Best English village for 2 Americans for 1 Year
Jun 13th, 2010, 05:23 AM
#1
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Best English village for 2 Americans for 1 Year
My husband and I will be retiring in a few years. We have always wanted to experience living in Europe, and I really love England. Can any Brits out there suggest a nice small village where we could rent a flat for about a year?? I would like to be near a rail line with access to London. Thanks bunches!
Jun 13th, 2010, 10:28 AM
#3
There are hundreds of possibilities -- more, actually. You have given us absolutely <i>nothing</i> to work w/.
Budget? Proximity to something in particular? What parts of England have you visited/enjoyed? Will you have a car or do you need to be on a rail line? Do you really mean a 'village' or do you want more of a town w/ shopping/medical/transport options?
I assume you are either permitted entry for some reason or have already started looking into visa/insurance/banking requirements.
Budget? Proximity to something in particular? What parts of England have you visited/enjoyed? Will you have a car or do you need to be on a rail line? Do you really mean a 'village' or do you want more of a town w/ shopping/medical/transport options?
I assume you are either permitted entry for some reason or have already started looking into visa/insurance/banking requirements.
Jun 13th, 2010, 10:52 AM
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Agree that you need to be much more specific if people are to help you.
What parts of England did you especially like?
How close do you want to be to a large town or city?
Do you want the responsibility of a house or do you really want an apartment (which would let out many villages)?
What about driving - would you lease a car or ?
My understanding is that getting this type of residential visa takes about a year - assuming that you qualify (income level, health insurance, no dependents etc).
I would assume that you would want to make several trips to England to check out possible locations before committing yourself to a specific area - as well as to understand local housing standards and costs.
What parts of England did you especially like?
How close do you want to be to a large town or city?
Do you want the responsibility of a house or do you really want an apartment (which would let out many villages)?
What about driving - would you lease a car or ?
My understanding is that getting this type of residential visa takes about a year - assuming that you qualify (income level, health insurance, no dependents etc).
I would assume that you would want to make several trips to England to check out possible locations before committing yourself to a specific area - as well as to understand local housing standards and costs.
Jun 13th, 2010, 11:55 AM
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Just to reinforce what others have said. There is no longer such a thing as retirement visa for non-EU citizens and there isn't a specific visa category where you would fit in. Visa for 'retired person of independent means' was abolished in November 2008. UK will only allow those who will make a substantial investment into the country and create local jobs, which means people with sizeable disposable income. You are unlikely to get permission to live in UK for a year or longer just renting and managing on your pension - only those who have legal right to residence (right of abode) or EEA/Swiss citizen can do that.
You may already have an EU passport, in which case no visa is needed - we need more details.
You may already have an EU passport, in which case no visa is needed - we need more details.
Jun 13th, 2010, 04:57 PM
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Excuse me if you've already researched this and know what you're doing, but you can't just pop on over to England and live for a year without the proper visa or authority to be there.
Agree with other posters that there are probably a thousand or more places that would be agreeable and you haven't given any useful input on your criteria. That you "love England" doesn't help much at all. Answer janisj's questions and we'll have a start.
travelme - see if you can actually post some useful information on Fodors instead of assuming the role of hall monitor.
Agree with other posters that there are probably a thousand or more places that would be agreeable and you haven't given any useful input on your criteria. That you "love England" doesn't help much at all. Answer janisj's questions and we'll have a start.
travelme - see if you can actually post some useful information on Fodors instead of assuming the role of hall monitor.
Jun 13th, 2010, 05:05 PM
#8
StCirq-I fully agree, altho I might have been more descriptive than "hall monitor". "Post police", for example. "Board b***h", for another.
People like TRAVELME annoy me, with their "no one must feel disciplined when we discipline them" philosophy. Maybe if we had more (felt) discipline in this world, we'd have fewer Jeffrey Daumers and Joran van der Sloots. There must be SOME reason to account for (what I perceive to be roughly) a 10 fold increase in the number of "wierd" crimes per capita over the last 50 years.
