to local greengrocers or setting up a shop on your property to sell extra produce.

Small towns and cities

Do you know the sort of town you are aiming for? Check the high streets and the local businesses. Are the streets busy with tourists? Is there a market for your business? Is there a good range of shops? Some different categories to consider are:

• cathedral cities – Canterbury, Wells, York, Lincoln, etc.
• university towns – Cambridge, Durham, Exeter, Stirling, etc.
• market towns – Salisbury, Tavistock, Market Drayton, etc.
• historic towns – Chester, York, Rye, Bath, Edinburgh, etc.

Even with these four categories there is considerable overlap. There are so many more choices you can make.

Living in a small town or city can be a happy choice. You may have left the big city behind but you should still be able to have a high quality of life, with a good choice of schools, plenty of history, theatre and cinemas and a range of leisure activities. If you are used to city life, it isn’t such a shock to the system to still be surrounded by cafes, bars, shops and restaurants, albeit on a smaller scale than before. You will also have the opportunity of getting out of the city much more easily to take advantage of the surrounding countryside. There are often semi-rural housing developments in new villages on the outskirts of cities which will let you enjoy the countryside, yet have all the amenities of town living. Some towns are surrounded by new housing developments though. Do you want to be part of this or do you prefer the more traditional housing in the centre?

If you opt for a market town, you have the daily or weekly activity of the market stalls and the possibility of a bargain. Is the town on the tourist trail though? Is it packed with visitors in the summer, making it impossible to park anywhere? Will these same visitors be good for your business or have you moved to get away from crowds?

Villages

There are many different types of rural living. For any particular individual, some will be more attractive – and viable – than others. This can create the need for compromise decisions if you are considering relocation with a partner. Where would your personal choice focus? Would it be on:

• the lovely villages of the Cotswolds;
• picture postcard villages in Sussex;
• old fishing villages in Devon, Cornwall, Fife;
• stone-built villages in the Lake District and the North Yorkshire moors;
• downland villages in Wiltshire?

Village life is very different from living in the town or city. Some villages, notably those within commuting distance of cities such as Bristol or London, are full of ‘incomers’. Here it may be easy to settle in as most of the people living there have not been born and bred in the village. There are, however, still many small villages where families have lived for generations. Tractors drive through the streets leaving mud in their wake and cocks crow at inconvenient hours. Everybody knows everybody else. In many areas this is what a village is all about and it will be up to you to fit in and not rock the boat. After all, you chose to settle there.

Life in a small community can be tremendously rewarding and it is worth making the effort to be part of it. Village events, though probably less sophisticated than you may be used to, can be great fun. ‘Go with the flow’ as they say and enjoy them. Get involved!

If you have children, you need to know about the schools locally. Is there a village school or are the children bussed to the nearest town? What happens at secondary school level? What about activities for the children such as swimming pools, clubs and societies? Are there enough activities for you too? Will you miss your weekly visit to the gym or leisure centre?

Choose your village carefully. Some are relatively close to towns with all the amenities available while others are fairly remote with poor transport links. Shopping can be a problem. Is there a village store or newsagent? How far is it to a supermarket? Where is the nearest garage? What about a restaurant for that special evening out? Can you do without a delicatessen or wine bar? Is there a hotel or pub?

There are literally thousands of villages in Britain, most of which you have never seen. Visit as many as you can in the area you’re considering.

Mountains and moorland

Once again, there is a wide and varied range. These might include:

• the Highlands of Scotland
• the Welsh mountains
• the Pennines
• the Dales
• the North Yorkshire Moors
• the Lake District.

Some of these areas, such as the Highlands, are more remote than others. This is something you may want to consider.

If the mountains and moors are your choice, then you really are going for the remote life. Two of your biggest problems will be transport and weather. The roads, though usually quieter than in other areas, are often slower. Distance tends to be measured not in miles but in time. For instance, the journey to Inverness, our closest city, takes one hour in winter and one and a quarter hours minimum in summer. This has nothing to do with the weather but everything to do with the tourists! The coach loads of summer visitors that tour Loch Ness cause delays for the rest of the traffic.

Our nearest sizeable supermarket is 30 miles away, although there are several smaller shops within a few miles. The best way is to think laterally. Plan your journeys to any town to include everything you need to do and work your way through the list. Food shopping, hair, hospital or dental appointments, buying birthday presents or cards (keep a stock of these), picking up paint or wallpaper or any other DIY goods and a visit to the cinema can all be slotted in.

