Moving to South Devon

[ondevontime]

Reposting in chat in case better place for this.

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this or not but would be really grateful for any advice.

We are relocating to Devon due to my husband's new job in Torquay. The commute needs to be 30 minutes or less. We have two teenagers and one in primary so obviously need to take schooling into account. The children are not keen to be somewhere very rural or at least want somewhere with reasonable transport links. They are actually keen on Exeter itself but I'm concerned the commute might be a bit too far for my husband. Torquay itself seems quite run down.
I am torn between being near the sea and the moor.
I wondered if anyone has any recommendations of possible locations for us and might be able to describe the pros and cons of the places and whether they might suit a family/ what the roads are like, etc

Many thanks

The grammars are single sex in Torquay if you really want that. Churston is a mixed grammar and nice places near by, Churston village has some lovely houses and good buses. Stoke Gabriel is lovely but although not far is a bit less accessible. For the younger child Galmpton primary is a nice village school a short walk from the grammar.

I wouldn't take kids to live in Totnes, my GC tell me the drug problem there is a real problem and KEVICS , the local school, hasn't had the best reputation in recent years.

Personally I’d love in a small village outside of a town. I love South Devon. But I did find the people very unfriendly when I lived there. Totnes not so much because most people are “outsiders”.

There are train links from Exeter to Torquay. Lots of people do it
I was one of those people. It's bloody awful - the line is on the coast and at the mercy of the weather/sea, and the service is unreliable (delays, get cancelled at the drop of a hat), slow, expensive and there are never enough carriages at peak times. Also TQ station isn't very central and if you need to catch a bus as well then that's a whole other headache. It doesn't look too bad on paper but the reality is a bit rubbish if you have to commute every day.

It is amazing how different views are. I find Totnes very cliquey, live near, worked there. It was nicer when the students were there from Dartington but I think it has changed alot since then. I found you had to be a local or definitely all the family needed to wear hand knitted rainbow jumpers and be called something like Thor.

There is a talk of a new station in Torquay, not replacing the main station or Torre. It is supposed to be somewhere near the hospital I think, maybe between the hospital and The Willows?

@1forsorrow. Yes, that’s exactly how Totnes is! Rainbow jumpers.

I had loads of strange experiences when I was working in Totnes. One was a woman standing on the street, with a stall of empty plastic food containers. She was offering memories. You could put your memory of a special occasion inside and swap it for someone else’s memory.

Another was someone walking around blowing foam from their mouth, huge piles of bubbles everywhere.

These sound very unbelievable, but are true.

Haha, that sounds just like Totnes. I went to Dartington. I was in the last year to graduate. I have heard Totnes isn't quite the same with out it.

Did you ever see the gong man? Set up a chair and you could pay him to bang a gong round you. Chatting (begging him to move from under my office widow) he told me the visitors loved "the healing experience" I think they paid him £5 to bang his gong. A friend said she was going to set up as a rival circling a china teacup over your head to induce an aura. They'd probably have paid for that as well.

I always found the rainbow jumpers funny. I think you are supposed to think how good they are using up all these oddments but then you realise none of them have an item knitted in one colour and who has enough rainbow oddments of wool to knit all those jumpers. The locals call them "rainbow nazis."

Poor OP, I bet she wishes she'd never asked.

When I worked in Torquay, it was traditional to live and socialise in Totnes. I'd look there.

However if you did anything science based, you just kept quiet about it otherwise you could accidentally be shunned. I went to a lovely dance class for 3 years (still miss it) but for FFS never talk about vaccination.

Place was full of teens wearing tie dyed T-shirts and faux Bolivian hat who were All Individuals.

I appreciate I've now made it sound off-putting but seriously, I'd look in Totnes.

To be honest I would talk to your DH about accepting more than a 30 min commute. I would then look at either Exeter (particularly for the kids, far more to do etc, easier for them to do activities/get jobs/socialise) or Brixham (lovely seafront, not deprived). I wouldn't go to Teignmouth etc as there is just nothing there.

