People who moved to remote small towns from big cities, what was your reasoning?

13 comments

1. Age.

   When you are younger, you want to go out and you want to discover stuff, you want to meet people and so forth.

   When you are older, you are more settled, you also want more things that are related to being at home, such as gardening. You don’t feel the need to go out so much – maybe the family is your main focus- and you don’t maybe visit cities so much at all.

2. I moved from a city to the absolute arse end of nowhere.

   My reasoning is simple, it’s stunningly beautiful and there are very few people.

3. I was leaving the city more than I was going into the city.

4. I just realised how much I hated people as I grew older.

5. I moved from SE London to a tiny village in Portugal – about 50 km outside of Lisbon.

   I wanted space and I wanted a different lifestyle. I wanted to look out the window and see trees instead of the backs of other houses. I wanted to hear birds calling instead of sirens wailing. Cities are great and full of life, places to eat and things to do but there comes a point for some of us that you would rather do other things and the lure of the bright lights fades. I can still go and get a curry or sushi in town about 6km away but right now I can see two hawks circling above the cork oak woods and I am wondering if I should go and pick some lemons.. It is not prefect here at all and there are lots of different issues but I’ll never go back to London..

6. I’m not quite ready to do it but I plan to move somewhere remote, more remote than a small town even, most likely back in Wales in the near future.

   The rationale? I crave somewhere quiet and close to nature. I’m gradually losing interest in many of the things the city has to offer and despite being outgoing and sociable I don’t actually like people.

7. I fell in love with outdoor sports at a young and impressionable age and as a result I moved to Cumbria in my early 20’s. I grew up in the South East. Obviously I get a lot of stick for my accent and perceived poshness, but I love it here so much. Can’t imagine ever moving back. I can finish my work day and be at the top of a mountain in 3 hours. How cool is that?!

8. I wanted to live in the quiet, and travel to the noise, rather than living in the noise, and having to travel to the quiet.

9. I lived in Birmingham all my life until I was 30. Decided I wanted to move somewhere greener and closer to the Malvern Hills. I also felt slmoving somewhere with nicer, safer walks would benefit my mental health issues I’ve been dealing with.

   I now live in a small town not too far from Malvern. Remote working helped make the decision easier. I still.work for a firm in Birmingham, but only go in once a fortnight.

10. I’m hoping to move to a place soon where it’s just three houses on a hillside. The location doesn’t even a name because it’s not a hamlet or town, just houses with green fields in every direction. I don’t drive and it’s a fair old walk to the train station. There are no buses. No shops. No pubs. No local community.

    I don’t know if I’ll like it but everywhere I’ve ever lived has been next to a motorway or railway line or busy main road and the only peace is on the afternoon of Christmas Day. I think it’ll be nice to have that more than once a year.

11. I went from market town to city, to suburbs and I’m looking to move even more remote at some point. All in the space of 10 years. I just hate noise and prefer the peace and quiet the countryside brings.

12. It was getting too expensive to rent in Edinburgh, so I moved to the country. I feel you generally get more ‘bang for your buck’ in terms of housing.

13. I moved from coastal Wirral which was 30 mins by train into Liverpool to Worcestershire where I grew up to look after elderly parent. As soon as I m able I am going back to civilisation. Love the countryside but need a car to go anywhere including the pubs. (Unless hiking with the dog). Supermarket is 8 miles away, no takeaway delivery. Bonus is not many people but that is about it.