Cyclocross Bike Under £1.5k?

Another thing to consider, if you've not done so already, is to get in contact with a CX club near you. They often have good bikes going for decent prices, especially at this time of year, and there's the chance to pick up some tips and contacts. Good luck with the search, wish I was in your position!

Cannondale CAADX looks good for a grand.

Another vote for the Planet X XLS

I've got a Genesis Croix de Fer Ltd (same as the CdF 20) which is the Reynolds 725 Steel version. I've quite heavy, but I just love it and tend to use it all year round unless I'm really going for speed. Bolt on a rack and it'll handle a bit of  touring; switch the tyres to 28mm and it'll shoot along; fancy nipping off-piste down a bridleway? no problem, just point and shoot. It's Shimano rather than Campag mind you, but it does have TRP HyRd discs which are quite impressive. Best of all, there's still quite a few places selling last year's model at very good prices - e.g. Winstanleys at £699

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/74680/Genesis_Croix_de_Fer_20_...

Kinesis Pro 6 disk frame & fork approx' £650 or a Shimano 105 build for around £850 which sounds like an absolute steal to me.

Planet X XLS with Apex and BB7s is currently £ 900, and Riva 11/BB7 @ £1,000  - fairly sure the PXLIQUID25 voucher doesn't work (haven't tried though) but  you can get both on the never-never with them at 0%.

Planet X XLS. Rival 1 version (£1399) if you are going to use it for cross racing mostly, Rival HRD 11 (£1299) if you are going to use it more as an all rounder with the occasional cross race thrown in. [If you want thru axles - which I'd recommend as a means of future proofing your bike, depending on where axle standards go, maybe go for the Viner Superprestige which adds an extra £100.]

Although they (Planet X) appear to be having a stock clearance that - if it applies to the XLS - entitles you to an extra 25% off, which would reduce the prices of the above bikes to a frankly ludicrous £1049.25 and £974.25. If I didn't already own 2 of them I'd probably buy another one at those prices.

If you are going to race cross you want to set the wheels up tubeless with a good (read easy to set up) tubeless tyre, like the WTB cross boss. Or buy a pair of tubs for use when racing.

http://road.cc/content/review/158034-merida-cyclo-cross-500 - rated as an all-rounder.

I've got the 2015 model down from that (the 300, which I wanted for commuting on a real mix of muddy trails, flinty towpaths and road, and which I use some mtb armadillos for) and also as a winter road workhorse, which I throw some schwalbe road tyres (I forget the exact type) on for.  I got a compact for the road stuff, but a 46T big ring would've been plenty for winter rides really.

It's held up well, apart from the tektro mechanical discs which have needed more adjusting and looking after than I can be bothered with. When I can justify it/get round to it I'll put a decent hydraulic set on and then it'll be peachy. This year's models (300 and 500) have TRP spyre mechanical discs which seem OK, so they could be worth a look.

All that said, a colleague has been looking at cyclocross bikes (similar requirements to mine; similar budget to yours), in Evans, and he's torn at the mo between the Cannondale CAADX Ultegra Disc and the Fuji Altamira CX 1.5 (SRAM). Both look cracking bikes, and the Fuji in particular feels light enough to chuck round a course.

Think you might struggle for CX campag options at that price.