Move to Bridgewater - any opinions?

[CrochetNut]

Afternoon

DH & I are considering a move to Bridgewater area - combination of both our jobs moving to WFH permanently and wanting to move away from the SE.

Does anyone have any opinions on the area? Good or bad, we’ve literally just stuck a pin in a map and have never even visited!

Thanks

@callingon

Weston used to be very rough and I’ve always found it very depressing - there’s a reason Banksy was inspired to put dismaland there. I suppose if you can find the kitsch in it it might be for you? I know some people do. Or it might be nicer now... tbh ime of the SW I think a lot of rural towns are on the cusp of very nice/very depressing. I’d definitely recommend spending some time in the SW before committing to a move.

Weston-super-Mare is still very depressing! I live there. We do have lovely parks and woods,the beach isn't bad. Bridgwater is more depressing than here! But not as smelly as it used to be.

I'd avoid Glastonbury lovely as it is,it gets very busy in the summer and its very much a marmite place,you either love it or hate it.

Around Wells is lovely,so are Wedmore,Cheddar,Axbridge and Mark. The Chew Valley area is gorgeous.

I'm feeling a little defensive of Taunton, the high street has suffered recently but it's a nice town, the schools are excellent, loads of lovely parks, good sense of community. You're also close to the coast (45 mins in the car) and close to the countryside (5 mins from my house!)

I have family near Bruton and Frome, they're nice areas but pricey!

Jesus no its properly rough. I live in a village just outside Glastonbury and lived in Bridgwater to 6 months. I wouldn't go out at night at all I was too scared. Its probably one of the worst places to live in Somerset. There are lots of lovely places and this isn't one of them avoid like the plague.

Bridgwater is awful, Taunton is ok, Wellington is also nice and not too far away from these.

There are loads of lovely villages on and around the area though.

I would personally choose (in order)
Langport
South Petherton
Pitney
High Ham
Pedwell
Baltonsbourgh
Bruton

Not frome- it’s very divided IMO

Having not been to Bridgwater since I was a young child I can’t remember it, but it has a few uncomplimentary mentions on www.ilivehere.co.uk/ including this

“...Its true, its official… large sections of 1960s east London sink estates were being transported by road to the Bristol channel for deposition and destruction, only to be granted last minute reprive by the unsuspecting and naive RSPCA who feared the disposal in the mouth of the Severn would seriously harm the estuary wildlife. Instead the filth ridden structures (and their inhabitants) were dumped around the peaceful country market village of Bridgwater (whose residents immediatly fled to the safety of nearby Taunton) and allowed to survive and mutate into the “ of the South West” in architectural, economical, cultural and demographical terms…”

And this

“...The shady bayous, rhynes and drainage ditches that tie together a patchwork of scrubland, council-estates and upturned burning Vauxhalls gained notoriety when Bridgwater was chosen as the preferred location for the film ‘Deliverance’. Had the local population been prettier, cleverer and cleaner, they might have secured acting parts too. On visiting the town, Burt Reynolds was heard to say ‘My sweet Jesus Christ. I don’t have to stick my head up a cow’s * to know it stinks but this is somethin’ else’...” 😆

I wonder what drew the op to Bridgwater in the first place?!

I went to secondary school in Bridgwater. I feel like I should say something loyal and upbeat on this thread, but actually I'm okay with actually, it doesn't smell as much as it used to being the town's marketing slogan. Or at least it's not Yeovil.

I'm sad to hear about Taunton, though. Has it really gone downhill? I can sort of understand County Stores disappearing (sad, but its stock was expensive and pretty random), but it sounds like half the high street has disappeared.

@paloma3 it’s shocking. Big homeless and drug problem. Worse than ever. Loads of shops gone.

The independent shops are battling on and seem strong. Riverside and Bath Place are thriving. But the main streets are depressing and that was pre-covid. So that’s got worse now.

Personally I think Bridgwater is on the up. New retail park with good shops that Taunton doesn’t have. Houses popping up everywhere.

I don’t live in either place, but shop occasionally at both. I feel safer in Bridgwater which I never thought I’d say.

Don’t know why the OP started this thread, they haven’t come back!

@MsTSwift

I wonder what drew the op to Bridgwater in the first place?!

When I moved to Somerset for work 2 years ago I looked at the map and Bridgwater seemed convenient for everywhere. I rented a flat there without looking at the town first as it was the only place where a landlord would let me have my cat, I wasn't leaving her behind. I was there for 6 months and it's road rage/national front central. There was a national front pub down the road. People there would murder you as soon as look at you. I bought a house and moved away and that was the best day of my life. It's just industrial and grim. On the plus side lots of shops but the town centre is run down. I would also avoid Taunton and definitely Yeovil, I have been working in all these places in the NHS and have seen the worse bits. My favourite places to visit are Porlock and Dunster, I like to go to visit the sea there and it's always quiet. There are so many beautiful villages everywhere and everyone is friendly. I've made so many friends here. I wanted to be near Glastonbury as most of my friends live there but not in it as it's a bit mad and not at all attractive.

It’s a bit deeper into Somerset, but Castle Cary isn’t bad, although in the shadow of Bruton price wise.

Bridgwater is grim af and the traffic is horrific!

I live in North Somerset. Clevedon is lovely - loads of lovely independent shops & restaurants, close to Bristol, right on the coast and because the beach isn’t great as in not sandy it’s not packed in summer, close to the motorway, no train station though there is one in yatton about 3 miles away

If you move to a small village straight away you might find the lifestyle change a bit much

Castle Cary is a weird non-town , aesthetically pleasing but nothing there, nothing....a train station for London is about it. No supermarket...very little else.

I have lived yeovil and its not as bad as people make out , it has its rough places but also nice places , town centre is not so good but thats the same everywhere now and its great location wise as 30 mins to a beach , just over hr to bath or bristol, lots of new housing estates going up at the moment.
There are some nice villages around but even these have there issues, nowhere is perfect

WHat beach is 30 mins form Yeovil?

Poole, Weymouth

I suppose it is. Never thought it was so near.