People like TRAVELME annoy me, with their "no one must feel disciplined when we discipline them" philosophy. Maybe if we had more (felt) discipline in this world, we'd have fewer Jeffrey Daumers and Joran van der Sloots. There must be SOME reason to account for (what I perceive to be roughly) a 10 fold increase in the number of "wierd" crimes per capita over the last 50 years.
Jun 13th, 2010, 06:10 PM
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Um, Jeffrey Daumer and de Sloots are psychopaths - born with something missing - and no amount of discipline - or parental love and attention - would have made them any different.
However, I do agree that we are going overboard in terms of how gushingly pleasant some of us feel we all have to be to each other.
There is a very large range of attitudes - from mindnumbingly smiley, smiley faux friendly to knife in the heart sarcasm. IMHO there is nothing wrong or abusive in pointing out to a poster in a straightforward way some key facts that they have not provided or information that they may be missing. (Of course it's possible to say things in a more friendly way - you can find 15 more and more gushingly friendly ways to say things until you make people want to vomit. IMHO useful information is much more valuable than a lot of smiling nothings.)
Caveat: I must admit that my grandmother warned me against people that smile and are happy all the time - she said they are either the village idiot or someone trying to scam you. I must admit my experience has shown this is often the case.
Frankly, my time is limited and my point of view is to say what I mean. I don;t want to abuse anyone (and don't accuse people of being idiots, ill-educated no nothings or a lot of other things I could say if I wanted to be abusive) but I won't apologize for being straightforward.
However, I do agree that we are going overboard in terms of how gushingly pleasant some of us feel we all have to be to each other.
There is a very large range of attitudes - from mindnumbingly smiley, smiley faux friendly to knife in the heart sarcasm. IMHO there is nothing wrong or abusive in pointing out to a poster in a straightforward way some key facts that they have not provided or information that they may be missing. (Of course it's possible to say things in a more friendly way - you can find 15 more and more gushingly friendly ways to say things until you make people want to vomit. IMHO useful information is much more valuable than a lot of smiling nothings.)
Caveat: I must admit that my grandmother warned me against people that smile and are happy all the time - she said they are either the village idiot or someone trying to scam you. I must admit my experience has shown this is often the case.
Frankly, my time is limited and my point of view is to say what I mean. I don;t want to abuse anyone (and don't accuse people of being idiots, ill-educated no nothings or a lot of other things I could say if I wanted to be abusive) but I won't apologize for being straightforward.
Jun 14th, 2010, 01:11 AM
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Poor OP, you didn't get quite what you were hoping for, did you. All the questions are fair enough to ask though, we can't help without a bit more info.
Assuming you've sorted out some sort of visa, we can start helping more if you can tell us:
How far from London are you willing to be? Up to an hour's train journey?
What exactly do you mean by small village? Small villages generally don't have rail stations - is this ok or do you need to be close to one (not intending to drive?)Small villages generally don't have much of anything, other than houses and a pub (or two) and maybe a small shop. Bus transport will probably be sporadic. My sister lived in a small village: houses, 2 pubs, newsagents shop, one bus out in the morning, one bus back in the evening. Cricket ground. that was it. Is this what you are looking for, or do you want a large village with more amenities, or a small town?
Properties: you don't get a lot of flats in rural areas - but you do get some. It's easier to find a house.
Assuming you've sorted out some sort of visa, we can start helping more if you can tell us:
How far from London are you willing to be? Up to an hour's train journey?
What exactly do you mean by small village? Small villages generally don't have rail stations - is this ok or do you need to be close to one (not intending to drive?)Small villages generally don't have much of anything, other than houses and a pub (or two) and maybe a small shop. Bus transport will probably be sporadic. My sister lived in a small village: houses, 2 pubs, newsagents shop, one bus out in the morning, one bus back in the evening. Cricket ground. that was it. Is this what you are looking for, or do you want a large village with more amenities, or a small town?
