Life in Britain’s ‘work-from-home hot spot’ – where residents have fled London for the coast

Welcome to Britain’s hottest work-from-home hotspot, where locals have ditched London in search of seaside cafes, super-fast internet and a perfect work-life balance.

Ogmore-by-Sea in Wales was this week voted the number one place to work from home after experts analysed data on homes, connectivity and access to the countryside. And residents of the village on Glamorgan’s Heritage Coast said they were not surprised. Many admitted they had returned to the area after long periods in London when working from home became the norm.

Meanwhile, cafes have capitalised on the influx of remote workers, which they say has been catalysed by the Covid pandemic. Lee Davis, 54, left to work in cities including London and Manchester – but returned to nearby Wick four years ago. Lee, who works in steel sales, said: “I often work from home so I can have interludes like taking my friend’s dog Fudge for a walk.

“You can completely switch off – it calms me down.” Looking back on his time in London, he said: “I can’t stand the place; the tube, the people, the stress. I wanted to go back to somewhere quiet. For me, that’s a much better work-life balance.” Ffion Hughes, 22, a waitress at her uncle’s coffee shop, The Welsh Coffee Company, said the place is full of people working and having meetings.

She said: “We usually have a lot of people working here, especially in the mornings.” She has noticed an increase in people moving to Ogmore-by-Sea since the pandemic. She said: “As soon as Covid hit, so many people came here, it was crazy.” Nico Gibbs, 21, a waiter at nearby Hilary and Iain’s Kitchen, was grateful for the steady flow of remote workers.

He said: “People stay here for hours and hours, which is nice. They can look at the beach and most of them order breakfast and then have a coffee. We’re happy to let them stay as long as they want.” On busy days, the sheer number of remote workers can paralyze the Wi-Fi.

Nico said: “We give out the WiFi password – but sometimes it gets too busy to give it out.” John Sinden, 73, worked in London before moving to the seaside village in 2018, where he now works from home as a biotech executive. He said: “People are friendly here and everything works, like public transport.”

He added: “It’s a lovely location, close to the sea and with coastal paths within walking distance.” Deb Clarke, 39, grew up in the area and returned to Ogmore-by-Sea four years ago. “I wouldn’t move anywhere else,” she reflected, adding: “It’s so close to the coast and close enough to Swansea and Cardiff.”

Deb often travels for her work as a performing artist, but is currently working from home to care for her eight-week-old Cavapoo named Melyn. John Davis, 71, who is retired, also grew up in the area before leaving and moving back five years ago. He said: “A lot of people came during Covid. People wanted to leave towns and cities.”

He said new housing developments had brought many younger people to the coastal village. Ogmore-by-Sea’s population had risen from 878 in 2011 to 1,354 in 2021, according to Census figures. It was ranked first in one study for its “real year-round community”, pretty pub, nearby boutiques and “excellent” shopping.

The average house price is £468,500, the report says, and there is ultra-fast internet available, as well as easy train access to London and a short drive to Cardiff.