Lincolnshire - is it really that awful?

[GreatJoanUmber]

DH and I were just fantasising talking this weekend about how nice it would be to move to a bigger house; and how depressingly high the house prices around here (naice semi-rural Buckinghamshire) are. So he suggested we could move a little further up north to get more house for our money. I did a quick rightmove search and couldn't believe my eyes! Huge spacious 5/6 bed period properties for well under 300K!
So then I did a quick google, and my jaw dropped again, for all the wrong reasons. Amongst others, I found a MN thread of someone thinking of relocating to Lincolnshire and the replies were very disheartening - basically it's so cheap because it's bleak and depressing and socially deprived...
While I'm aware that when something is cheap, there must be a catch somewhere, I still can't believe it can really be all that bad? Surely there must be some families living there and not hate it? Same goes for neighbouring Leicestershire.
So I'd love to hear from MNers who live in this region...if it really is dreadful, please don't hold back; but if not, tell me!
FWIW, I pretty much love everything about where we live now, apart from the fact we could probably never afford a house as big as we need it.

[momb]

As with all counties there are good areas and bad ones.

[LaurieFairyCake]

Lots of Leicestershire is good, I've inlaws there.

Lincolnshire dodgier as poor connections, long travel between towns. Leicestershire well connected.

[wreckingball]

There are many lovely places in Lincolnshire.

[LaurieFairyCake]

You don't have to go that far though, bits of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire are ok.

I'm next door to you in Herts - no 5/6 period properties for 300k or I'd have it

[GreatJoanUmber]

Thanks for the replies so far - any pointers to where the nicer areas are would be welcome!

[GreatJoanUmber]

Laurie, the reason why I quite liked Lincs was that they have Grammar schools too; whereas Beds and Northamptonshire haven't.

[EdithWeston]

What sort of places do you like?

Do you want town or village? Do you wants to be within striking distance of trains or motorways?

[songbird]

Northamptonshire is lovely, not as cheap as Lincs but cheaper than Bucks, I should think. Personally I love Lincs. I was born there and love the flatness, the huge skies and the history. And I suppose it depends on your job. If you/he work from home and it doesn't matter where that is, then fine, but there might not be many job prospects there.

[LaurieFairyCake]

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-49469891.html

[IdespairIreallydo]

My brother and his wife relocated from Surrey to Lincolnshire about 7 years ago and they love it. We visit nearly every year, it's a 5/6 hour drive from Somerset.

TBH, there is a lot of 'nothingness' but I fell in love with Lincoln itself, wonderful city with much to recommend it.

Depends on what's important to you - it is miles from anywhere else with poor transport connections. Culturally, unless you are near, say Lincoln, there is less to do. But the value for money property wise is impressive PLUS there are still 14 excellent grammar schools.

How about a weekend away, OP?

[LaurieFairyCake]

I think you'll like this one not too far from you in Banbury (Oxfordshire)

Does oxon have grammar schools ?
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-48151543.html

[songbird]

The town of Horncastle is nice. Just a small market town but some really lovely houses (a great Indian!) and a grammar school. Don't know what it's like now but used to be very good. And Louth is quite nice. Both are near the Wolds (Louth closer) so actually a bit hilly!!!

[IKnowRight]

It really depends where. We live in a town universally described as shit, but we're happy enough there. Neither dh nor I were born or brought up here, we came for work (separately, met here, stayed here). The biggest problem we have is how far we are from anywhere, nearest city of any reasonable size is an hour's drive away and the road to get to the A1 and the rest of civilisation is a proper bastard.

On the upside, we could afford a much nicer house than we could anywhere else, dc's are at great schools, we like living semi-rurally so all good. The area we live in is lovely, despite the town's bad reputation. It's an easy drive to the seaside.

Bad points - 11+ still in place for secondary school selection, public transport is abysmal (although better than it was in our town, between towns is poor or non existent), see above about being miles from anywhere.

If you look at Stamford, Bourne or Market Deeping, near Peterborough, those are considered the "posh end" and are nice towns. Not sure how house prices there compare to those in Buckinghamshire though.

[songbird]

Yes of course, Lincoln itself is lovely!

[chockbic]

Stamford is expensive but very nice.

[IKnowRight]

x posted with some...

The 11+ system is fine if your child is bright and passes.

Those that don't get a confidence knock and might end up at a poor school with a dreadful reputation.

We were lucky - dc failed 11+ but got a place at a good school (not grammar) anyway, but we have to pay for a bus pass. This is to avoid the local rubbish secondary that she could walk to.

[Meow75]

I've lived in Lincolnshire since May '99 and love it here. But it still has it's frustrations -mostly transport related.

No motorways except some piddly ones in the v North of the county, my village has a train station that the politician in the 60's didn't close down (I know his name begins with a B, but I'm a 1975 baby so never experienced it myself) But there's no buses on the weekend and since I resigned from teaching we only have one functioning car.

I live near Sleaford, which has suffered as much as anywhere during the recession - it became a town of charity shops and £1/discount stores, unemployment (including me for 8 months) was pretty high, but there jobs and the old line that they are the ones that British workers don't want is trotted out.

It is true that there are a lot of economic migrants, mostly from Eastern Europe here and I saw in the news the other day that the population in Boston is now 25% foreign born - UKIP are having a field day there.

Nottingham and Leicester are both within commutable distance from where I live. My problem is, apart from a few months temping, all I'vedone is teach and now I don't want to ... in fact can't.

I wouldn't say you should avoid whole towns. As someone else said, every town and city has parts with a variety of reputations.

[nottheOP]

I'm in the area. Places to look at are;

Market Harborough
Stoneygate
Clarendon park

If you don't need a fast rail connection then the countryside in Leicestershire is beautiful. Woodhouse eaves, quorn, Uppingham, Lutterworth and the area are all worth a look.

[Meow75]

Oh, and Sleaford has single sex GS's, if that's your preference, but all three school (co-ed non selective as well) all function as an academy along with the school in my village 5 miles away.

[Bunbaker]

My cousin lives in Holbeach and loves it.

[SKYTVADDICT]

We live about 16 miles from Lincoln and 14 miles from Grantham. Small market town. Good schools 2 x grammar and 1 great comprehensive. Have to travel for the cinema/further education/larger supermarkets etc. Always lived here or Grantham so not much to compare it to. Ok as long as you drive.

[SKYTVADDICT]

Think we live quite close meow as you've mentioned where I'm from

[IdespairIreallydo]

YY to Horncastle and Louth - Louth has wonderful Georgian property.

[nottheOP]

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-33412770.html

[SignoraStronza]

I live on the Notts/Lincs border, close to the A1. Have family in Buckinghamshire, am originally from that MN hallowed place called Horsham (via a few places in between) and much prefer it up here.
Far less snooty, so much more friendly, easy to get to places, less traffic and less stress re schools and just life in general really. Contrary to popular belief, quite a wealthy area yet it is actually possible to pay a mortgage or sell your London studio and buy a farmhouse outright and have a life too! A lot of my friends commute to London.
No, it isn't that bad, just depends what kind of attitude you come here with.