Properties: you don't get a lot of flats in rural areas - but you do get some. It's easier to find a house.
Jun 14th, 2010, 03:53 AM
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As you're thinking a few years out, I believe there will be some sort of visa that will apply to your situation. Check now with the UK consulate closest to where you live to get some idea.
There are some nice villages in Hampshire along the main lines into London. Check around Fleet (not Fleet itself IMO) but you'll get some idea. Rents will be high because it's well within commuting distance to London (about 50 minutes).
I lived in Hartley Wintney for 4+ years and loved it, but it wasn't a Miss Marple type village as the A30 was the high street (traffic slowed considerably by roundabouts and lights). It used to be a major antiques center and several shops still remain. We'd take the train into London from Fleet or Winchfield.
Basingstoke and Reading are nearby market towns and there's a huge shopping complex with M&S, Tesco, etc. in Blackwater, about 15 minutes from the village. I would want a village like H.W. that had all the basic services as I could walk to the shops, post office, doctors, pubs, etc.
Given you have some time before you retire, I'd do some advance planning and then take a trip within the next year or so to decide on an area. The further out from London, the lower the rents. There's usually a fair amount of furnished lets available. I'm partial to Hampshire from having lived there and for the proximity to the south coast, which was a bonus. South of London, Sussex, Kent would also be good.
I'm very excited for you.
There are some nice villages in Hampshire along the main lines into London. Check around Fleet (not Fleet itself IMO) but you'll get some idea. Rents will be high because it's well within commuting distance to London (about 50 minutes).
I lived in Hartley Wintney for 4+ years and loved it, but it wasn't a Miss Marple type village as the A30 was the high street (traffic slowed considerably by roundabouts and lights). It used to be a major antiques center and several shops still remain. We'd take the train into London from Fleet or Winchfield.
Basingstoke and Reading are nearby market towns and there's a huge shopping complex with M&S, Tesco, etc. in Blackwater, about 15 minutes from the village. I would want a village like H.W. that had all the basic services as I could walk to the shops, post office, doctors, pubs, etc.
Given you have some time before you retire, I'd do some advance planning and then take a trip within the next year or so to decide on an area. The further out from London, the lower the rents. There's usually a fair amount of furnished lets available. I'm partial to Hampshire from having lived there and for the proximity to the south coast, which was a bonus. South of London, Sussex, Kent would also be good.
I'm very excited for you.
Jun 14th, 2010, 05:11 AM
#14
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Thanks Cathinjoetown and bilboburglar for the information, instead of the ranting and general disdain that some posters feel are obligatory!
My husband and I are fairly educated, extensivley travelled and not all that stupid human beings. We realize that there will be residency requirements, etc. We would like to pay around 500-750 pounds a month (will only need something very small). We would like to be able to buy groceries nearby, and we would probably like to be within a couple of hours of London.
My husband and I are fairly educated, extensivley travelled and not all that stupid human beings. We realize that there will be residency requirements, etc. We would like to pay around 500-750 pounds a month (will only need something very small). We would like to be able to buy groceries nearby, and we would probably like to be within a couple of hours of London.
Jun 14th, 2010, 05:23 AM
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You can get a studio or one-bedroom for that budget, particularly if you are willing to be two hours out of London, and why not if you're just going in once a week or so?
Bibo's New Forest suggestion is good or even just beyond to Bournemouth or villages outside Bournemouth, as of course it's a large-ish town.
Bibo's New Forest suggestion is good or even just beyond to Bournemouth or villages outside Bournemouth, as of course it's a large-ish town.
Jun 14th, 2010, 08:33 AM
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If I had the money to spend a year in a foreign country I think i'd get a campervan. That way I could see a lot of the country but have a 'home'.
You might also look at travelodge - if you book 3 weeks in advance you pay £19 a night. That is the top end of your budget but you wouldn't need to pay council tax, TV licence, heating and electricity bills.
