My 10 favourite things about living in the countryside

In November 2020, I moved to a tiny countryside cottage with my fiancé and dog. It was a huge relief to get out into some green space after being cramped into an attic bedroom for the entirety of lockdowns 1 and 2. And, on some days, I still can’t quite believe we really live here.

Since the pandemic, I’ve noticed more and more people dreaming of moving out into the countryside and I can certainly understand those feelings. As someone who grew up in North Wales, I’ve always felt more at home in the mountains and by the sea than I did in the big city. This became especially important for me when PTSD after abuse left me living with agoraphobia.

Living in the countryside isn’t for everyone. It isn’t. As idyllic as it seems, there are pros and cons in all lifestyles and I have a few friends who I know wouldn’t enjoy my home or life. We rent our home and, although we love it, we can’t imagine living in such a tiny space (without central heating or phone signal!) for much longer than a couple of years. I should probably write a post about the more difficult realities of living out here at some point, but, for now, I wanted to just indulge for a moment and write a list of the best bits of living out here.

The countryside views

Our cottage is in the heart of Snowdonia national park. We can actually see Snowdon, the second highest peak in the UK, from our windows. That might not sound that special (especially if you consider that many people can see the peak from far and wide) but we’re less than a 1 minute walk from the base of the mountain.

Of course, not all people who live in the countryside have mountain views, but just being surrounded by nature and greenery is so beautiful. Ultimately, I’d love to live closer to the sea again, as water gives me a lot of peace. But for now, I’m content with the little rivers and streams that run through our valley!

The birds in our garden

I love wildlife and nature in general. But the birds in our garden have brought me so much joy that I thought it these guys deserved their own little mention. In our woodland garden, we’ve seen woodpeckers, jays, blackbirds, wrens, greenfinches, robins, a tree creeper, long tailed tits, blue tits, nuthatches, great tits, coal tits and we’ve even heard an owl (although we’re yet to spot it).

We recently painted some nesting boxes, which you can see on my business twitter @hellopumpkinuk. And there are already blue tits building a nest in there! Ah, so glorious. Waking up to the dawn chorus each day is spectacular!

Birds needs water, food and shelter. And it’s actually very cheap to feed the birds, it costs us around £1.50 per week (not including the bird feeders themselves). You can learn more in my post called the best bird feeders for your outdoor space.

Spotting other wildlife

Like many people living in the countryside, we’re frequently visited by wildlife and we often have an array of creatures pottering about in our own garden. I’ve mentioned above that the birds have brought me a lot of joy, but it’s also been exciting and interesting to watch the other animals that have popped round.

From fairly large animals like sheep and goats, to smaller friends like squirrels and even teeny tiny mice, there’s been no shortage of wildlife to observe here. We actually had a goat living in our woodstore for a couple of the colder days this year, no doubt sheltering from the snow. It was lovely, I’ve never lived in a place like this before!

Having a countryside garden

I’ve always been a huge fan of plants and a big believer in the health benefits they have to offer. Just knowing that the air I breathe is clearer because of them is motivation enough to keep them around. The beauty of a countryside garden is that there is already plenty of life and growth around us. We hope to get some more potted plants established this spring (we’re keeping the plants in pots so we can take them with us when we buy our own place) – so I hope I’ll be able to share some progress with you down the line.

Being surrounded by so much nature and these gorgeous mountains really makes us want to spend even more time out in the fresh air.

The night sky

Cities and towns create an enormous amount of light pollution that stop you from being able to see the sky as clearly at night as you can in the countryside. I absolutely love seeing the stars above the mountains and now we can most nights!

Peace and quiet of the countryside

Our closest neighbours live over 100 metres away from our house (and their houses are obscured by the hills and mountains), which gives the illusion that we live in complete isolation. It’s so peaceful and quiet out here in the countryside that we can often go a whole day without seeing another soul.

Not the easiest way of life for an extrovert perhaps, but absolutely wonderful for people who, like me, are very sensitive to noise. I prefer things to be nice and quiet, I find it easier to work and relax without the hum of a city in the backdrop.

Cosying up in front of the fire

I may have mentioned this before, but we have no central heating here! Our home is heated entirely by fire. We have 2 log burners, 1 Wamsler in the kitchen that doubles as a water heater (and we could cook on if we wanted to). And a log burner in the living room that helps to heat the house.

While running 2 regular fires is hard work (and lugging coal about is no joke), it does always feel worth it when it comes to snuggling up in front of the fire in the evening. Watching a fire crackle away is a very mindful and rewarding activity.

Inspiration for art

As you know, I love to paint. And what better inspiration is there than nature? Breathing in the fresh air, smelling the plants, hearing the birds. My mind is always swimming with ideas for wonderful paintings and sculptures and, if it wasn’t for my mental health problems, I would probably paint more than ever before.

Those of you who are experiencing writers’ block or an artistic blank, I would absolutely recommend you try getting out into nature and observing it as much as possible. Absolutely amazing.

If you’re just getting started with painting, getting an easel is the easiest way you can set up a small and portable space to get creative. Choosing an easel is one of the biggest art decisions you’ll make, so I’ve written a post to help you choose the best easel for you!

The weather

Seasonal changes are never more obvious than they are out here in the countryside. Right now, in springtime, we’re watching the trees bud and the lambs start to gamble. Soon it will be the height of spring and the plants will be in flower and the birds will have little chicks to raise.

We’ve had sunny days, hot enough for my partner to get sunburn, wind, rain, sleet, hail and blizzards of snow. Of course, not all weather is made equal and I wasn’t ecstatic about the time that our road flooded and cut us off from the world, but mostly it has been interesting and beautiful.

The sense of adventure

Living in the countryside has allowed my imagination to wander more freely than in our little attic. As I mentioned above, inspiration is easier to come by, but it’s more than that. The outdoors gives me a great sense of adventure and purpose.

There are an untold number of paths to wander, hills to hike, mountains to climb and rivers to meander along here. I grew up reading books written by Beatrix Potter and Colin Dann and later Tolkien. So, of course, the countryside has become the backdrop to all great adventures in my mind and I do feel as though life is as exciting as it is peaceful out here.

If you enjoyed this post and are dreaming about country living yourself, try turning your own house into the cottagecore home of your dreams OR making the most of your outdoor space with the perfect bird feeder for any garden!

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