Where to move to?

I live in Slough and wouldn't describe much of it as 'gorgeous'! I'm retiring soon and once decluttered (could take years) will downsize to a cheaper part of the country. Slough is ridiculously expensive and could get more so when crossrail is finished so hopefully a good time to move away.
Being near Heathrow has the odd advantage, especially with a daughter who lives in Glasgow and sometimes flies down on business trips as well as just to visit her old mum! But I can't think of many other advantages.
Of course there are some gorgeous places only a few miles out, particularly in parts of Buckinghamshire, but you'll need a big bank balance!

East Lothian, beautiful coastline and countryside, also near edinburgh?

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I can recommend the Isle of Wight - beautiful countryside, lots of beaches, pretty villages and friendly people. But if you plan to travel on the mainland frequently the added expense of the ferry crossings may be a stumbling block.

Look at the Chew Valley/Blagdon area. Loads of lovely countryside and not far from Bristol airport.

Outskirts of Brighton down on the South Coast, East Sussex would offer you plenty of choice.
Fifty miles to London and the airport (Gatwick) nearby, mainline trains from Brighton itself, which is actually right on the coast.
Countryside just outside Brighton is lovely, as are the little villages around there. Lots of larger type properties in the surrounding area, but Brighton itself, although brilliant for shopping, is as busy as hell.
Other option would be the West Country, and maybe near enough to a local small airport for convenient short flights. The cost of living is cheaper, the range of properties is greater, and the countryside is blissful.

The Northeast has beautiful beaches and countryside all within easy reach of Newcastle airport property is much cheaper and the people are friendly

I live in N Wales and had to travel abroad for my job ( running art holidays) Manchester and Liverpool airports are near and very good, can't always get times of flights I need but rail and coach links are good so no problem, you get lots for your money here and beautiful countryside, mountains and sea, we get lots of visitors in more normal times

If you live in a large house, when you sell would your finances allow you to buy a smaller home and a holiday home? You could have the best of both worlds, a cottage in the country and a caravan by the coast. North Somerset is a lovely location. If you rented out the caravan when you weren't using it yourselves this would give you the income to holiday in other locations

Our first home was in Slough and gave birth to two of my children in Wexham Park but decided by nursery age that schooling here was not what we wanted for them! Hasn't improved over the years, got worse in fact. Now I live close to Hamble on the south coast and it's glorious. That would be my advice

I used to travel backwards and forwards to Bristol by plane (Covid has stopped that for now) and I was chatting once, while waiting in the airport to fly home, with a man from Cornwall who described the awful journey he and his wife had to make to get to Bristol airport, apparently their nearest international airport. So maybe the South West is out too...

How about Northumberland ? Near Newcastle airport and house prices are cheaper . The coast is lovely too !

Lincolnshire is a lovely county and if you pick somewhere close to the Notts/Leicestershire border, not too far from East Midlands airport.

Yorkshire. Lovely scenery and good airports.

I live in Windsor, which is a lovely town to live in, lively enough and two train stations, there are some larger properties with land outside the town. Berkshire and Buckinghamshire have some lovely towns/villages Maidenhead, Reading, Bracknell, Sonning, Marlow, lots of houses with land and near the river and pretty close to Heathrow airport and a couple of hours from the coast. What is your budget as property not the cheapest in these areas but some stunning properties on Prime Location. Transport links and good wifi/phone reception are important factors. Good luck with your house hunting.

Everybody is slagging off Slough but there us also a Slough in the Cotswolds, so perhaps Mirandal meant that one.

Windsor Castle has a Slough postcode!

North Oxfordshire/Warwickshire borders. Estate agents call it the North Cotswolds when they push their luck. it's just as pretty but less extortionate and fewer 'dead' villages full of second homes. And Birmingham Airport not far away up the M40.

crazygranny

Oxford is beautiful and has good connections for travel to London and airports.

Oxford to London is not a quick or easy journey!
Not a lot of paddocks there either.

Slough, lovely!!! My sister and I used to pronounce it sluff, you know the rotting flesh you scrape off wounds.

I have lived in Mid Wales for over 50 years, only ever been one
doctors surgery

Harrogate has most things (no beach though). A short drive (or bus) to Leeds/Bradford airport. There's a village just outside Harrogate, Pannal, it's pretty has a Post office (think it still has) a village shop and a railway station. You might find your house around there?

I live in Mid Wales and have done so for nearly 22 years in that time I have seen many changes and not all for the better, we are now down to 2 doctors surgeries once there were 6 , 1 NHS dentist not taking new patients. Mobile signal very poor, limited broadband suppliers (no fibre so very slow speeds) and satellite TV the same. No bus service and limited taxi. Before you move have a serious think for the future and what services you could do with out. Plus consider if you need the services of a builder etc as they are usually very difficult to find and any reliable ones will have a waiting list. Be prepared to get very frustrated. The only thing I will say is our hospital service is very good and the doctors in the remaining surgeries are excellent when you can get an appointment.

You can't really go dashing off all over the country can you? you need to refine your search and then go and look very carefully at your chosen area and it's facilities. You are going to need a lot of money to get what you want in parts of Sussex and Surrey and do you really want all that space. At present you might as well stick a pin in a map, although we did have friends who did just that and stayed for 50 years. Good luck make sure it isn't just a grass is greener thing after recent events.

The Fylde coast is an hour away from Manchester airport, has good wifi connections, good house prices and wonderful beach and parks.