MOVING TO PASTURES NEW?

With estate agents reporting a rise in buyers looking to swap urban sprawl for rural idyll, Sally Coulthard has the inside track for those hoping to follow the herd

Dreaming of a rural idyll? Get the inside track on life in the country

As my husband hurtled along windy country lanes in the dark, I was on the back seat, kneeling on all fours and panting loudly. “Don’t worry, love,” he shouted, glancing over his shoulder. “Only half an hour to go.” “You’ve got about ten minutes,” I snapped back, trying to steady myself with my hand and wondering why on earth I ever thought it was a good idea to live so far from a maternity hospital…

Country living is heaven. All the clichés are true. Bountiful fresh air. Unfettered access to nature. A slower, gentler pace. But taking a more balanced view of what rural life really means – like far-flung hospitals, for example – will not only help you survive the change but actively thrive, too. I made the switch from town mouse to country mouse two decades ago after London wore me out, settling in the Vale of Pickering in North Yorkshire. The blissful isolation and lack of crowds have always been features of the countryside and now, with our faith in congested city living challenged by recent events, more and more people are considering a similar escape. Estate agents reported a surge of 120 per cent more people thinking about moving out of urban areas last summer compared with the year before, while almost a third of buyers in a survey by Rightmove said that the pandemic had made them want to live in a rural location. Some people found they could work just as effectively from home; others just wanted to up sticks and start a whole new chapter.

For some, the transition will be seamless; others will undoubtedly struggle. Rural living is different from city life and for just under half, the bucolic dream soon turns sour. About 40 per cent of people who move to rural communities move back* to towns and cities, disappointed at the countryside’s inability to live up to expectations. Many of the ‘problems’ are about perception: one person’s peace and quiet is another’s deafening silence. That said, there are some core truths and joys about country living that most people only discover once they’ve made the move. I just wish it hadn’t taken me 20 years, and nearly having a baby at the side of the road, to work them out. Here are my tips…

1 TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

Unless you’re moving to an area you know inside out, spend at least six months renting a property to really understand a place before committing. A few miles either side of a postcode can affect broadband speeds, planning decisions, school catchment areas, which GP you’ll get, access to public transport and much more. Being a chain-free buyer will also give you the edge when you do find your dream home.

2 BE OPEN TO OLD IDEAS

If you’re used to liberal, urban-centred political discourse, rural views can be a surprise. Issues such as farming, Brexit, immigration, housing and hunting are some of the big items on the rural agenda and you may find yourself a lone voice in the crowd. Find some common ground. I’ve bonded with unlikely friends over issues such as sustainability, organic growing and protecting our rural heritage.

3 BE LOYAL TO YOUR LOCAL

Investigate local amenities when you’re house hunting. You could research a place online or, even better, ask locals when you visit (you will then see how friendly they might be). I’ve lost count of the times people talk about how sad it is that their village lost its pub but, more often than not, they didn’t frequent it. Churches, shops, hairdressers, post offices, cafés, bakeries, village schools and nurseries – they all need footfall. Out-of-town retail parks, online shopping, out-of-catchment schools, supermarkets – disconnected services lead to a disconnected community.

4 MAKE CONNECTIONS

Knowing who to ask if a sheep is in lamb or your septic tank blocks up on Christmas Day will be invaluable. Friendships in the countryside often come not from shared interests or cultural backgrounds, but from necessity. In my twenties, my friendships were socially narrow; in my forties, they’re as wonderfully varied as a harvest spread – and all the richer for it.

5 GET THE GARB

After years of rallying against looking like a catalogue for ‘countrywear’, I’ve realised why it pays to invest in a decent pair of wellies, warm socks and a wax jacket. For all their hunting-shooting-fishing connotations, country clothes are eminently suited to the task of keeping you warm and dry. Turns out my grandmother was right: there is no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong clothes.

6 BRACE YOURSELF

There’s an interesting dynamic when it comes to rural living and animals. Livestock, vermin, wild creatures – there can be a disconcerting lack of sentiment in the countryside’s relationship with all things great and small. You’ll also have to get used to seeing plenty of roadkill, butchers’ game, pheasant shoots and livestock in lorry transporters. It’s a practical, no-nonsense approach but can take some getting used to for animal lovers.

7 GET DECENT WHEELS

For all the eco-appeal of country living, car travel is a stark reality. Rural buses are the proverbial hen’s teeth and, in most places, cycling on country lanes is only for the fearless. Having a reliable car, which can cope with all-season travel, is essential. When we first moved here,

I was caught out by snowdrifts and stranded at home with a baby and preschooler for a fortnight. Never again. I bought an old Land Rover and never looked back.

8 DON’T KICK UP A STINK

The countryside smells. Or, at least it can do. And it can be noisy. Many people imagine the countryside as an idyllic, preserved-inaspic haven. The reality is that it’s a working environment with all the attendant issues. Farms can be as noisy as industrial units – the machinery, livestock, muck-spreading, grain processing and bonfires are all part of the deal. Our local farmer seems to like spreading his slurry just when I’ve lit the barbecue…

9 BE WARY OF BUYING LAND

Owning land means managing it. Walkbehind mowers are fine for anything under half an acre, but between half an acre and around five acres, you’re looking at ride-on mowers. More than five acres, you’ll need a tractor. If you plan to graze animals rather

than mow, land also still needs harrowing, selective weeding and rolling. You can easily grow your own veg, plant a few fruit trees and keep a few chickens on a quarter of an acre.

10 GO WITH THE FLOW

It’s perhaps a truism that wherever we go, we can’t escape from ourselves. The countryside won’t bring inner peace, just outer peace. I spent the first six months after I moved to the country loving everything about rural life, the next six months pining for my old life, and now find myself tutting about tourists and incomers, while hugging myself at my good fortune. Country living is marvellous. Just don’t tell anyone else.