Worcester area - where to live?

[Waspie]

I'm looking to relocate to the Worcester area but I don't know it very well. I've been looking online either at central Worcester (for Kings or Worcester Grammar) or more outlying areas to the south/west such as Malvern and Ledbury. Ideally south of Birmingham and west of the M5.

I know that there are good schools (both state and private) in this part of the world as I've read threads on here and in the education area about Worcs. schools and I'd like to be close to one!

My budget is around £400k for 3/4 bedrooms and I'd like a good sized private garden, off street parking and near to good schools.

Any suggestions on where I should fix my search area? TIA

[PotteringAlong]

Malvern is lovely!

[FruitOwl]

Agree Malvern is a lovely place. I also have several relatives living in Tenbury Wells which is also great, though smaller. Ludlow is nice too but might be more expensive to buy somewhere there I think. Good luck, it's a lovely bit of the world!

[Waspie]

Thank you both

I've not heard of Tenbury Wells FruitOwl - I'll check it out

I'm quite excited about this move . I'm more of a city type and DP is more of a rural type so we have different ideas of idyllic, but I'm hoping we'll find compromise easily enough in this part of the world!

[vintagetat]

I live in Malvern, feel free to PM me :) Its a lovely place to live, I moved away then moved back when I realised the grass wasn't greener!!!

[ValancyJane]

Malvern is very nice, as are lots of the surrounding villages in that area. Upton upon Severn is pretty good. I also really like Pershore (a bit to the right of the M5 so doesn't quite meet your criteria - but it's a nice little town). And Worcester itself has a lot of nice areas; Claines and Fernhill Heath are my favourites. If you wanted something more villagey, Lower/Upper Broadheath and Kempsey are lovely. To be quite honest all the villages in the surrounding area are delightful!

[FineAndDandelion]

Be careful if you are buying a house in Malvern, if you buy a house in the wrong place you have got very limited sunlight. We were on holiday there recently and commented to a local how lovely it was but they were bemoaning how they have a lovely view but have to have the lights on from lunchtime as they don't get enough natural light.

[FineAndDandelion]

There's also Droitwich which is close to the M5, no idea what it's like though.

[Secretsout]

I've lived in Worcester now for about 18 years. We started off in Warndon Villages and really like it there, it's very convenient for local shops and access to motorway and has a good population of families with children. You would get a decent 4 bed detached for £350k tops there. We now live in Battenhall which I love. We can walk in to the city in 10 minutes and as the kids have got older they've really appreciated this too. I also like Barbourne. These are the most pricey of Worcester locations. I'm very much a city girl so I love being in Worcester, close to shops, bars, restaurants but having the ability to walk down on to the river in 10 minutes. If you choose an outlying place such as Malvern or Tenbury, bear in mind your access to the city and/or motorway if this is needed for jobs. I'm probably going to be flamed for this but I actually think Worcester state schools are not all that great so please do your homework. If you have a school in mind, please ask away as we've just done the whole primary school thing. We've put ours in independent for senior school and are very happy with it.

[Mrscog]

I'm in a Worcs village 7 miles west of Worcester, it's lovely here and the schools are great (Ofsted don't always agree but we're delighted with our local primary). Are you looking at villages or just towns? Worcester itself is really developing quickly, fab library, lots of new shops, restaurants etc. I'd be very temped by Battenhall or Barbourne on your budget. Or Claines - further out but a great place to live and more peaceful than the city.

[senua]

Generally, prices in Worcestershire are cheaper on the 'wrong' side of the river. The wrong side is west i.e further away from Bham and the M5.
I'm not sure that I would recommend Upton - do research on flood risk!
I'm not sure about schools in Malvern. I know that they are generally considered good but I don't know how much that is down to teaching and how much is due to intake. There are a lot of DC of boffin/geeks in Malvern.

[TweedAddict]

Malvern is such a lovely place. Followed by Ledbury outskirts. You wouldn't get me living in Worcester for love nor money

[CMOTDibbler]

I think you have to decide what sort of area you are looking for first - tiny village, larger village (pub, first school, shop), small town, or city. Then you have to think about where you are going to work - Malverns lovely, but its the wrong side of the river to get on the M5 everyday.

[VeronicaIsGreat]

village house

village house2


city house

new build

Malvern Hills

Droitwich

[Waspie]

Thank you all. Sorry for disappearing, I've been away with work for a few days.

