Relocation

[clairebarr68]

Hi all,
Am looking for some help please. I am trying to gather some info on the area as my hubby is likely to have to relocate ( he will be working 2 days in peterborough) and we are looking at the Cambridge area to live but within a reasonable distance to Peterborough. I am researching on google but wanted some honest opinions from people in the know.
We currently live in a village but accessible to the city and have older children so need to be able to access good schools/colleges/activities etc but preferably a nice village or small town, not the city itself.
If anyone could advise us to good / bad areas anywhere around Cambridge, heading towards Peterborough or Ely we'd be grateful!
Thanks in advance
Claire

[orchardy]

Do you want to be nearer to Peterborough or Cambridge? Would your husband be happy commuting from the Cambridge area if it's only 2 days a week (I do it 3 times a week; it's not as bad as all that!) . St Ives or Godmanchester spring to mind, or you could live in Ely and jump on the train.

[albazavi]

Sawtry is lovely with a good secondary. Ramsey is also really nice, and commutable into school in Cambridge.

Am peterborough based- and it's turning into a lovely city recently with lots of investment. The villages on the outskirts Cambridge side are fab- Alwaton and castor.

The a14 between peterborough and Cambridge is awful so I'd recommend Somewhere like Ramsey where you can do the back roads.

[orchardy]

Yes, the A14 is pretty grim, although usually better heading towards P'boro in the mornings and back into Cambridge in the evenings. I pity people who have to go the other way, with cars queueing to get into Cambridge all along the A14 every morning from about 6.45am!

[clairebarr68]

Thanks, hubby is happy to commute as long as its not a nightmare so are looking at Cambridge. It says just under an hour - is that right?

[didireallysaythat]

I live 10 miles to the east of Cambridge. It takes 40-70 mins to get home (between 5-6pm) and between 30-60 mins to get in (8:30-8:45) assuming the A14 is moving (slowly but moving). Google maps traffic is quite accurate if that helps.

[jaynebxl]

Where will he be the other 3 days when not in Peterborough? At home? Just under an hour from Cambridge to Peterborough is when the traffic is really light. Sadly that's almost never the case on the a14. I've had so many bad experiences on that road that I would do all I could to avoid a commute along it. I worked in Huntingdon for a while which is much closer than Peterborough and it would regularly take me over an hour to get home or to work.
If dh has a job in Peterborough then you'd be better off looking for a house around Peterborough where it is cheaper and less hassle to get to work.

[Cammumm]

If you would consider living reasonably central in Cambridge, and dh works in central Peterborough then he could comute by train. That's generally much nicer and more reliable than driving and there are direct trains at least once an hour. Cambridge is a great city to live in with lots to do for kids/teens/adults.

Definitely don't plan on living in one of the villages and driving in to Cambridge station though.Cambridge gets very congested.

Otherwise, St Ives is nice and in between the two cities and I think Huntington has a bit more going on for older kids.

[orchardy]

I leave Cambridge at 6.30am by car and am usually in Peterborough an hour later. But if I left it later it would definitely take longer. Where will your DH be on the other days? If i were you, and I wanted village life, I'd look at some of the nice villages around Peterborough, OR I would live in Cambridge city and enjoy what it has to offer. I don't think a village outside Cambridge is such a great idea because it's not brilliant for kids if there's not much to do AND you've still got the commute. I suggested St Ives and Godmanchester as compromises as they are small towns/large villages and not far from the A1, where the commute gets much better. Cambridge is a great city for older kids - lots going on, great schools, and they can have a lot of freedom and independence.

[didireallysaythat]

If you can consider a train to Peterborough then Ely is on the same line and housing maybe cheaper.

[orchardy]

Yep, Ely is a nice, small city and is cheaper than Cambridge and nearer by train. It has beautiful cathedral, river, waterfront etc.

[terrifictoddlers]

Girton is nice. It's more or less central Cambridge, just a quick cycle in, and very accessible for A14 to Peterborough if your hubby is ok with the commute. I used to commute from Grantchester (also near the city centre and accessible for A14) to Peterborough, about 1hour drive in rush hour if I remember correctly, and it was fine!