Published: 10 July 2026
The image of England is defined as much by rolling green hills and sweeping meadow views as it is by the likes of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. Whilst always romanticised, the English countryside has become an even more popular draw to take up residence in, thanks to the rise of social media, which has unearthed so many hidden gems to live in. Whilst areas near London have long been popular due to their commuter potential into the city, the best countryside in England for living and working will differ depending on priorities.
Further flung regions to the south or north of the country provide a sense of isolation and rural culture, which may hold greater appeal for some than being connected to the London bubble or any other major cities. The following regions are among the best to choose from when it comes to embracing England's rural landscapes.
The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds, designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, stretches across five counties and is firmly in contention for England’s most celebrated landscape. Its rolling limestone hills and distinctive honey-colored stone architecture have been endlessly romanticised in film, literature, and art and photography for centuries. Prominent towns such as Cirencester and Chipping Campden are some of the more populous centres famed for their historic houses and market squares, whilst smaller villages like Castle Combe and Bourton-on-the-Water remain attractive thanks to their well-preserved stone cottages and riverside vistas.
The region offers an exceptional quality of living, with well-regarded schools such as The Cotswold School and Chipping Campden School, which are major draws for families, alongside fine-dining options such as The Wild Rabbit in Kingham, Daylesford Organic Farm and the Michelin-starred dining at Bybrook, in Castle Combe. Local favourites like The Old Butchers in Stow-on-the-Wold and The Farmer’s Dog in Asthall provide a mix of modern seafood and traditional country pub atmosphere, ensuring that the area remains a prime draw for those looking to cover all bases, living in one of the best countryside areas in England.
Surrey Hills
Another of the England's most romanticised landscapes, the Surrey Hills, designated National Landscape, offers all the charm and comforts of living in the best countryside in England, which is within an hour’s travel of London. Notable places to live include Shere, a quintessential stone village immortalised on screen in the Christmas classic, The Holiday, and Abinger Hammer, known for its tranquil riverside setting and green. Other desirable locations include Chiddingfold and the family-friendly Shamley Green. Natural landmarks such as Box Hill, with its iconic views of Denby’s Wine Estate, and Leith Hill Tower, with its coastal views that mark the highest point in the South of England. Newlands Corner and the Silent Pool are also popular sites for walking and taking in more of the stunning local scenery.
Thanks to its proximity to London, the region supports a high standard of varied entertainment, with a welcome spread between big-city entertainment within easy reach without compromising on the quiet isolation of the countryside setting. There is a fine smattering of gastropubs and farm-to-fork dining throughout the region, with establishments like The White Horse in Hascombe, the scenic Watermill in Dorking, and The Abinger Hatch offering exceptional, seasonal dining. The area has a fine sense of community across the many villages and smaller towns, and rather than functioning as an extended suburb of London, it exists proudly as an entirely separate community with a proud heritage that stretches back for centuries.
Hampshire
From the chalk slopes of the South Downs National Park to the lush river valleys of the Test and Itchen, Hampshire offers some of the best countryside in England to call home for those who love variety. It is coveted as a postcode for its many historic towns and cities, such as the likes of Stockbridge, Alresford with its heritage steam railway, the Watercress Line, Wickham, with one of the largest medieval market squares in England, and the riverside village of Beaulieu within the New Forest. Natural landmarks like Old Winchester Hill provide panoramic views across the Meon Valley, and the South Downs Way offers miles of trails for walking and riding through ancient woodland and bridleways.
Families are often drawn to Hampshire for its exemplary education options. The historic Winchester College and St Swithun’s, alongside high-performing state options like Peter Symonds College, offer some of the finest education in the south of England. For those that enjoy a sharper taste of nature’s harvest, local vineyards like Hambledon and Raimes produce award-winning English sparkling wines, whilst the world-renowned Bombay Sapphire gin distillery is also found within the confines of the county. With an excellent rail and motorway network offering convenient access to the likes of London, Reading, Oxford and Basingstoke, it’s an incredibly well-connected area that loses none of its countryside lustre.
Devon
Defined by a landscape that shifts from the granite tors of Dartmoor National Park to the fertile river valleys and rolling hills of the South Hams, the Devonshire countryside is every bit as celebrated as its coastline. Moor enclosed towns like Chagford and Totness offer Tudor heritage and Medieval market squares surrounded by the hauntingly beautiful hills of one of the country’s most dramatic national parks. Closer to the coast, Salcombe and Dartmouth offer a seaside haven at the end of sweeping valleys, hiding these coastal enclaves from the rest of the world, while the village of Lustleigh is frequently cited as one of the most picturesque spots in the county due to its thatched cottages and ancient woodlands.
The scenery is particularly stunning thanks to sweeping landscapes like the Moors, the dramatic cascades at Becky Falls, and the lush green labyrinths of the Teign Valley. Larger interior settlements like Exeter offer great access to higher amenities and transport links to the rest of the country, whilst crossing the county border to Bath and Bristol is easily done within an hour of most locals in the heart of England’s wild garden-like countryside. It’s easily one of the best countryside areas in England for those looking to live a bit further off the grid.
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a vast and rugged landscape of far darker tones and shades than the more fertile lands to the south of the country. Its kaleidoscopic landscape spans the dramatic purple heather moorland of the North York Moors and the limestone peaks and green valleys of the Yorkshire Dales, set against the dark brown shades of the top of the Moors that stretch for miles around. It is a wild, still untamed landscape that can be unrelenting during the winter thanks to cold and snowfall, but tantalisingly beautiful all the same. With proximity to the coastline, the undulating hills and valleys give way to the delights of charming coastal towns such as Whitby and Robin Hood’s bay, which make favourite retreats for those craving a strong connection to the countryside without being firmly embedded in it.
Other notable places to live include Helmsley’s market town and medieval castle, and Richmond, which is famed for its steep cobbled streets and panoramic views over the River Swale. The spa town of Harrogate offers a polished connection point to the wider world with its historic pump rooms and boutique tearooms and stores, whilst York remains the jewel in the crown of northern England with its limestone cut city centre. Villages like Grassington and Middleham provide a quintessentially rustic feel with their stone cottages and proximity to racing stables, and across this part of the county, there are local landmarks aplenty. The iconic ruins of Fountains and Whitby Abbey, the soaring white cliffs of Sutton Bank, and the unique geological formation of Malham Cove are all frequented day trips for locals who have fallen under the irresistible charms of North Yorkshire.