DP (son of an old school antivaxxer) says the first thing you need to do before setting foot on Totnes' soil is get all your travel shots.

If this move is due to a surgical rotation/etc, it probably wouldn't be the most relaxing social life.

Traffic around Exeter is an utter pig. 45 minutes to travel about half a mile at around 2.30pm onwards.

He always went to Brixham and caught the boat to Torquay to visit his GM - not the most practical option, but it was lovely (and better than the bus ride, even with the wifi on the Gold bus).

I think you'll need to allow for narrow, narrow roads, the possibility of them getting blocked by snow, sea or plague of sheep, an absolute fuckton of tourists, caravans and sailing enthusiasts every single weekend morning/afternoon (as the current situation isn't going to last forever) and draw a circle from where DH needs to be (picking the most rural in that circle rather than the most touristy as I said before).

Oh I've got stuck in traffic with a flock of sheep completely stopping the road into Totnes. I've also got stuck behind some cows that escaped when going for milking. All free spirits in Totnes as long as you are the right sort of free spirit. Not just the antivaxxers, the true individuals object to any sort of dealing with head lice, head lice have rights as well you know. A friend of mine was driven mad by constantly having to deal with her DDs hair due to this philosophy.

I still like a trip to Totnes market occasionally.

It's twinned with Narnia for a reason.

If you're Brixham side, Brixham, Churston, Kingswear you can always turn off at Windy Corner and go round the ring road and then down into Torquay, depends where he's working in Torquay but can be alot quicker and no problems with the road being closed due to the sea. I've lived in South Devon for nearly 25 years and had a problem with snow one winter, unless you go on the moor snow is rare.

I’d like to add that I lived in Teignmouth and love it now, but wasn’t keen as a teenager (felt dead to me!).

1forsorrow

You are making me cry with laughter. Rainbow nazis! So true. I didn’t see the gong man, wish I had. I once mentioned to a work colleague about cooking something in a microwave. She leaned in and quietly said to me “in Totnes, it’s not a good idea to tell people you use a microwave” she had one at home, but said “never tell anyone”.

There also was the urine drinkers. Wards off illness you know! Rub it on a cut and it will heal quickly. No need for antiseptics.

I loved the busker on the corner of the high street who was in full Scottish tartan on his bagpipes.

I must pop back when this is over, it’s a fab place.

Wow! The thread took off I see. Thanks for all the responses and sorry I haven't managed to reply earlier.

Totnes sounds a bit too hippy for us from all the descriptions of rainbow jumpers. It is beautiful though.

We aren't from London but live in a small town in a fairly rural area. We've lived in a number of places in the past. Definitely not expecting London nor wanting it!
The places mentioned futher South look lovely but I'm edging towards somewhere a bit nearer Exeter or with relatively easy access so we can visit friends and family elsewhere in the country without too much difficulty. Is it worth considering Ashburton/ Bovey/ places near Dartmoor or is the commute across to Torquay terrible?
Budget around 600,000

Ashburton? Bit quiet for teens.

Kenton? Easy access to join the Exeter-> Torquay road (no need to battle through city traffic). Regular buses to Exeter (25 mins to city centre). 20 minute walk to Starcross for trains to Exeter / Torbay / Plymouth.

I live in Totnes and am definitely not a hippy, neither are the majority of kids/parents at the local primary school. We do find ourselves saying “only in Totnes” quite a lot though!

Exeter direction is going to increase his commute. Unless you go for somewhere like Newton Abbot surrounding villages. Easier to get to Exeter.

I think the problem could be that you want Exeter and he will be travelling to Torquay. Anywhere in the middle is a bit bland. Newton Abbot isn’t that bad. But it’s very average. I have loads of friends who live there and love it.

• @1forsorrow. Yes, that’s exactly how Totnes is! Rainbow jumpers.*

One to avoid then, I think!

“in Totnes, it’s not a good idea to tell people you use a microwave” she had one at home, but said “never tell anyone”.

Priceless!!!

“only in Totnes” We always say "Totnesstyle"