Personally I'd like the town centre and to be within walking distance of all amenities so Battenhall and Barbourne seem to be the favoured locations in Worcester (I like your city house link VeronicaIsGreat ). And I will look at Clains MrsCoq, thanks.

DP would like something more suburban or rural.

I guess we're flexible really so it will be down to schools and what areas/houses take our fancy.

We won't need to get on or across the M5 for work each day (luckily) as DP works from home and the company I work for is relocating to just outside Worcester.

I've heard that traffic can be awful in Worc. city centre. We also have a dog so need some parks/open spaces to walk her each day. These are the -ves of the city centre I guess.

We're going to spend the weekend there next month and do some proper research and we'll target the areas you have all suggested. Many thanks for your help I really appreciate it

[staverton]

Malvern definitely- a fab place to live!

[Spickle]

Worcester is a lovely city. It's proximity to the Severn does mean that some areas are at risk of flooding. The racecourse flooded badly in 2007 as well as other areas nearby and although improvements seem to have been made, I would be wary of buying anything too close.

Bear in mind also, what side of the Severn your work is located. The bridge crossing the Severn is busy because it's in the centre and there isn't another crossing for miles. The university is in Henwick (west of the Severn) but the university library (the Hive) and a lot of student accommodation is in or around the city centre (east of the Severn) so much too-ing and fro-ing (there is a pedestrian bridge over the Severn). Like most cities, properties right in the centre don't have much parking and I can tell from experience that the council is very hot on parking tickets!

So, my advice would be to look at somewhere convenient for your work, perhaps near a park but within striking distance of the town centre. There is a park and ride facility too so might be worth considering a compromise between rural and urban. The canal is good for walking dogs as well as the parks.

[CMOTDibbler]

I'd def start from where your company will be relocating to, and work from there - though the south link road is being widened, this doesn't include the Carrington bridge which make it a terribly congested road.

Crowle is a nice village on the NE of the city and v convenient for things on that edge, or you could think about Droitwich if work will be the right side

[Waspie]

I've been to the work office before - it's literally 15 mins west of the M5 just along the A449 near Hindlip. I don't need to be on the doorstep though because I'm often out with customers or working at home and might only be in once or twice a week.

From what you have all said, if we are looking at Worcester and its immediate vicinity it would make sense to keep east of the Severn but west of the M5. This fits with Barbourne and Battenhall, also Crowle and Clains.

I hadn't realised there was a park and ride, I will check this out. Thank you for your advice Spickle this sort of info is exactly what the estate agents don't tell you!

I will look at Crowle CMOTDibbler as this seems well located, as does Droitwich.

My main priority is the schools as we had so much trouble getting DS into a primary school I don't want to repeat this at secondary. This is probably my main worry with a very rural setting.

[SodiumReindeer]

The park and ride has been scaled down - the one from Perdiswell has been closed down but there is still one from the rugby club.

[Waspie]

Ah, I do know the rugby club (and Warriors have been promoted back to the prem for 2015/16 too - well done them )

Okay, so much to think about - bridges, commute and schools foremost.

Thank you all so much really helpful

[CMOTDibbler]

I wouldn't worry so much about which side of the M5 tbh. Its not a massive barrier travel wise.

For added confusion as you look at schools, some areas of Worcs have a 3 tier system of first, middle, and high schools, and the exact ages of transition vary.

Oh, and if fibre broadband is important to you, you do need to check carefully as not all the villages have it. You are OK with Claines and Crowle for instance, but I'm not sure about Ombersley

[exLtEveDallasNoBollocks]

I'm just past Ombersley and nope to fibre broadband

[Mrscog]

Lt. eve - have you checked the super fast BB project? Most parts of Worcs will be getting superfast by spring 2016 :)

[Waspie]

Yes we definitely need fibre broadband, thanks CMOTDibbler, I'll make sure we check this. Hopefully that 2016 date will be met Mrscoq

I'd noticed from some of the school info I was looking at yesterday evening that some parts of the county seem to be three tier. It's not that unusual I guess. In Berks. Windsor & Maidenhead borough is 3 tier but the rest of the county is 2 tier.

[Mrscog]

Ombersley has it. LtEve, I think it's going to be live for surrounding areas by the end of summer :)

All details here - www.superfastworcestershire.com/home