At least one british couple have moved in
You might also look at travelodge - if you book 3 weeks in advance you pay £19 a night. That is the top end of your budget but you wouldn't need to pay council tax, TV licence, heating and electricity bills.
At least one british couple have moved in
Jun 14th, 2010, 09:04 AM
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You want http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passen...South_East.pdf
If you want a proper, stone-built, microtown where the railway station is within walking distance of your house, and has an hourly or so direct train to London, your budget might be a bit small. Flats in such places are very rare: but decent, unpokey, 1 - 2 bedroom houses that aren't chavish renting for less than £1000 a month are - just - findable (believe me: I've done just this and recently researched doing it elsewhere).
Going from the Portsmouth line clockwise:
- Rowlands Castle (though the village is pretty, most properties feel suburban)
- Portchester (horrid shopping centre: glorious Early Modern houses adjacent to Roman/Norman port area)
- Botley (though we failed to find anywhere walkable from station, severe space shortage at car park and crap bus service passing station)
- Anywhere between Christchurch and Ashurst on Bournemouth line
- Not sure about Gillingham and Yeovil (after Salisbury on Waterloo-Exeter line)
- The next quartile north is impossibly pricey and/or suburban till you get to the line NW out of Oxford. Then you get to:
- Charlbury, Kingham (tough to walk to station) Moreton in Marsh. The very finest places on earth to live. Simply no contest
- Islip and Heyford. Currently infrequent service via Oxford: upgraded from about 2011 to VERY frequent (2-3 an hour), VERY fast 65 mins) via Bicester. Current railway claims are there'll be no changing required. Potentially almost in the Charlbury/Moreton league when trains improve
- You now hit another slug of suburbia till
- Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth. Extraordinary early 20th century garden cities. The snobbier Britons on this site will laugh: but I've spent a very great deal longer in them than the mockers have.
- From here clockwise back to Rowlands Castle:not really my manor: but all strike me as ghastlily suburban. Open to persuasion otherwise, though.
If you want a proper, stone-built, microtown where the railway station is within walking distance of your house, and has an hourly or so direct train to London, your budget might be a bit small. Flats in such places are very rare: but decent, unpokey, 1 - 2 bedroom houses that aren't chavish renting for less than £1000 a month are - just - findable (believe me: I've done just this and recently researched doing it elsewhere).
Going from the Portsmouth line clockwise:
- Rowlands Castle (though the village is pretty, most properties feel suburban)
- Portchester (horrid shopping centre: glorious Early Modern houses adjacent to Roman/Norman port area)
- Botley (though we failed to find anywhere walkable from station, severe space shortage at car park and crap bus service passing station)
- Anywhere between Christchurch and Ashurst on Bournemouth line
- Not sure about Gillingham and Yeovil (after Salisbury on Waterloo-Exeter line)
- The next quartile north is impossibly pricey and/or suburban till you get to the line NW out of Oxford. Then you get to:
- Charlbury, Kingham (tough to walk to station) Moreton in Marsh. The very finest places on earth to live. Simply no contest
- Islip and Heyford. Currently infrequent service via Oxford: upgraded from about 2011 to VERY frequent (2-3 an hour), VERY fast 65 mins) via Bicester. Current railway claims are there'll be no changing required. Potentially almost in the Charlbury/Moreton league when trains improve
- You now hit another slug of suburbia till
- Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth. Extraordinary early 20th century garden cities. The snobbier Britons on this site will laugh: but I've spent a very great deal longer in them than the mockers have.
- From here clockwise back to Rowlands Castle:not really my manor: but all strike me as ghastlily suburban. Open to persuasion otherwise, though.
Jun 14th, 2010, 11:38 AM
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On visa issues it might be a good idea to check the official site: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visitingtheuk/ and/or contact the authorities for advice before making serious plans.
While things *may* change by the time you plan to visit, at present there seems to be no way to get a visa for longer than six months as a general visitor.
While things *may* change by the time you plan to visit, at present there seems to be no way to get a visa for longer than six months as a general visitor.
