Anyone know the Fleet/Hook/Hartley Wintney area?

[LongChalk]

Is it a good place to live as a family? Are all 3 pretty similar? I know HW is much smaller but is it too small? The house we've seen there is more expensive. The house in Hook is the cheapest but I've heard the schools aren't great. Is Fleet a nice town? Have most of what you need? Dh's new job (not starting until the Autumn) is split between London and Southampton. So anywhere else nearby anyone would recommend to look? I don't want too rural hamlet type of thing. HW seems small but very lively but I wouldn't want anything smaller I don't think.
All thoughts good and bad much appreciated. We actually lived not too far away many years ago but not close enough to be in the know.

[HopeClearwater]

HW is expensive because it's the archetypal Hampshire village: cricket green, pub, duck pond, some lovely old houses and a nice little shopping street. Same for Eversley.
The whole area is great for families. Hook schools are fine - not sure what you've heard but Hook infants, juniors and Robert Mays secondary are all well regarded. Fleet also has good schools. There's loads for families to do in the area. Do you need a mainline station?

[LongChalk]

Hi Hope, thank you! It was a Fleet EA who suggested the primary schools in Hook weren't great.
DH will need to get into London 2 days a wk and drive to Southampton on 2 more days with 1day from home. This area seemed ideal for that. What are trains like from the area?

I'll be looking at state primary schools but probably independent secondaries. need to have a closer look at that.

[ExtraHotLatteToGo]

Fleet is definitely the biggest. Good for Waterloo - direct fast trains. Lots of cafes, OK restaurants, usual WH Smith, Clintons, Works, toy shop, jewellers, post office, etc Lots of charity shops and not very many really nice shops. Sainsburys/Waitrose in town, Morrisons near by. Reasonably good for toddler type classes, swimming pool (driving distance from high street though). Drs, dentists, small hospital etc A few parks.

HW is definitely the prettiest, but really there's not much there. Fish & Chip shop is really, really awful. Costa, One Shop, Post Office. Few 'gift' type shops. Only 10 mins to Fleet though.

Hook is definitely the cheapest. I'm not too fond of it, but it's inbetween size wise.

If I was you, I'd be looking at Winchester. The fast train to London is only an hour, the drive to Southampton is shorter and Winchester has a bit of life to it.

[stareatthetvscreen]

fleet/hook - commuterville

train though to soton - not worth driving

hw - yy v twee village

[LongChalk]

Thanks, Extra and Stare!

I'll have a look at Winchester. We need a non mainstream school for ds3 who has asd so that may determine where we end up.

[TollgateDebs]

You could also try Odiham / North Warnborough, as these are within walking distance of Robert Mays, which has an ASD Unit attached for secondary. Also by far one of the better schools. Overton / Whitchurch have good schools and are cheaper than Winchester, which is expensive for housing and difficult with traffic at times.

[Aethelfleda]

My friend lives in Fleet and says it's Vairy Naice. In a good way.

[Tigresswoods]

Is Fleet a nice town? Ha! I think it was voted one of the nicest places to live in England!

[LongChalk]

Thanks everyone!