What's Lincolnshire/The Fens like as a place to live?

[CarinaMarina]

We are a couple approaching 50, looking to move to a rural/semi-rural area with plenty of country walking on the doorstep, but with good links to London (e.g the train from King's Lynn doesn't take long, I wouldn't mind driving there for the infrequent occasions I'd need to go). We've found some affordable detached bungalows around parts of Lincolnshire and the Fens that look ideal (perhaps not Boston, we drove through it and it found it a bit soulless). We have been further discouraged by comments from a family member that the entire area is bleak, dismal, dark, there's no decent walking as it's all farmland, and that "the people are weird".

It can't be that bad surely? We come from a coastal city in the south known for its rougher areas so we're not snobs, we just want a slightly more rural lifestyle out of town. Max price £200k.

Any suggestions for reasonable areas - and areas to avoid?

These are 5 minutes walk from my front door OP. Covid has made me feel very lucky to live where we do.

I don't know whether the photos have loaded...

I can see the pics @MaddieElla

@user1471565182

....

Dear god no! I was born and bred in not so sunny scunny and there’s not enough money in the world that would convince me to move back 😂😂

I was just trying to avoid going so far north that London becomes a two-day event. But I suspect we can't have it all ways - if we want to halve our mortgage it's going to have to be further north isn't it. Staffordshire maybe.

I have a relative who lives near King's Lynn. It has seemed pretty dire whenever I have visited, not a place I'd choose to live.

I drive up and down the A1 a fair bit (or did pre-Covid), and always find that whole area a bit bleak and vaguely menacing. I think it's the sky. But everyone likes different landscapes.

I have a friend in a Lincolnshire village (or may be Notts) just off the A1 and the village itself is v attractive, lots of red brick buildings, very nice friendly pub. Close to Grantham, nice NT property or two fairly close by for walks, and Sherwood Forest. You need to have a car to get anywhere though, and the noise of lorries is pretty constant.

Grantham is quite nice, always feels a bit lacking in buzz and vibrancy, but maybe I've been there at the wrong time.

Lincoln itself is lovely.

Have you considered Suffolk? I would pick Suffolk over the Fens any day.

Another from Lincolnshire here, although we moved here approx 10 years ago. I live in a lovely village near Sleaford and have daily in Spalding. I wouldn't live in the Fens for all the tea in China simply because they are sooo remote and don't have amazing infrastructure. it's very agricultural and so place for walking the dog are limited.

I would recommend where we are, Sleaford itself is a bit limited and not great for shopping, although it is improving, but it is a small town like any other with lots of new housing estates, so no real character. The surrounding villages are lovely and have lots of walks, public footpaths and bridle paths etc... You are about 30 minutes from Lincoln which is a lovely city, although again the shopping is limited in terms of the size of the shops and their range. You've got Joules, M&S, Fat Face, House of Fraser and some nice independent shops up by the cathedral which are definitely worth the trek up Steep Hill. An hour away is Nottingham which is much better for shopping but to as quaint. Grantham is 25 minutes away and the trains to London take about an hour from there.

As a pp said check out the internet speed, our village and those surrounding have just been given fibre broadband and now we can watch Netflix with the best of them! However, service is intermittent throughout the county. The people are great up here, friendly and welcoming, definitely not weird. If you want a cosmopolitan life with theatres etc.. then Lincolnshire is not for you, you would have to get in the car to go to Nottingham or the train to London as we do. We moved up here for the excellent schools, rural life and to do the whole Good Life thing with ponies etc... as it is affordable. However, don't leave it too long as prices are going up and whilst it's still cheap compared to the rest of the UK it is getting more expensive. Hope this helps, happy for you to PM me.

What are you looking for when you move?

Lincolnshire is like anywhere. Has good bits and bad bits. Friendly people, not so friendly.

Train links to London can be great. It can be a long drive to other parts of the country.

If you're worried about healthcare, check out the hospitals. Rural areas are different to towns and especially London when it comes to healthcare. Partly because the population is more spread out, partly can be harder if you need specialist care.

