Where is the best place to live in the uk with kids?

[Greenbutterlfy566]

Where is the best place to live in the uk with kids?

Looking to move and would like others opinions on where theyd like to live or do live?

Sorry i should have put more in. So we'd like to be close to the beach, Semi-rural and relatively low living costs.

Skegness?

I live in Scotland, on the coast about 30 mins from Edinburgh, nice wee town ideal if you like the outdoors but near enough to the city.

The south west? Somerset or Devon? I live in Somerset about a 40 min drive from the closest beach.

Houses are cheapish, we have easy links to cities such as Bristol or Exeter, London is a 2 hour train journeys way.

Devon and Cornwall are also close by as well as the Quantocks, Exmoor and Dartmoor which are all beautiful.

Schools are good and there's lots to do for young families.

Plus it's much warmer down here than up North 😉

South west I moved here from near london 15 years ago and love it here. Beaches, beautiful countryside and near citys.

Northumberland coast / amazing beaches, semi rural but easy to get into the city (Newcastle, which has an amazing cultural scene, great restaurants, lots to do with children), good schools.
You can get a LOT of house for your money.
I’m from there, and would move back if I could.

Cologne it depends what sort of kids you have. No, you may not be able to find suzuki violin lessons for your 3 year old and it will be a long drive to the nearest Royal Ballet School Associates programme.. but if they are outdoorsy it is great.

My DS is obsessed with sailing and he is very well catered for.

What tigerbear said. We're near Amble, and it's fantastic. Not Lynemouth though, they'll have all your copper piping out.

@DisgraceToTheYChromosome we loved Amble. We’re hopefully coming back in the summer depending on how things go but would move there in a heartbeat.

I grew up in Southern Europe, lived in the US, Sydney, UK and Tel Aviv and settled in Scotland to start a family.

Best decision ever. Second choice would be been Canada or NZ.

London

I visited Cambridge a few months ago I really didn't like it, horrible architecture outside of the few nice historic buildings in the centre. Weird atmosphere. I would say the Yorkshire golden triangle

I grew up in West Wales, Its perfect to raise a family.
At 18 I moved to the boarder of England, again, ideal place where we raised our children.
After 10yrs, we moved back to West Wales, My children are now living the childhood I had, I count our family very very lucky

I love North Wales but decided against as too far from London for my Dh who has to go for work sometimes.
We looked at Lincolnshire but lots of negative comments on there! We are now looking at East riding of yorkshire!

Are you restricted by jobs?

With kids I'd want as much house as I could get for my money because the bigger they get the more room they want. So head to the north and get a 4 bed house with a decent garden (bliss in the current situation). For all the grim up north cliches if you've got a reasonable income you can have a very nice lifestyle. Agree with the Northumbrian coast, commuter belt to Newcastle if you need access to the city for jobs. The coast of Co Durham is much grimmer so I'd avoid that although inland there are lovely villages/towns that aren't too far from the coast, Sedgefield or Yarm are very naice.

Oh God don't move to Wales fgs there are like zero opportunities for school leavers. Our local fe college didnt even offer a level courses. And the education budget is way less per head per child than England. Plus they spend way too much of it on compulsory Welsh and Re.

@Destroyedpeople are you seriously writing off a whole country? Just because you had a bad experience doesn't mean there's not some wonderful areas to grow up.

I have a lot of friends who grew up living on the coast
They said in Summer it was great but in winter everything closed down and the only thing to do was sit on the beach in the cold at night with their friends drinking/smoking/doing drugs and or setting fire to beach huts.

Each got out as soon as they could.

Whilst nice scenery and walks along the deserted beach in winter might sound idyllic for an adult make sure there are places to go and things to do as a teen in off season.

Deffo Hampshire especially around New Forest. My Brother's family live there and say it is the best place and they are very happy there. Good schools apparently and lots and lots for kids (and adults) to do. As long as you have a car, that is You may well end up being a taxi service for your kids!

Yes, there is public transport but it is not great. I always end up taking a bus 2 hours earlier than I need to to get to the coach station there. The only regular buses go through estates.

I live in a gorgeous part of Surrey which is perfect for bringing up kids (rural but with loads to do), but if you are looking for countryside and sea, West Sussex would be an idyllic place for a family to grow up, loads of lovely semi rural spots that sit between the South Downs National Park and the sea. Might be £££ though.. a lifestyle such as the one you desire doesn't often come cheap.

@MinnieMountain yes I seriously am. Sure if you are proper local or well off ( and that means 'has a job') with kids going off to uni I am sure it's lovely. Otherwise it has little to recommend it. Too many washed up teens and young people sorry I am seeing it with my own eyes please don't dismiss my 'lived experience '. The girls have babies and the boys go onto dealing

And the low education budget and lack of proper FE isn't my 'bad experience' it's pure fact. As is the two tier education system.....two schools in town run like they are grammar and secondary modern only they are both 'comp'. Oh yes the 'nice' one with better facilities and more money is the Welsh speaking one..linguistic apartheid frankly.

@Destroyedpeople but my 'lived experience' in Pembrokeshire was different, and clearly more positive, than yours. If you'd said "don't move to X town in Wales" then fair enough but your particular experience doesn't entitle you to slag off the whole of Wales.

Fair enough Pembrokeshire might be better. Ok don't move to Ceredigion or anywhere where dyfed Powys police operate.

So only half of Wales then?

And the lower education budget is across wales