We went to N Devon for a week at half-term (the end of May). Stayed just a few miles from Ilfracombe at Combe Martin (for the record Ilfracombe was probably the best town we visited and I wish we had stayed there, and so did the kids!). Though I was disappointed generally, to be honest. Too much traffic on crappy (often hilly) roads (slow going), shorter on quaintness than I'd imagined, short on history/museums, short on a big city. I think I prefer certain parts of Cornwall or West Wales to N Devon, but for sure I came away knowing that I didn't want to live there.
Ultimately, we decided to go for a place in Oxfordshire quite close to vibrant Oxford (history/museums) and not too far from the Cotswolds (peace/beauty). Plus from nearby Didcot you can be in the heart of London in about 45 minutes. Plus there's easy access to other parts of the country (M40 north-south; M4 east-west). It ticked many boxes, except that the house needs a fair bit of work doing to it. Came downstairs for my dinner after 9pm tonight after decorating etc. all day.
It's going to be a while until I can settle and enjoy the place.

You missed your chance to own and live on your very own volcano.

For Sale: Your Very Own (Extinct) Volcano
The regrettably named Posbury Clump could be yours for just $60,000 and change.



BY SABRINA IMBLER
AUGUST 01, 2019

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/f ... ct-volcano

Pretty cheap too

jamest wrote:We went to N Devon for a week at half-term (the end of May). Stayed just a few miles from Ilfracombe at Combe Martin (for the record Ilfracombe was probably the best town we visited and I wish we had stayed there, and so did the kids!). Though I was disappointed generally, to be honest. Too much traffic on crappy (often hilly) roads (slow going), shorter on quaintness than I'd imagined, short on history/museums, short on a big city. I think I prefer certain parts of Cornwall or West Wales to N Devon, but for sure I came away knowing that I didn't want to live there.
Ultimately, we decided to go for a place in Oxfordshire quite close to vibrant Oxford (history/museums) and not too far from the Cotswolds (peace/beauty). Plus from nearby Didcot you can be in the heart of London in about 45 minutes. Plus there's easy access to other parts of the country (M40 north-south; M4 east-west). It ticked many boxes, except that the house needs a fair bit of work doing to it. Came downstairs for my dinner after 9pm tonight after decorating etc. all day.
It's going to be a while until I can settle and enjoy the place.

you needed to get further south to dartmoor - wonderful area...i wouldn't necessarily use 'quaint' to describe north devon anyway...plenty of history around but you're right about the museums, though ilfracombe's museum is a fabulously quirky place

we lived in didcot, many a moon ago...and woodcote on the way to reading before that - lovely area...and, yes, good for accessing lots of different places...

UncertainSloth wrote:

jamest wrote:We went to N Devon for a week at half-term (the end of May). Stayed just a few miles from Ilfracombe at Combe Martin (for the record Ilfracombe was probably the best town we visited and I wish we had stayed there, and so did the kids!). Though I was disappointed generally, to be honest. Too much traffic on crappy (often hilly) roads (slow going), shorter on quaintness than I'd imagined, short on history/museums, short on a big city. I think I prefer certain parts of Cornwall or West Wales to N Devon, but for sure I came away knowing that I didn't want to live there.
Ultimately, we decided to go for a place in Oxfordshire quite close to vibrant Oxford (history/museums) and not too far from the Cotswolds (peace/beauty). Plus from nearby Didcot you can be in the heart of London in about 45 minutes. Plus there's easy access to other parts of the country (M40 north-south; M4 east-west). It ticked many boxes, except that the house needs a fair bit of work doing to it. Came downstairs for my dinner after 9pm tonight after decorating etc. all day.
It's going to be a while until I can settle and enjoy the place.

you needed to get further south to dartmoor - wonderful area...i wouldn't necessarily use 'quaint' to describe north devon anyway...plenty of history around but you're right about the museums, though ilfracombe's museum is a fabulously quirky place

we lived in didcot, many a moon ago...and woodcote on the way to reading before that - lovely area...and, yes, good for accessing lots of different places...

