Hi everyone,

I'm just looking for some advice on where I could move to around Woking / Guildford please. We're moving from a middle-class, prosperous area of SW London because we can't afford to buy a decent size house in this area.

We've got many concerns namely leaving friends behind, having to commute to London, moving to an entirely new area but still wanting to feel like we can be part of London life if we choose (!) and also having the nice delis and coffee shops available to us.

We're looking for a village location rather than a town and don't mind driving to the station. Villages we've looked at are Ripley, Send, Pyrford and Ottershaw. From what I can gather Ripley is quite exclusive but properties rarely come on the market, Send doesn't seem to be quite so prosperous (but we've seen a nice house there) and Ottershaw and Pyrford I know very little about. Can anyone provide any more info please, ideally about Send and Ottershaw? We're trying to recreate the area we're in now but in Surrey plus the added benefits of the countryside, nice long walks and lovely country pubs. I did lots of research prior to posting this but none of the previous questions quite answered my queries.

We had considered the Guildford villages - Bramley, Wonersh etc. but got a little bit freaked out at feeling a bit too far from friends.

Any tips on whether these areas might fit the bill would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone for your help and I hope I don't come across too snobbish.

x
PS Schools aren't an issue for us right now but will be in the future.

I dont really know send or ottershaw, but have you considered Godalming or Haslemere? Both have the villagey feel but are townsmof the deli type! Godalming is 40 mins to Waterloo and is a very friendly place to live if you have small kids, so easy to get tomknow people. X

Godalming is lovely, and very "villagey", it has fantastic houses to choose from, some are real architectural jems and the "mummy community" is strong afaik. It was recently on "Location, Location...", so if maybe worth your while tracking this episode.

If you need to commute to work to London I would seriously consider Hook Heath part of Woking, but if you already have done and discounted it forgive for suggesting. It is not really a "village" but an estate, but you can pick some really nice houses over there and it is fantastic for walks/bikes.

Thanks Notnigella33 and bemybebe for posting. We had originally considered Godalming and the village South of Guildford but I think it's just a bit too far from SW London where lots of our friends and family live. Haslemere is a tad too far I think.

Bemybebe, thanks for suggesting Hook Heath. We hadn't considered but I've had a look and I think it's not quite village-y enough.

Anyone else that could give some tips on Send or Ottershaw would be much appreciated. Thanks again. x

I don't think Ottershaw is very villagy at all Have you looked at Mayford, Worplesdon, St Johns. Pyford or West Byfleet might be more like it?

I'd look at the Horsleys, the Station is good to get into London, and they are close to the A3/M25 by the back route. I wouldn't choose Ripley because of the lack of secondary school (but that might change with the free school in Cobham). Or look at suburbs of Guildford eg. Merrow/Burpham, you can quickly get into the countryside but have the convenience of a town.
Why do you want a "village" but also Deli's? Do you really want to live in a village or is that just what you think you should want?

Send is okay, but a bit of a suburb of Woking, at present senior school kids bus into Guildford, some areas have more access to the countryside than others. But there is little public transport, and no trains.

Thanks for getting back to me. Thanks Mummytime for your advice. I'll look into the Horsleys. You're right re. wanting a village - definitely need to think on... I think it's because I grew up in a quite a soulless town and I don't want to go back to that. Also, because where I live now in London feels like a village and has more deli's than we can shake a stick at

Crotchflakes, Have looked in Pyrford and will keep looking there. Not so sure about West Byfleet though. Will take a look at the other places you mentioned.

This relocating is a blooming difficult business!
Thanks again everyone.

I was in your position a few years ago - left Wimbledon Park, which I loved, my walkable delis, park and friends.

We moved to Horsley because of good trains to London and easy to get onto A3 by car into SW London. Don't regret it a bit and can't see anywhere else that I would rather have gone, and we looked at a lot of the places you mention. I feel I've got it all here but the key thing is you have to drive - delis and cafes in Cobham and Guildford, lots of dare i say it 'gastro' pubs. Good schools. Good luck, you'll find the area stock full of ex SW Londoners who were also worried about making the move !! and if your experience is anything like mine, many of your friends will follow soon....

Hi - Have you also considered Horsell?

Horsell - yes, have considered but haven't been there yet.

Horsley - in theory that would be ideal but the market is so slow that the only things on the market seem to be flats or big detached houses, with nothing in between and I've been looking for 5 months.

It feels like we've considered every village/small town in Surrey sometimes... actually think that's not far off the truth!

Maybe I'm just been too impatient... I should keep looking and maybe apply to Location, Location, Location! Thanks for your help.

Thanks once again.

Pink - what's your budget if you don't mind me asking? We put our house on the market last summer and was looking at all the areas you have mentioned.

Horsell is lovely, great schools and a small 'high street' with a couple of pubs, chemist, butchers, hairdressers etc. It was our no 1 location.

Have you looked at Bookham? The village itself & high street are bigger than Horsley, so there's a wider range of shops (deli, fishmonger, plus a choice of butchers, green-grocers, cafes & restaurants etc). It also has a wider range of schools (including outstanding at infant & secondary, & good junior), and the price range and availability of houses is better. The access to London by train & car is just as easy. Good luck

Thanks for your help everyone. We're seriously considering West or East Horsley (as well as Send). However, doing some research I found this website/review, which worried me:
www.chavtowns.co.uk/2005/01/horsley/

I'm sure this is completely over-exaggerated but just wondered if someone could please put my mind at rest (or not)! I spent the day in West Horsley yesterday and certainly didn't get this impression. Thanks.

I'm fairly local and I think you can safely ignore these posts. Given the dates on them (2005), the (pre-?)adolescent jokers who posted these comments will have grown up a bit by now! If you want to be sure, why not visit the area when the youth club is running to check out the atmoshpere around station parade?

If you are commuting for the first time don't underestimate the value of being within walking distance of a train station. Apart from the fact that parking at some of the commuter stations can be difficult it will add a big chunk to the overall commuting time if you have to drive, and if you ever have a drink in London you will really appreciate being able to walk home afterwards!

I'm all for Godalming, by the way.

Not the Horsley I know !!! think you can safely ignore as a prank...there's the odd 'yooth' hanging around the park of an eve but far outweighed by polite teens and young families. I'd say the same for every village local to here. Agree with Banter more for your £ in Bookham property wise.

Weybridge or Shepperton? Good schools, road links, okay commute, and country pubs and walks near plus the river.. Shepperton still quite villagey..

There are no delis in Ottershaw. Beauty salon, Harvester, 7-11, newsagent, estate agent and an Indian restaurant. Nice enough village but you'd struggle coming from London.

Nice Italian deli in Chertsey but the high street isn't much to write home about (mostly charity shops and nail bars) - although there is a bookshop and a couple of antiques shops. But more town than village.

I wouldn't worry! That site sounds totally unlike the kids I know from the Horleys, and I have worked at Howard of Effingham. The kids at the Howard (even the "bad" ones) are lovely and incredibly well behaved. Some of them like to think they are gangsters from the ghetto (but their ghetto is Staines). The rich kids tend to go to very nice schools like RGS etc. and similarily seem to be very nice kids (with possibly the occasional one who feels a bit entitled).
There probably is a bit of a lack of things to do for teenagers in the Horsleys, and I do have friends who moved from Guildford to the Horsleys and then moved back, because they had teenage kids.
But if you want a village feel with great commuting, its a good place to be.

Hi Pinkjoop, I live in West Byfleet and we moved here from Richmond 3 years ago. You will find a lot of people who have done the same to increase the size of accommodation they can afford!
West Byfleet town/village isn't very pretty but the train station is good for some fast trains to London. Its right next to Pyrford
There are 3 good primary schools but I believe secondary schools are an issue (not onto that stage yet). It's not stuff we thought about when we moved but we are really glad we chose WB now. There may be no deli but there is a Waitrose btw!
Unfortunately due to my husband's redundancy it looks like we will have to move (doubt he will find a job geographically as close as we would like).

Chobham? (Different to Cobham, the two are often confused with each other), Woking station is a short drive away. Beyond that there's Lightwater...

Hi Pinkjoop, I know this post was a while ago but I am curious about your decision and was it the right one!
My Husband is potentially about to be offered a job in west byfleet. We currently live up north, but all our friends are down in London, and it seems like fate is pushing us back!
Would be interested to know where you ended up!

Loulou, we live close to West Byfleet and we love it here. It is very green/woody where we are, but getting into London is quick and easy. I'm always surprised at how snooty people are on MN about Woking, which is close yo WB, as there are some lovely areas fairly close to the town centre.

Loulou, we live close to West Byfleet and we love it here. It is very green/woody where we are, but getting into London is quick and easy. I'm always surprised at how snooty people are on MN about Woking, which is close yo WB, as there are some lovely areas fairly close to the town centre.