Whats Dorset/New Forest like to live in

[CatsWhiskers2020]

Specifically Corfe Mullen/Wimbourne/Milford on Sea

We live rurally and are moving so our 2 young DC can have access to better schools and more friends

Can anyone help? Or any areas similar to look at?
Wanting Village or Town, ideally a shop or two. Nice areas to be active as we love being out on the bikes and walking. Budget around £900k

I would personally vote for "smaller" house and walking distance to the beach - but we aren't in your price bracket.

The beach in winter is amazing - we have a beach car park pass so regularly drive down to walk. It can be heaving in summer - but we then go early or late or to a different area...

Second beaches in winter - they're lovely. We spent roughly half your budget and got a 4 bed house 10mins drive from the beach, although thats in Bournemouth so not really relevant so much for you.

I think, personally, id also go for a smaller house thats closer to the beach and a town somewhere (secondary school considerations taken into account). Thats based on DC growing up and quality of life for them, assuming they're going to gravitate towards towns etc anyway.

Ive always thought verwood might be a good compromise, but my budget would be less than yours. it is near ringwood, in the catchment for QE I think, surrounded by forests and bike paths into new forest and 10 miles to the beach.

Verwood sounds a good one to look at, thank you

I think if we are sub 30mins to the beach we would make the effort to walk there. Its not far off that to our nearest city and in normal times we visit as and when we like. Rural living means we are used to jumping in a car

Not sure if it's been mentioned but Wareham and surrounding villages are lovely and lots of beautiful walks and bike rides on the doorstep, along the river, round Purbeck, Wareham Forest.
Also with shops, cinema and mainline rail on your doorstep.

@Botanica Wareham has been one we have looked at too but we couldnt work out the schools - as in which ones they would go to after Primary. It does look beautiful in the villages around there

Broadstone is very suburban but has v good junior schools ( and is catchment for Poole grammars) and a good selection of ‘everyday’ shops. Wimborne is more like a town in its own right. Don’t know about local schools there. If you’re considering independent there is a good girls school
3-18 in Bournemouth called talbot Heath that has has kids coming from Wimborne etc. The main preps are castle court and dumpton. New Forest is gorgeous but summer traffic round Lyndhurst/ Brockenhurst is terrible and teens definitely lift dependent. Countryside is generally lovely though and of course the beaches are great.

Wareham etc are lovely but a bit of a drive round if the sandbanks ferry is out of action which it frequently is.

@insert1x20p thank you! Traffic we know is a pain around there as we have spent a lot of time in the area, we just started travelling around when no one else would be which seemed to work nicely. We dont mind being a teen taxi service to a degree, its such a short time they are in need of it in the grand scheme of things. We are so outdoorsy having things on the doorstep is worth the hit to us adults - i know as teens they may disagree

www.purbeck.dorset.sch.uk/ For Wareham I think. Have heard that has been really improving recently.

For that budget I would look at Lymington. On a trainline (unusual for NF), sea for kids, quick access to Forest for you. Market town with restaurants, shops etc in walking distance.

I’m Ringwood and LOVE it; I am within walking distance of all the coffee shops etc but within 10 minutes of running I am in open New Forest. Your budget would get you a rural house which is still walking/cycling distance to school/friends but it’s a bit far from the sea maybe?

I would avoid anything in the Bournemouth/Poole conurbation because of the traffic- I work in Bournemouth and colleagues who live in these areas describe it that they are trapped between sea one side and traffic the other- they literally don’t leave home on days when the weather is good in summer and the traffic is a DailyMail headline.

Maybe also look at Highcliffe/Christchurch? Sandy beaches, cute high streets, less rural but a bit more connected to Bournemouth/Poole and slightly less touristy?

@FoolsAssassin i did think it would be that school, thank you!

@user1471548941 Lymington sounds promising too. We don't mind being too far from the sea at the moment it is a 2hr drive but we still do it! Will have a look at the other areas you mentioned too. Sounds almost like we are spoilt for choice

User that only really applies driving from one side of Poole across to Bournemouth (ie Poole to Bournemouth hospital).
Driving within Poole is fine.

I have lived in Bournemouth/Ferndown/Christchurch all my life. I would strongly deter you from living in or near central Bournemouth - it is nothing like it used to be, i.e. a lovely seaside town - half the shops are closed, beggars and druggies roam the streets and it's just not a nice place to be now! However, many of the outlying towns and villages are still lovely. I found this house in New Milton which seems a lot of house for the money!

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/106568702#/

We are currently thinking of moving from suburban Christchurch and I found a lovely place in New Milton which even had a swimming pool, all for £875K!

Yes, it's nice to be within walking distance of the beach (we are) but to be honest, although it will be a novelty for you to begin with, you will find that you just don't bother to go (especially in the summer when they are filled with grockles!). Beaches are much nicer in the late autumn and winter.

Having said all that, it is lovely to be within easy distance of the sea, the forest and only 100 minutes to London by train!

I would avoid anything in the Bournemouth/Poole conurbation because of the traffic- I work in Bournemouth and colleagues who live in these areas describe it that they are trapped between sea one side and traffic the other- they literally don’t leave home on days when the weather is good in summer and the traffic is a DailyMail headline

This is bonkers and not at all true.

@Tropicalfairycake good to know thank you

@magicsummer that house looks lovely. I think a high proportion of seaside towns are suffering issues these days sadly. We do already prefer to go to the beach on a sunny but autumn day, walking distance is lovely but its not a "must have" i dont think

Letsallscreamatthesistene I will have to disagree with you there. The roads in Bournemouth and Poole were actually rated the 3rd worst for congestion in the UK.

I feel like I spend much of my time stuck in traffic. Had to drive to Poole Hospital yesterday and it took ages to get there and back.

It depends on what you do.

Lived her for ages and never had a problem really .Nothing like when we lived on edge of London.

Getting out of Poole is fine, working in Poole is fine.

What is difficult is driving properly across the two (poole to bmth hospital for example). We often drive to Purbecks or New forest to walk for example rather than Hengistbury head as poole to HH is just boring roads.

I guess its getting in and around Bmth thays the problem maybe?

Could anyone tell me what Ashley Heath is like?