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Good options, also check out the Rose bikes. Similar ilk to the Canyons. I think the XEON Carbon is around £1500
alexD-
Trouble is with Rose and Canyon, whilst they make great frames and offer a good package, they're not good for a first road bike as you can't try them out before you buy. I tend to avoid the big brands like Specialized, Giant and Trek in favour of something a bit different but the fact is that those big brands are available everywhere so you can easily get a test ride. Most of us here know exactly how long they want their effective top tube (I even know how tall I want the head tube!), but a first time buyer needs to experiment.
@Ollie this bike has a famously good frame, good components, looks dead cool, unlimited upgrade potential and you can easily get a test ride at your nearest Evans Cycles. Would also leave you a bit left in the budget to put towards some new wheels in the future.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/caad10-2015-road-bike-ec071008?country=GB¤cy=GBP&esvt=894-GOUKE245604&esvadt=999999-0-33002-1&esvcrea=61232578616&esvd=m&esvo=EV214031-50-TEAM&esvaid=50080&gclid=CMbiuJ2eh8YCFTLLtAodiQwAOw
SamuelD
just to provide another contrary opinion :) don't overthink it - you're new to road bikes so the position will take some getting used to and you might end up wanting/ needing a different position in 6 months as you want to drop the bars, get a longer stem and raise the seat...
jus find one that looks good and fits well enough.
£1,500 will get you a nice bike. I would personally choose from: