Guildford or Tunbridge Wells???

[bluemango]

Please help as I know a lot of you have already done this move and been through all the headaches we're going through now.

DH and I both grew up in London, and are now in Clapham. We're looking to move out as we want more garden/green space and decent schools (DD is 3, DS 1). We don't want too rural (ie no villages) and easy access to trains (preferably walking/cycling), and have about £650k.

Anyway, we've come up with Guildford and TW but that's when we start to panic. We both grew up in London and although they both seem really nice, good for families, etc etc, we're finding it really hard to actually make a decision.

Can anyone who's done it tell me what you think of either Guildford or TW; which areas you'd recommend/avoid; how you find commuting to London; how you spend your time off etc.

I know I like each one, I guess I just want someone to give me a flavour of what it's like to actually live in them and push me to make a decision. (I know schools are a major issue and would look into catchment areas etc more seriously once we make a decision).

Thanks:)

[bluemango]

Bump... anyone?

[Effjay]

I've lived in Guildford for around 10 years now and I love it. There's a real mix of people who have lived here all their life and those who have moved from other areas of the country. I'd say that amongst my friends it's about 50/50. I've had no problems making friends here and I know everyone who lives in my road (we have an annual barbecue!)

If you are thinking about commuting up to London on the train, you need to ideally find a property within walking distance of the train station, as the train car park costs about £3000 a year - no kidding. Also, the houses are very expensive, but I guess comparable with Clapham.

There's some very good state and private schools, both primary and secondary, so you would be spoiled for choice. There's plenty to do - fab high street for shopping, good Sports Centre, plenty of kids activities, nice restaurants. Bet you're beginning to wonder if I'm on commission now!!!

Areas I would avoid are Bellfields and Stoughton. But, really there's nothing that wrong with them; it's just compared to the rest of it.

[Fiddledee]

Having looked at Guildford the nicest bits and nearer the good state schools (if thats what you are after) are not near the station although you could cycle it. I would live in Burpham as you are in the catchment area of George Abbott for secondary schools. Local state school good too.

How about Godalming or is that too small. Busbridge area flat (unlike the rest of it), very good infant school, houses in your price range.

[mrscynical]

I don't know Guildford at all but lived in TW.

Tunbridge Wells is a very nice place to live. Best place is the 'village' area which also means very close to the station and the shops at the Pantiles end of town which is nicer than up the hill. Great primary school in that area called Claremont which is also near a great park called The Grove. Further along the line it is also well served for grammar schools.

[AllarmBells]

Re commuting from TW: Tunbridge Wells is about 45 mins from Charing Cross on a fast train, with some Cannon St trains at peak times. Not a bad commute for the City or central London, not great for North or West.

I think TW is absolutely gorgeous, I would live there in a heartbeat if I had 3x the income.

[CMOTdibbler]

TW - we used to live near there, and did our shopping etc there. Much less commuterville than Guildford, although of course lots of people do

[bluemango]

Thank you everyone, it's really helpful to get everyone's opinions. I keep hearing that TW is 'Daily Mail' but I get the impression that's changed massively over the past few years with Londoners who are not keen on 'Surrey' heading to TW?

Anyway, anyone with any more opinions? Good? Bad? They're all really helpful!

[ChristinaF]

Hi. I live in a village near Tunbridge Wells, and I work in Tunbridge Wells. I also know Guildford fairly well.

We moved here from London about four years ago. I grew up in West London and lived in Fulham and Pimlico before moving here. Tunbridge Wells is a really lovely town and there are plenty of Londoners who have moved down here for the schools and the better quality of life. However there is certainly a Daily Mail element and after London I found it weirdly white and monocultural (hardly any non-English people). The local accent is also pretty grim. I think Tunbridge Wells is going upmarket though, lots of smart shops have opened recently such as White Company, Cath Kidston, nice new organic butcher etc and we are about to get a John Lewis. There are really good primaries such as Claremont and Rose Hill is the most popular prep school. The grammar schools are excellent and a big reason that people move here.

I expect Guildford is a bit more upmarket, it is larger and has a university and a law school, which perhaps makes it a bit more diverse than Tunbridge Wells. Having said that I am very happy in the Tunbridge Wells area now and have made really good friends.

[PanicMode]

We moved from London to Surrey and then to T Wells almost 3 years ago and love it. I have a wonderful network of friends, the commute is ok, there is oodles to do - close to London, close to the sea, lovely country walks, good theatres, concerts etc, the schools are excellent and the shopping is improving.
Almost every second person is a London exile though and it is fairly monocultural - but probably no less so than Guildford, let's be honest!! We looked at moving further into 'leafy' Surrey before settling on T Wells because it offered the three things we wanted - community, great commute and excellent schools, plus we got more house for our money than we would have done for our budget in Surrey, even though it's not a cheap place to live.

[Wollstone]

I grew up near Guildford and was I went to school in Guildford. Ended up living in London and we opted to live near to Tunbridge Wells when we moved out re the dc's.

I much prefer Kent to Surrey. Perhaps it is because I grew up in and around Guildford in the 80's but the place still seems to be full of sloane rangers whereas in Kent it feels less dense and not quite as frightfully frightfully as that area can be at its worst.

Worth considering North Tonbridge and villages like Hildenborough too which are nearer to London and have a very fast connection.

The schools are fantastic, grammar schools at secondary and Surrey does not have that advantage. It has good private schools though, but then so does this area.

[bluemango]

Thank you everyone, all your comments are so useful to hear, although I think they're also making me more confused!

How did you ever make a decision? Was there something practical, or was it based on falling in love? Honestly, the more I look the more confused I get. Help...!

[PanicMode]

bluemango I feel your pain - we spent 18 months looking in an arc which stretched from Berkshire round to Kent!

I think for us it was driven by preferring the area and its community aspect - whenever we came househunting in T Wells, we used to go to the park (Our DCs were 3 and 4 when we moved - we now have four!) and ALWAYS met lovely people who were really positive about the town and the schools and a lot of them had made the move before us so had great advice about where to look/avoid. We just didn't get that sense of community in Surrey - and I also felt there was far more "keeping up with the Joneses" going on there - which we just don't get here, or maybe I'm just oblivious to it more here....

the other thing that swung it for us was finding a big enough house for the money - we seemed to get more here than in Surrey, and for DH, whose office is just by Charing X, it made more sense to commute from here than into Waterloo.

[mrsnoname]

OMG, I had to look twice that it wasn't me starting this thread as we went through the exact same dilemma a few months ago. Want to know what we decided in the end?!

... we moved to Tunbridge Wells and haven't regretted it one bit!
TW is such a "liveable" place, not too large, but not small either, tons of young families, great places to visit in and around town, a great selection of shops (compared to the size of the town). My one criticism, wish the commute into London would be cheaper.

[purplearmadillo]

We just moved to a village in Sussex and Tunbridge Wells is our nearest town. I also used to live near to Guildford.

In terms of the actual towns there isn't that much between them. I think the key with either would be to research your area really carefully because being in exactly the right area (in terms of schools, facilities etc) because that is what will make it or break it for you.

[mummytime]

We live in Guildford. I find it very much a community, and it seems like I at least know one person who knows everyone else in town.
We live in the town centre, have kids at GA, but are lucky, that may get harder. Its not that far from Burpham to the station though.

I would just say you have to look at what you can afford, and what you like.

[nancydrewrocked]

I live in Guildford after ten years in London.

The town is great - best shopping outside of the bigger cities. The only thing it is lacking is a John Lewis, but with both a House of Fraser and a Debenhams I can't really complain.

It has some excellent state and private schools. If you want to use state schools then you can do worse than Merrow/Burpham which puts you in the catchment area for the best seconadary school - £650k wont get you very far there though

The commute is ok - trains 30 mins into waterloo and leave every 10/15 mins - I did it for a year but I can't deny it was a big factor in deciding to become a SAHM, but it's a bit of an effort from anywhere outside London.

There are some nice bars and a few reasonable restaurants along with all the high street usuals (pizza express, loch fyne, Zizi's, strada, chez gerrard etc)

[clam]

I grew up in TW, and my parents still live there. About to clock up 40 years. Lovely town, but bear in mind that the grammar school system is only beneficial if your kids are likely to pass it. Otherwise, there are issues.

mrscynical's comments about the "village area" made me smile. My mother wouldn't let me walk home from town through the grove as it was considered dodgy!! Wandered through there a few weeks ago on a nostalgic trip with DH and thought how lovely it is! Certainly no dodgy bits nowadays.

Disclaimer: fully appreciate that "dodgy" in TW, even in the 70s, is on a different scale from most places.

[EmsDad]

Hello, we are also looking at TW. What are the state secondary choices if my daughter doesn't make the 11+ grade.

Thanks

[RachelHRD]

I live in Guildford and love it - we moved to Merrow last August and it's a lovely area - close to the town but plenty of green spaces - Merrow Hills on our doorstep. It is also within walking distance of London Road station from where you can get a train directly up to London. The main station is also not far and you can be in Waterloo within 35 minutes.

Great schools and we have DS in a lovely nursery. The town itself is nice and has a wide variety of shops and restaurants. They are also redeveloping The Civic centre- to be a fantastic new entertainments venue. Lots of great villages nearby and not far from the M25 - can also get to the coast within an hour.

We are very happy here :)

[Fiddledee]

Rachel which nursery would you recommend - is it a pre-school?

[Forster]

I was at school in Guildford and grew up nearby. I now in TW area. TW every time for me if a choice, but it is a very personal decision. Nothing substantive against Guildford just prefer TW

[Crimp1982]

@bluemango reading this old thread and wondering where you ended up living and what schools your children went to... I am also in two minds...

[freeedum]

I hate TW. It's hardcore Conservative. Guildford is very white middle class, there is barely any diversity, but it is better than TW. TW is prettier, but Guildford has a nice high street. Given that you're both from London and in very diverse areas, you might find Guildford and TW... odd.

[Crimp1982]

@EmsDad wondering if you made the move and what school has your daughter gone into.