If you had to live within +- 5miles of Oxford...

[Over The Hill]

Given the difficulty of doing anything by car there I would just reccie it by bike.
I guess much depends on price range for houses but I would aim to get as near to town as possible.

 

[dellzeqq]

Stanton St. John

 

[Fab Foodie]

Stanton St. John

Jill St. John.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Norman St. John-Stevens

hmm maybe not

 

[Fab Foodie]

St. and Greavsie

 

[Fab Foodie]

My brother lives in Kidlington.

Seems nice enough.

I'll take your word on that, I've not met him...

 

[SavageHoutkop]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

New, Revised, question - if you had to split a household between Oxford and Reading (i.e. one member needing to work in Oxford each morning, one in Reading), what would the best option be?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Move to Wallingford SHK!

Oxford is a pig to get into in the morning unless you're on a bicycle, don't know about Reading though.

 

[User269]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

New, Revised, question - if you had to split a household between Oxford and Reading (i.e. one member needing to work in Oxford each morning, one in Reading), what would the best option be?

IMHO, don't live half way between the 2 so you both suffer! I loved living in Oxford, and think it's much nicer than Reading. Live in Oxford, commute to Reading I say!

(I lived and worked in Oxford, and know Reading well. I've been in Dorset for 15 years now, but still have fond memories for Oxford. But not Reading.)

 

[Norm]

IMHO, don't live half way between the 2 so you both suffer!

Usually, I'd agree but in this case, Wallingford is the mid-point and is rather lovely.

If you are using the train, Abingdon / Radley have been suggested and are nice, as is Cholsey, which is the nearest station to Wallingford.

Don't live in Reading.

 

[very-near]

http://www.abingdon4x4festival.com/

Abingdon to Oxford is easy-pasy on 2 wheels and getting more popular There's a choice of several routes too; River, Radley + Kennington, Boars hill, Wooton Rd + Cumnor Hil. So variety is possible and choice of flat or hilly. 6 miles from centre to centre pretty much.

Abingdon's pretty OK place to live, good variety of housing/accom, nice river, good leisure centre, running track, Waitrose, Tesco and some local farm shops close by. Everything readily accesible by bike with plenty GOOD cycle farcilities. Good for families. Zillions of busses into Oxford too. Radley station good for trains and it's not far to Didcot station for lines to anywhere.

I was working in Thame when we moved here 8 years ago. Thame is very nice, but there is not so much housing available and what there is moved very quickly for silly money.
I'm glad we ended-up here, my teenage kids love the freedom of a quick bus ride into Oxford, we'd not have such ready access from Thame.


Let mke know if you want any more info.

Cheers
FF.

Abingdon airfield, a top place to take ones 4x4 to test out ones offroad driving skills. I've been there a few times now. All in the name of charity of course

 

[Cranky]

Cranky, we may already be neighbours! I hail from Witney and a lovely little town it is too. Now that the new shops and Cinema are open (M&S, Debenhams etc.) there is very little need to go to Oxford!!

The cycle route to Oxford isn't bad. I head off from Witney to north of Woodstock though so it is wild dark country lanes for me.

Hi there, neighbour!

I ride with CTC Witney most weekends.

 

[Yellow Fang]

Wallingford is quite nice. There's an NCN route that goes from Reading, through Wallingford to Oxford. You probably wouldn't want to cycle from Wallingford to Reading every morning because it's quite some way. Commuting into Reading from Oxford is not particularly easy, so I'm told. There are traffic bottle necks commuting over the bridges between Caversham and Reading. There are alternatives, but they all get pretty busy in the morning.

 

[Yellow Fang]

Wantage is another nice place if you like a bit of history and some challenging bike rides. Not a particularly easy place to commute from though.

 

[srw]

Abingdon to Oxford is easy-pasy on 2 wheels and getting more popular There's a choice of several routes too; River, Radley + Kennington, Boars hill, Wooton Rd + Cumnor Hil. So variety is possible and choice of flat or hilly.

You wouldn't go straight up the A34 then?! That always used to be my preferred route...

As for somewhere to live - what's the budget? In Oxford I'd go for North Oxford if I could afford it. Stanton St John, as Dell suggests, is lovely - and would be a good way of getting fit(ter). Boars Hill is rather nice, too.

Between Reading and Oxford I'd be inclined to decide which of you has the longer journey from the railway station to work and live closer to that end but still on the railway line.