On the plus side you will have magnificent scenery and a peaceful environment. The air is clear and there is no traffic to speak of once you are off the main road. The walks are wonderful. You do need to adapt to it, however. We occasionally have visitors enthusiastic for the country life who, after a few days, realize that this is not for them. There is no street lighting here and it’s very dark at night. It’s essential to check out the area first. If you live in a city you may not realize the degree of remoteness in some of these regions. What seems fantastic in the summer may not be so fantastic when the snow comes or, worse I think, after several days of driving rain.

Islands

If island living is for you, consider not only the more obvious such as the

• Isle of Wight
• Isle of Man
• Channel Islands (need to be very well off to be considered by authorities) and
• Anglesey

but also

• Arran
• Skye
• Mull
• the Hebrides
• Orkney and Shetland.

There are islands and islands! The Isle of Wight is well known as a holiday and yachting destination, but what is it like to live there in the winter? The Isle of Man has its own parliament and the TT Races as an annual event. Anglesey is where the Romans finally defeated the Druids. Skye is that romantic island off the west coast of Scotland, and the scenery of Arran is a microcosm of the scenery of Scotland. This is not enough to make your choice. Visit the island in the winter months and check the percentage of facilities that are open. Visit the island in the summer too. Is it perhaps too busy with tourists for you? Or is this just what you want? What is the ferry crossing like in the worst of the weather? How much do they charge? In the case of Skye there is a bridge, but the toll is notoriously expensive and only marginally cheaper for residents.

How big is the island? Is there sufficient social life on the island to satisfy you all year round and year after year? Is there enough custom for your business? Will you be able to fit in with the people there? This is important when there is no alternative.

Obviously your choice might take in more than one of these categories. For example, you may choose to live in a small town by the sea or a village in the hills. Or you may opt for a fishing village on an island.

Transport

Transport links are going to be essential to you in the future. If you are going to provide a specialist service, run a B & B, guest house or hotel, farm, make pottery, paint or make baskets, then either people have to get to you or you have to transport your goods. Only perhaps in the case of selling over the web will it not be so important, though you may have to send out goods by some means.

Road, rail, air and sea travel are worth looking at before you start. Houses in country areas are often advertised as being within a few miles of a motorway, especially for those within reach of a major city. Roads in country areas are often not as good as those in towns, but on the plus side they are not so busy either. And you’re travelling through lovely countryside, well worth looking at.

When we were living in Wiltshire it often took me the same length of time to go to the supermarket in Devizes, 11 miles away, shop and return, as it had done in our previous existence in Richmond where I used to travel to Chiswick, only about three miles away, to shop. And it was so much more pleasant in the country!

How far would you need to travel to find the essentials of life? What about schools? Are there school buses? Where is the nearest dentist? Or doctor? Or hospital? If they were far away, would this be a concern?

Transport options

Rail links are very useful on occasion. Check for any local ticket schemes. There are concessionary tickets available if you live in the Highlands, for instance. This makes travel to Glasgow by rail (a three-and-a-half-hour journey by road) a relaxing alternative. If you intend to commute then rail travel may be essential to you. I’ve already mentioned the surprising fact that certain London to Penzance trains stop at Pewsey, our local Wiltshire station. Check the smaller stations on the major routes near where you want to live. It may not be every train that stops there, but as long as there is a conveniently timed one, this may be all you need. Parking is generally easier and cheaper. And a certain camaraderie often develops among the passengers at these stations. One of the Pewsey passengers frequently fell asleep well before the station, secure in the knowledge that someone would always wake him in time.

Is there a regional airport near where you want to live? Cheaper air fares mean that you can afford to fly to see friends and relations in other parts of the country and they can visit you. Tourists may choose to fly and hire a car to come to your area rather than drive long distances. Charter airlines are flying abroad from more and more regional airports every year. This can only be good news. Beware though, certain low-cost airlines are withdrawing their services on the less popular routes and you may find that your cheap flights to London or Edinburgh no longer exist.

Travel by sea may not be of interest unless you mean to live on an island. However, ferries to and from Europe increase the numbers of visitors to more remote parts of Britain. The relatively new Rosyth/Zeebrugge ferry, for example, brings European tourists directly to Scotland, making it a more attractive destination.

What next?

You’ve decided on the exact area or at least the part of Britain you’re interested in. You know whether you want to live within reach of a town or in really remote territory. You’ve made up your mind whether you want to live near people or entirely on your own. What sort of house will you need for your business though? What facilities are essential to you and what more would you like to have if possible? Bricks and mortar, cob, timber, stone – farm, townhouse, cottage, hotel, tearoom, shop, country house – what will it be?