Apologies for all my typos, I should have said we live near Sleaford. Have a look at this link.

prettypup.co.uk/blog/dog-walks-in-lincolnshire-our-favourites/

I was just trying to avoid going so far north that London becomes a two-day event. But I suspect we can't have it all ways - if we want to halve our mortgage it's going to have to be further north isn't it. Staffordshire maybe.

If you can bear to go even further north, but stick to the East Coast Mainline (Retford, Newark, Doncaster, Wakefield, York) London is a do-able day trip by train, at least as far as Wakefield (2 hrs). I live in glorious countryside 30 mins from Wakefield Westgate, with easy access to Sheffield and Leeds too, as well as smaller towns.

My friend lives in Lincoln and it’s a really lovely city, I would have no qualms living there at all

@HebeJeeby we are also in sleaford

[quote MaddieElla]@HebeJeeby we are also in sleaford [/quote]
I once went to a ‘club’ in Sleaford, it was upstairs and instead of seating they has large faux leather bed type things.

I remember feeling very rough in wetherspoons the next day, it was next to an arch I think?

I see you have been warned off Wisbech already. Just adding to that. There are some lovely people in Wisbech and some beautiful buildings but there are far more horrible people, the culture is racist and xenophobic and violent and insular, there is nothing there worth moving for and a lot worth moving from. We used to view Lynn as a step up and most people regard it as a rough, pikey ridden (that's another thing, the idea of some language being offensive and best avoided is a joke there) hell hole, that might give you an idea of how nice Wisbech and its surroundings are. I am allowed to slate it, btw, I lived there for a long time. I'd do an awful lot to avoid moving back.

I do miss the skies though. Nothing to compete with a Fen sky. There are some beautiful parts. And oddly I miss the accent. We stopped for petrol just outside Lynn a couple of years ago on holiday, dh had to make me get back in the car and leave, I wanted to stay there and hear people talk Fenny for hours ;)

I live in a cliff village south of Lincoln and if you can find something in your budget then it might suit you. These three properties would offer village living with access to great dog walking on the doorstep.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/76076943#/
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86007712#/
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/80424616#/

My Grandad was a scunny UTD legend so im unfortunately tied to the place forever.

I grew up in Lincolnshire. Some areas around the Wolds are ok. Stamford and Oakham much better but more pricey.

Nice, friendly etc comes down to personal opinion.

We live in the outskirts of Grantham. Direct walking routes from centre of Grantham out into the hills and further afield. Everyone I've met has been friendly. It's run down in parts (the high street especially, it's really suffered this year) but there are lots of independent shops. Thetes the new development planned out at Downtown. It has an M&S food, as well as cheaper supermarkets. Then there's the £100,000 statue of Maggie Thatcher.... The local news website is hilarious (they have a section for silly parking, a MN dream!)
Its never going to be in the top places to live lists, but thetes nothing wrong about it.

I've lived in South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, two other countries and London. They've all had their plus points and negative points.

Have you considered over the bridge in East Yorkshire? More interesting countryside/better walks, nice villages and small towns and close to York/Hull/Leeds for culture and shopping. Direct train to London from Hull and York too.

I live in Stamford. It is NOT like the rest of Lincolnshire at all... But its wildly expensive.

If i were you i would look ONLY at Market Deeping, Spalding and Bourne. (in that order). And their surrounding villages. No where else. Its all a bit Royston Vasey elsewhere and rough/depressing.

Grantham and its villages are getting better year on year and some massive bargains to be had there.

Thanks MrsPnut, that 2nd one is exactly what we've been looking for! So slightly north of Lincoln is a little better - plenty of countryside round there but I wonder about actual footpaths...

Thurlby is a lovely village with a great pub (dog friendly, nice landlords and good food). Its on the "nicer" side of the county.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/94974050#/

How about Norfolk?
You'd still get the train from Kings Lynn.

@CarinaMarina There are plenty around there and the village is less than 5 minutes from the edge of Lincoln.
I’ve attached a photo from a footpath website.

I agree with @BigusBumus

Market Deeping, Spalding and Bourne. Or their outskirts villages would be good.