Wouldn't want to have lived in Didcot with that ugly power station there, though my missus told me they're knocking it down soon (?). As for Dartmoor, I prefer the kind of inner countryside you get around the northern lake district. I/we especially love the Keswick area. Northwest Scotland also is very beautiful, but the weather up there is atrocious!
I'm looking forward to exploring the Chilterns and [especially] the Cotswolds at some point, which are quite close. Having NT and HHA memberships is hopefully going to enhance that experience. But, without a doubt, I'm very excited about learning about Oxford and having easy access into London.
And if you see some middle-aged geezer in the Oxford/Cambridge boat-race next year...

Macdoc wrote:You missed your chance to own and live on your very own volcano.

For Sale: Your Very Own (Extinct) Volcano
The regrettably named Posbury Clump could be yours for just $60,000 and change.



BY SABRINA IMBLER
AUGUST 01, 2019

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/f ... ct-volcano

Pretty cheap too

Perhaps a stupid question, but how can you know for sure that a volcano has become 'extinct'?

No, 'e's resting. Maybe you stunned 'im.

jamest wrote:
Perhaps a stupid question, but how can you know for sure that a volcano has become 'extinct'?

Seismology, heat flow measurements, gravity anomalies, the usual science-y stuff. It doesn't mean that there will never, ever be another volcano in the area, only that it's going to be awhile, if ever.

Posbury Clump? Sounds like a track-and-field technique by someone who never quite made it to Olympic calibre.

You know it's really old because, as you age, everything gets flabbier, hairier, and closer to the ground.

jamest wrote:

Macdoc wrote:You missed your chance to own and live on your very own volcano.

For Sale: Your Very Own (Extinct) Volcano
The regrettably named Posbury Clump could be yours for just $60,000 and change.



BY SABRINA IMBLER
AUGUST 01, 2019

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/f ... ct-volcano

Pretty cheap too

Perhaps a stupid question, but how can you know for sure that a volcano has become 'extinct'?

I’m assuming it’s not a volcano but a volcanic hill, similar to the chain of hills Mont Royal is part of. People call Mont Royal an extinct volcano when it’s more of a remnant of a volcano that moved on. More on that here.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monteregian_Hills

Cito di Pense wrote:
You know it's really old because, as you age, everything gets flabbier, hairier, and closer to the ground.

Ain't it the truth? It's like metamorphosis in reverse. There I was, flitting about Woodstock painted like a glorious butterfly, now I'm a caterpillar stumping my way into Walmart for my monthly prescriptions. Such is life.

jamest wrote:
Wouldn't want to have lived in Didcot with that ugly power station there, though my missus told me they're knocking it down soon (?). As for Dartmoor, I prefer the kind of inner countryside you get around the northern lake district. I/we especially love the Keswick area. Northwest Scotland also is very beautiful, but the weather up there is atrocious!
I'm looking forward to exploring the Chilterns and [especially] the Cotswolds at some point, which are quite close. Having NT and HHA memberships is hopefully going to enhance that experience. But, without a doubt, I'm very excited about learning about Oxford and having easy access into London.
And if you see some middle-aged geezer in the Oxford/Cambridge boat-race next year...

couldn't see the power station - it's nearly 4 miles from the centre of didcot - had no impact on us at all, tbh

i know what you mean about the lakes, love it up there but for me, i need the desolation and freedom of moorland...

cotswolds & chilterns are beautiful, though - will have to think of the places we used to visit

How about services?

Not quite the south west … but it is good for badgers … Herefordshire.

Surprisingly housing can be quite cheap there.

Who wants to live there?

The Welsh?

Do they count these days boyo?

we looked at housing in herefordshire when we moved out of didcot - i interviewed up and down that side of the country...some beautiful areas and town...and you're surrounded by the brecons, malverns and the shropshire hills...i'd much rather be round there than anywhere near a city....

Scot Dutchy wrote:How about services?

i don't go to church....

Scot Dutchy wrote:Do they count these days boyo?

Yes, they are worth 10 on a bullseye.

UncertainSloth wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:How about services?

i don't go to church....

I could never live in the country and be dependent on a car. It has been marvellous that I only have to travel five minutes to hospital. It saved my life when I had a stroke. I dont see any benefits and isolationism and that is the last thing I need.
I cant walk more than half an hour and we have plenty woods with lakes within 10 minutes where I can do that. I go to the sauna in 15 minutes by tram/train door to door.

What benefits do you think living in the country has?