'Best' areas to keep horses in the UK?

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Araboo27

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Hypothetically ;) if you could move anywhere in the UK where would it be? I was hoping to emigrate to NZ or Oz next year but d*ckhead ex isn't playing ball and I don't know if I can face the battle to get consent to take my children. Anyway...I'm now considering moving elsewhere in the UK but haven't the foggiest where to start looking!

I'll probably be buying, but may rent, and having my own land is a huge must, minimum of 10 acres ideally a bit more. House is relatively unimportant as I'm happy to do work over time.

Where is cheap? Lol...I'd also prefer to be in or near an area with lots of horsey things going on.
 
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Gloucestershire/Worcestershire. Very central for getting to lots of competition venues, of which there are plenty. Gloucestershire for hunting.

Housing nor land cheap though.
 
cheapest and good area is North Lincolnshire plenty to do and beautiful, cheaper still is the lncolnshire fens but not for the feinthearted and miles from a lot of venues but still a fair bit to do if you are into dressage and competing affiliated. You need transport though as beach rides and great hacks are always a good few miles away
 
Cheshire is a very good horse area with lots of choice of things to do and places with good facilities but expensive to live in. However there are surrounding areas where your money goes further but you can still enjoy Cheshire clubs, events, centres etc.
 
I currently live in Lincolnshire but I love it because it's flat and lots of fields but I'd love to live in Cheshire such stunning countryside but when I took my horse it's all really road work so not to many places for a canter etc.
 
I'm about to move to West Sussex, which is very horsey. Sis and I are going to view livery yards today. Land/property not cheap though, but cheaper than where I'm moving from in Surrey, so it feels like we're getting a lot for our money (although I'm sure those further north wouldn't think so).
 
Shropshire is the least populated county (I am told) and property isn't hugely expensive here. It is next door to Cheshire lol. And plenty going on, from Weston Park trials, to Scope in Stafford, local riding clubs etc. Doesn't much depend on your work?
 
I would move to Shropshire in a flash! I regularly box my horse up for the weekend to ride over there!

I moved from Surrey to Warwickshire where quite frankly the riding is shocking! I wouldn't recommend moving there ever!
 
Another vote for lincolnshire bought a four bedroom farmhouse and 8 acres 6 stables for 125K about 18 months ago its a long term projedt but it is being lived in .It had been empty for two year while probate was sorted and you had to fight your way through the ivy to get in.I did question my sanity at the time.
There are some real bargains to be had. Several large venues within 1/2 hr
 
Shropshire/Powys are cheap and still have a fair few properties with land for sale. I grew up in North Wales, near the border, which is very beautiful and plenty of space, but not as cheap.
I find Northumberland is very good from a welfare point of view. Lots of space, grazing not too rich, and climate not too wet. But nobody comes up here (probably why I like it). Not as cheap as the Shropshire borders area either.

We may move back to N Wales eventually. However I could never, ever live somewhere flat. I need to see hills out of the window! (And its good for fittening.)
 
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South West Wales, fantastic riding with mountains, beaches and woodland depending on where you are. Relatively cheap compared to other parts of the country.
 
Love Shropshire/Wales border area might look into that myself as I can't go to Australia.

I can advise Cornwall is expensive, and if you want equine activities, buy/sell etc, again very expensive and lacking in many things.

Sadly hubby won't move anywhere, even to his place of birth an work just five miles away:mad:


Sorry, utterly pointless post:o
 
I live on the borders of Worcestershire, Glos and Herefordshire. Glos is quite expensive, Worcestershire is a bit better but Herefordshire is much cheaper generally and if you are fairly near the M50 you can get to lots of really good competition venues quite easily. Also if you are near the forest of dean, the riding is fab and the area is very cheap.
 
Surrey is amazing but extremely expensive! Following this thread because I too need to move. I have nothing tying me down and at the age of 30 really shouldn't still be at home but surrey prices are so ridiculous that evenwithout a horse I couldn't afford to move out.
 
I've lived in Bedfordshire and Warwickshire which are both good for facilities and shows, being very central but we are moving to Lincolnshire this year which i haven't a clue about for horsey facilities but property price wise definitely wins over Bedfordshire and Warwickshire! !
 
Depends how good you are and if you need to regularly be at the big south england venues.

Here in Ayrshire we have several large venues very close by.

We have miles of unspolit unpopulated beaches to gallop along, thousands of acres of parks and forestry to hack on. Land is cheap. Lots of hills so the water can run off.

I couldnt wish for anything else! The only down side is if we qualify for nationals, it means a trip down south.
 
merlin12 said:
Are the wild boar in the forest a problem?
Click to expand...

Only if they uproot your field. Not normally a problem hacking

Another vote for Shropshire. I lived in Gloucestershire for most of my life to date, and while it is enormously convenient for aff competitions in all 3 disciplines at all levels, it is getting increasingly expensive, and having moved up to Shropshire, I find Glos very busy and crowded in comparison.

Lots of space in Shropshire, some good competition venues, some good packs and the further west you go, the more you get for your money......
 
I asked a similar question on here (best place in UK for eventing) and was told Gloucestershire.
I'm currently in the West Central Belt of Scotland and not feeling the love at the moment..fields flooded all the time, knee deep mud, bored with our hacking, have to box up and drive for ~45 mins to reach any competition venues.
 
I live in Wiltshire and it is very horsey, we moved here from surrey - sold a cottage and bought a house with 6 acres! I do miss the hacking as we were on sand before and so year round good under foot. Here is sandy but stony so wet and trippy. No where to canter out at the moment. I also miss tack shops - it is 1 hr to the nearest here - apart from Mole valley but don't count that as a tack shop! I used to have 4 very good ones within 20 mins before.
 
We are right on the border of Cheshire, Shropshire AND Wales and it is brilliant! Although we are in Cheshire, we have a Shropshire postcode, which knocked a big chunk off the price of our house. It is shocking the difference a postcode will make to a price, even when the houses are only half a mile apart. It is very horsey, I love the fact that there are not that many people about and that I can see the Welsh hills from my house. Since we moved here in August people have been so friendly and welcoming to us and we have all settled in very quickly. We have off-roach hacking on our doorstep, are a 10 minute drive from a big event venue and can box to some beautiful places to ride, like Delamere forest. I love it here and I am never leaving!

PS We were living in Bath before we moved and we did try to look around the city to keep the kids in their schools. But it was eye wateringly expensive and properties with land were in VERY short supply, regardless of budget. We found not only was Cheshire/Shropshire more affordable but because so many people up here are living the same lifestyle, the kind of properties we wanted were coming on the market.
 
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Lincolnshire & cambridgeshire are pretty cheap for property with land

Personally the lack of hills in lincolnshire would put me off though haha
 
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