Nice areas/villages to live in County Durham

[iwanttoberich]

As the title says really

I don't like people (LOL), so a village probably best Or Durham itself?
We like countryside etc.

Thanks

[randomthoughts]

If you don’t like people I’m not sure I’d choose a village over a town/city. Villages can get quite claustrophobic with people knowing each other’s business.

[MeanTangerine]

To what extent are you tied to Durham?

Durham has lots to recommend it (architecture, naice shops) but it is a university town...

[iwanttoberich]

That's very true Randomthoughts. Maybe more rural then?

I am potentially applying for a post at Durham University, so needs to be commutable

[PickAChew]

What sort of budget for what sort of size house?

We've moved into Durham from a village which was friendly but everyone seemed to know my business before I did!

The relative anonymity is bliss!

[FaFoutis]

Sedgefield is nice. Big enough to be relatively anonymous, quite rural and has Hardwick Park.

[RhinoBlue]

Depends on your price range really. Shincliffe Village is close to the University and very nice but quite expensive. Durham itself is lovely but also expensive.

County Durham is not short of lovely rural villages.

We live in a village about 4 miles west of Durham. It's an old pit village and quite deprived really. But it's cheap and suits us. We live in a lovely house surrounded by fields and woodland. I can be at the University in 10-15 minutes by car.

[Eatmycheese]

Second Shincliffe Village it’s lovely

There are lots of lovely little places to pick from and not all expensive.
I live in Durham it’s a lovely place

[IHaveBrilloHair]

I'm from there, but not lived there in many years.
North end is lovely, but pricey.
Suburb wise, be very careful, some are fine, some really aren't.
Do you need to think about schools?
(I lived in Pity Me btw, unfortunate name)

[birdsdestiny]

Lanchester is lovely.

[PickAChew]

We drove through north end and whitesmocks a few times and sighed because we couldn't afford anything suitable, there.

[CountFosco]

Do you need to think about childcare or schools? Your money will go a lot further in Darlington than Durham and the school choices are less fraught.

[PickAChew]

Oh, I don't know. There's some truly dire schools in Darlo. Plus op has said she's looking at working in Durham city.

[Anythingforacatslife]

School requirements? Budget? There are some very lovely places near Durham but some more criteria would be helpful to narrow it down.

[CountFosco]

Maybe but if you're Catholic you're sorted (St Augustines then Carmel) and it needs less money to get into catchment for Abbey or Mowden than to get into equivalent schools in Durham. Admittedly Hummersknott is looking a lot less attractive these days.

[PickAChew]

Kids travetl into St Leonard's from a good distance, well into East Durham, which you would expect to be Peterlee St Bede's territory.