Relocation to Dorset/Hampshire

[SusieW1978]

Hi Mummies, after a recent holiday to Dorset, my DH and I reopened a conversation that we have several times a year about relocation. We currently live in greater London, within 30 mins of central London and with our friends all around us. Both of our families have moved away, so our friends are our support network. Despite being generally happy, we really crave a slower pace of life and it would be lovely for our children to have more family nearby. We are in love with the coast and the country side and like the idea of Dorset or Hampshire, as it's within 2-3 hrs of our friends, but much closer to my side of the family. We have two children, who are both in lower primary school. They are settled and happy, but I don't think it'd be too unsettling to uproot them at this age. What I want to know is whether any of you have made a smilier move and how it went. Whether Dorset or Hampshire are good for growing families, including teenagers. What areas you would recommend? Would it be difficult to get my children into good schools? Sorry, my head is all over the place and I'd appreciate any advise you may have. Thank you

Dreamingofsun we are looking at sixth form soon, have you heard much about new Head at Ringwood? Thanks.

no sorry postnotinthe - my child has left now. i cant imagine it will have changed that much yet though. They turned my child around. they went from an underperforming, uninterested student before they joined the 6th form, to one that only applied to russell group unis and got in. And i was also impressed with the thought and effort they put into enabling new students to fit in socially - he actually didnt mind going to school

Thank you, that’s very encouraging. DS really not keen on school and could do with a positive 6th form experience. It’s the social aspect I’m most worried about, we’ll definitely go to next open evening.

Actually do you mind if I PM you? Would like to know which school was at before Ringwood 6th form if that’s ok. Thank you.

My brother moved to Hampshire with his small family decades ago (Niece will be going to uni soon and was born there). Never regretted it though he and SIL have had to be a taxi service as buses crap. Loads to do for kids and there are happy with Education there (both teachers). A lovely area of the country and very very near to New Forest.

Property not cheap.

We've been here twenty years and can't imagine moving back to London.

We live in Dorset, about 15 minutes drive from the coast, surrounded by countryside and in catchment for an excellent secondary school (we still have three tier education here)

I would say the downside is public transport, with a teenage DS this is becoming even more apparent (and we're not at the late night party stage yet )

An awful lot of friends DC's are on mopeds and motorbikes the minute it's legal, personally we will help fund DS to pass his car test as feel it's safer on our windy roads.

The other issue is things like holidays. The regional airports are excellent but if they don't fly to where you want you're looking at schlepping to Heathrow or Gatwick which adds stress to a holiday.

Obviously that's the same for vast swathes of the country, it's just a shock when you've been used to living in London!

Fareham is close to a few coastal towns/villages

Warsash, hill head, lee on the solent etc

@SusieW1978 I grew up in Ringwood if you have any questions I've family there and would recommend it. Lovely town.

Someone mentioned Romsey and Stockbridge and I totally agree! Absolutely lovely small towns with a lot less traffic than Bournemouth and Poole.

I don't know about the new head at Ringwood but both heads before her were fantastic. I wasn't there long ago myself!

Our neighbours moved here purely for the secondary school/ 6th form for their dc. It was great when I was there and it's still getting better. A lot of the teachers that were there when I was are still there. I actually miss my school days.

The public transport isn't anywhere near as good as a city but it's not that bad either. Ringwood does have bus routes that go direct to London and all over.

As a teenager growing up here I never felt restricted as we had the bus to get to Bournemouth etc or cycled to the forest pubs. Late night buses back from Bournemouth after...

Christchurch is also really nice, as is burley, brockenhurst (burley and brock still go to Ringwood school I think). Wimborne is really nice but the traffic is a pain imo.

Ferndown's schools don't have a great rep but might be different now, the same for Verwood.

Ferndown Upper got a new Head a few years ago and getting very good reputation. Wimborne’s Upper also has new Head this term so time will tell.

You have to decide what you want School wise as we still have the 3 tier system in bits of Dorset so if you want two tier it kinds of rules some bits out theoretically but in practice might not if you go Grammar or Faith school route.

Very encouraging to hear another positive Ringwood story, thanks !

We moved from London to hampshire. No regrets. We are in small town. Although the villages are lovely I wouldn't go too rural as you will spend your life getting in and out your car. Now dd is 11 she can walk most places - town, sports centre, cinema friends houses etc etc. And then train station to London when she is older! So that in itself means quieter pace for us.

I would love to live in or near Poole, have family there so spent holidays there as a kid and have great memories. Sandbanks beach is great of course. But property in that part of Dorset is expensive.

Could you keep your current jobs? Pay lower here...

Live in Hampshire. Wouldn’t move. I’m in between two cities, 10 min drive to beach & 10 min drive to countryside. Public transport is improving but traffic is still shit during rush hour. Train to London is about 1.5hrs and direct from the station 5 mins drive from me.
Southampton airport is great and Heathrow/Gatwick really not that far in the grand scheme of things!
We spend weekends going for breakfast near the beach, strawberry picking, walks through woods, shopping, train to London, day trip to the Isle of Wight, etc.

