Moving to somewhere near A34, where would you suggest!

Have you thought of the Abingdon area? Plenty of local facilities and housing is a bit cheaper than other parts of Oxfordshire.

I would suggest that your family all move so that you don't need to use the dreaded A34 ! It's a dreadful road - I live on its junction with the M4 and not a day goes by and it isn't closed at some point between Oxford and Winchester .

But being serious and back to your question - Hungerford is good and close to to Marlborough which is lovely .

Newbury might also be an option ? There are some nice properties within walking distance of the town centre .

When I read the thread title I did a double take . The A 34 goes from Manchester to the south coast . You would have had lot of choice of places .

Agree Hungerford area is good, easy access to many other places too. Would it be possible to rent somewhere there, or anywhere that interests you, for a few months before you decide? It’s such a personal thing. Hope you find your ideal place.

Maybe think about living very close to one and journey to the other? I've been doing a halfway house thing for 10 years and have now decided it's just too much back and forth. I haven't really settled into my own area.
Hampshire and Buckinghamshire are both lovely places!

I live just outside Abingdon and my advice to anyone thinking of living anywhere near the A34 or planning to live anywhere where they will need to use it a lot is: don't.

The A34 is a nightmare of the road, especially, if like us, you live off the stretch or have to regularly use the stretch between the M4 and M40 (which you would, Sabresprint). The A34 is dual carriageway and the main route for lorries between Portsmouth and Southampton and the Midlands. It is heavily overloaded and not a day goes past without accidents and holdups. The reason it has never been turned into a motorway is because there are no alternative routes between the M4 junction and Abingdon, other than small, windy and much longer country roads.

Yes, Abingdon, is cheaper than Oxford, but anywhere short of Central London is cheaper than Oxford-within-the-Ring-road. Newbury. too. is expensive. 3 bed semis in Whitchurch, or indeed the whole of Oxfordshire/ Berkshire area cost £300,000 and over. Hampshire is as expensive in many areas.

Whitchurch is being overtaken by new building but it is a very pretty small town within a very attractive area of countryside. It is equidistant between Newbury and Winchester (both via the A34) and Basingstoke is accessible only by windy country roads, so shopping outside the limits of the town is not easy.

Hungerford is, again, a very attractive town, but rather touristy and the High Street seems mainly to be given over to Antique and lifestyle shops. However, the nearest town with good shopping, Newbury, is easily accessible via the A4. And the shopping in Newbury is good, It is my preferred shopping town, although I live closer to Oxford.

Both are accessible by train. Whitchurch has trains to Basingstoke and Waterloo, Hungerford trains go to Newbury-Reading-Paddington and the West country.

Looking at the map, if you want to be equidistant between your children, Whitchurch and Hungerford are probably as good as anywhere.

You obviously have happy relations with your children, why not a park yourself on each for a week and try the journey and explore the towns you are interested in, see what is going on in these towns that interest you. Check houses out on RightMove. I travel regularly from Abingdon to Portsmouth and to York so regularly travel the route you would use and know the area quite well, so PM me if you want further information.

Nelliemoser
Me too - there is about 200 miles of A34 to choose from!

I grew up in a road just off the A34 in the Midlands but that could be a tad too far from where you need to be Sabresprint

You might also like to consider Didcot. On the Oxfordshire/Berkshire border, it's not quite as expensive as some other places along the route. It is also easily accessible to/from London. Worth a look, at least, imo. Good luck!

The OP did say her children lived in Silverstone and the New Forest, and she wanted to be equidistant from both so I would have thought it was obvious she meant the A34 between those two places. No point in living off the A34 in its midland stretch if you need to be equidistant from those two destinations.

I would second Blinkos suggestion, I live more or less equidistant between Wantage Didcot and Abingdon.

That is an idea. Consider Wantage. You are less than 10 miles from the A34. Wantage itself is a busy country town with all amenities, even a choice of supermarkets in the town centre.

Well, it is obvious if you read the full OP but not if you read the heading, so it was just a joke M0nica!

I don't know much about the southern section of the A34 but I do know someone who travelled down it to work every day and is thankful that she no longer has to do so.

Moving to somewhere near A34, where would you suggest!

There is such choice!

The A34 is hell on wheels.The same amount of traffic as a motorway but not a motorway, so many accidents every day!
If you have to use it though, pick quiet ( quieter!) times to travel.
I like Winchester(Hampshire) and around that area, there is
Also Thatcham in Berkshire, Abingdon area in Oxfordshire and around Newbury.
Might it be better to be near ( as in very near) one DC and and go visit the other rather than a half way house?

For many years I drove from Cheshire to visit my sons, one family on either side of Reading. Now I travel by train and rejoice at not having to face the madness of the A34 ever again (unless someone else is driving). I agree with the suggestion of the Abingdon/Didcot/Wantage area. There are some lovely villages and excellent pubs.

Hi thanks everybody for your helpful thoughts and suggestions. We know the A34 well and realise how busy and chaotic it can be but thought as we are now retired we can at least choose when to use it. In fact will be using it later this week! Coming down to explore the area tomorrow, staying with family in Silverstone, on way to New forest.
Looked at Hungerford and thought it was a possibility, or maybe a village outside, Chilton Folant or Kintbury? On a side line has anyone got any idea how noisy the trains are as they go through Hungerford as I saw a possible house near centre on Rightmove and was concerned about the nearby line being above you. We currently live near a local line and have lived near Gatwick so used to some noise:-not expecting silence.
Wantage an idea, had looked at it in a map but never visited, we will see if we can explore that area too.
Sorry muddled reply to all of you but so thankful for your help. Keep smiling and Happy Christmas

Good luck and Merry Christmas to you!

I don't know that bit of the A34 well, but I know there are some nice villages around Newbury.

Hi Sabresprint. I did a double-take when I saw your post. We also live in the NW and are thinking of relocating to be nearer to DS and family in Southampton! Just come from looking at Rightmove and yours was the first thread I saw! I've been looking in Wiltshire or Somerset. Not ready to move yet as have elderly relatives. Good luck, keep us posted!