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Anyone live in Hertfordshire?

27 replies

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 25/01/2019 09:19

Where's nice to live? With good school? And cheaper than London?
What do you like about living there?

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DadDadDad · 25/01/2019 10:04

I don't live there, but I do work there. You could start by looking at Hitchin or Letchworth. They are pleasant places to live and there are some good schools around. 30 mins on train to Kings Cross.

Hitchin always seems to (positively!) surprise people who visit it for the first time: thriving town centre, lots of shops and restaurants.

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 25/01/2019 10:33

Cool thanks for the tip will check them out.

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wendz86 · 25/01/2019 11:29

I wouldn't necessarily recommend where I live although I quite like it. St albans and Berkhamsted are pretty popular .

gokartdillydilly · 25/01/2019 13:27

A friend of mine moved from London to Tring in Hertfordshire and says it was the best move ever. It's less up its own arse than Berkhamsted and has links into London. It's a friendly little town with lots of nice places to eat and drink, a comedy festival, a theatre, a museum, M&S, really good schools and a friendly community. Always love visiting whenever I can Grin

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 25/01/2019 14:01

Ooo thanks will check out Tring!

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HHH3 · 25/01/2019 17:30

I was also going to say Hitchin!

Notonthestairs · 25/01/2019 18:44

Will you need to come in to London for work? If so it's best to work out which mainline station you will need and then go along the line.

I was pretty "meh" about Hertfordshire but I love it now. Quick to escape in to the countryside, nice towns (agree Hitchin, Tring, Berkhamsted and St Albans all v nice), lots of commuters (!) which has meant some good flexible childcare options and because lots of people have moved to Herts for the commute it can be v friendly and outward looking. And some very good pubs.

Thameslink trains doesn't have the best track record though. And the potholes need to be seen to be believed. You'll need a car to see the best bits. Ashridge Estate and Hatfield House both gorgeous.

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 25/01/2019 18:47

Did you move from London notonthestairs?

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Tuesdaynightname · 25/01/2019 18:49

Do you need to commute? Road links?

Notonthestairs · 25/01/2019 18:53

Yes. Needed space, garden etc. Spent the first year frantically googling ways of moving back to London.
So it took a while and a bit of adjustment (driving everywhere, everything seemed to close so early, suburbia generally) but I genuinely love it now and wouldn't consider a move back.
I go out in London a lot still. Am just very happy to get back out again at the end of the night!

humdrum21 · 25/01/2019 18:54

Tring! I loved living there so much.

Theunreasonableone · 25/01/2019 18:57

Bishop’s Stortford. We love it. Great schools. Really easy commute to Tottenham Hale. Lovely shops, cafes and restaurants

TooDamnSarky · 25/01/2019 19:02

All depends on your commuting requirements.

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 26/01/2019 09:04

Which part do you live in notonthestairs?

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SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 26/01/2019 09:05

What do you especially love about Tring humdrum?

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thegreylady · 26/01/2019 09:14

My son and family live in Chorleywood which is wonderful for families. St Clement Dane’s secondary is one of the best and there are some lovely primaries. My dgc went to the Russell school. There is a station with easy access to London, the Common for walks and Watford if you want a town.

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 28/01/2019 09:06

So Chorley Wood, B's Stortford, Hitchin & Tring all sound nice....

What are the differences?

Which is best to live in with kids in your opinion and why?

We will be commuting to London.

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Tuesdaynightname · 28/01/2019 21:49

It depends on which bit of London. And whether any trips out of London involve M1, or M4, or M3 etc. That would make all the difference to me.

follygirl · 28/01/2019 22:09

We live in St Albans and love it. 20 mins by train to London, great schools, near to the countryside, friendly place.
We've been here for 20 years, the only downside is the price of the houses.

FogCutter · 28/01/2019 22:10

Where in London do you need to get to for work? That will determine commuting times and where to look for houses.

MairzyDoats · 28/01/2019 22:15

St Albans and Harpenden are nice but a bit up their own bottoms and ridiculously expensive .. Hitchin is a bit less pricey and has some great shops and restaurants. I live in a village between Hitchin and WGC with an excellent primary school and three pubs. I love it, it has a great sense of community and the countryside is gorgeous (although public transport links aren't great and we have to drive to the nearest station)

Maelstrop · 28/01/2019 23:21

St Albans, Berkhamstead, Harpenden, lovely, very, very expensive.

Watford, 3 bed semi under £450 000, 20 minutes to Euston, countryside within minutes. Some cracking schools, particularly if your dc are academically able.

Message me if you want details.

Theunreasonableone · 29/01/2019 20:59

Absolutely look at what London station you would prefer to commute into. This will help determine where in Hertfordshire you look more closely at.

Bishop’s Stortford is a bit cheaper for housing I think. It’s further East and borders Essex and only a couple of miles from Stanstead airport.

FranklinTheCat · 29/01/2019 21:31

Yes, do you want to travel into Euston, King's Cross, St Pancras, Tottenham Hale or Liverpool Street? Also possible options of Finsbury Park and Moorgate, may have forgotten some.

We had to rule out St Albans, Tring, Berkhamsted and Harpenden as we just couldn't afford anything there.

We found places like Hemel Hempsted, Watford and Stevenage were cheaper but we liked the idea of being in a market town or a garden city.

Hitchin is lovely but housing expensive if you want to be within walking distance of the station. School admissions came across as being quite frenetic - houses in certain catchments attracting a premium, etc.

Letchworth is cheaper and bigger.
Baldock is smaller with a very pretty centre dominated by one of the largest Tescos I've ever seen...

Knebworth is more of a village but good rail links. My friend lives there and loves it.

Bishops Stortford is cheaper than Hitchin and has more varied housing stock, including older properties. You could also look at Broxbourne, which is closer to London than BS.

Think about schools. Hitchin and BS have excellent secondaries but some are single sex and some of the non-selective mixed schools are religious and/or don't have such a strong academic reputation. You may have a view on that.

Oh, and bear in mind that to get to the station, you will have to walk, cycle or drive, and the latter will add at least £1000 for parking onto your commuting costs. Which will be high. Potentially around £5k per person per year. So be really realistic about how much time and money you're willing to spend commuting and how far you're willing to be from the station (think about walking it on a cold wet night...). DP blithely insisted a half hour walk with no bus service would be fine. No, DP. Come on.Grin

DizziLizzy · 29/01/2019 21:50

Bishops Stortford hands down. Can't go wrong with any school primary or secondary.

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