We lived in Christchurch and Bransgore before moving to the Island. Both lovely.

chilly

Sounds like you live near me

Though i always forget how huuuuge hampshire is!

We used to live in Ringwood, but moved 3 years ago into a Dorset village. The main reason we left was the increase in traffic in the town, constant background noise of the A31, lots of infill building and a lot of materialistic residents (which has steadily increased over the previous 10 years).

However, the proximity of the A31 does make getting out of town easy, with forest and beach near by.

You could consider Eastleigh - not in itself the prettiest town but close to some really lovely spots, good schools, Southampton and Winchester within reach, London commutable (though expensive) and while property isn't cheap it's less outrageously priced than Winchester or Romsey.

I would also vote Romsey, or for value and lovely properties, Southampton itself. Romsey is 15 mins from Southampton on the train but easy access to beaches and lovely countryside/the New Forest. Southampton is a friendly place for parents, lots of groups and things going on.

I grew up in Cadnam on the edge of the New Forest and am now typing this from my home in Ringwood.

Few observations from things that have already been said.

1. DO NOT move to Lyndhurst. The one way system means all roads in and out are gridlock during the summer season. Also most of the cafes/pubs are seasonal as they cater to tourists. Lovely to cycle to for a Sunday morning breakfast and mooch about from other towns though.

1. Ringwood traffic is only bad if you work in Southampton so do the A31 commute. Also in summer if you want to get to the beach, A338 backs up (but you will learn the back roads for this). Now the A338 roadworks have finished, I can drive from home in the centre of Ringwood to work near Bournemouth hospital in 12 minutes. Plus the walk from the car park and my commute from New Forest to great job is 20 mins max.

1. Gatwick is a pain to fly from but I landed at 9am at Heathrow yesterday and was through security, driven home and sat with a cuppa by 11am! I do this regularly for work (Southampton Airport also) and am also surprised by house easy it is.

1. I am a runner and live right in the town centre but less than 10 mins jog has me in open forest on the trails. Ditto for cycling to pubs etc.

1. Beach is a drive away so if you want to be closer to this, Christchurch is a better bet.

1. I NEVER go into central Bournemouth, never seem to have a need. I do Castlepoint for some shops (M&S, New Look, Waterstones, Next, Gap, River Island), Ringwood for others (Oasis, Hobbs, Phase Eight, Fat Face) or the big town shopping experience (bigger M&S, John Lewis, huge shopping centre), Southampton is best. Southampton also has a great theatre with shows straight from the West End though I have been to some gigs in Bournemouth. For dinner out we drive/cycle to Forest pubs, walk into Ringwood which has some nice food/bar options or cab to some of the reallllly nice restaurants in the Forest for a treat (LimeWood, Chewton Glen, Pebble Beach). Salisbury is also about a 20 min drive and a lot less touristy so in summer we might go there instead.

1. One of my greatest pleasures in life is walking to the town centre, having shops I like to browse in, picking up some treats from the farmers market and going home to cook it for dinner and knowing that it’s all walking distance from home. Very pretty and proper market town vibe also.

1. You must have a car. So much of this stuff would be really difficult to access without mine. Not objecting to paying a cab for a dinner out but we have no Uber and no train station. National Express goes from Ringwood to Bournemouth/Poole/Southampton/Gatwick/Heathrow and buses to Bournemouth/Salisbury but you won’t want to be chained to the times. Some of the further out villages e.g Burley, only have a bus once a week. Saying that, I can still make it to London and back for a gig by driving 20 mins to Southampton Parkway station.

It is the best place ever. I grew up surrounded by Forest and doing outdoor things like hiking and cycling. I live a really outdoorsy lifestyle involving running out on the trails 4 times a week. I still get emotional realising how lucky I am to call somewhere this beautiful home when I’m driving across the forest in the sunset with ponies galloping or grazing alongside the car. The other days I was on my way back from a run and a whole herd of deer jumped across the road in front of me. The stag at the back stopped and stared at me for ages checking me out and he was simply majestic.

Re schools, there are a number of outstanding state primaries in the area. If I were moving at this stage, I would bear in mind that there are also some outstanding grammar schools, of course, if that is what you want. Being technically in catchment can make a big difference about whether a child gets in and would reduce the stress for everyone, if you have a child who might suit grammar.

I used to live in Lymington. I wouldnt move back. Tourist season makes the roads awful.

Do have a look at houses on Isle of Wight -especially West Wight, Yarmouth Totland, Colwell, Freshwater.. or perhaps Cowes or Ryde.. People always say its difficult for commuting etc and schools ,but really we've been here 14years.. and its great.. no bother at all . Just saying.. .