Moving to South Northamptonshire or any other nice areas.

[Saxo367]

Hi all,
I was wondering if you all can spare a few minutes to point me to any relatively safe area in South Northamptonshire or other areas as I am looking to move there soon. I understand from reading other posts that some areas are not so nice/safe. My budget is £300 or less for a 3 bedroom. I currently live in a relatively safe area in Hertfordshire but due to divorce I can't afford to buy there so have to move, besides I will like a completely new beginning and hopefully make new sets of friends. Hope someone can help me out. Thanks.

@Saxo367 if you are able to, I'd recommend a visit to some of the northants towns & villages. You can see for yourself what they're like and make a judgement on the people. I do not agree that Northants is grim and one person's experience should not dissuade you from moving here.

@MilduraS There is absolutely NO immigration in my village. I live very rurally. A VERY small community.

I went to Towcester yesterday shopping, as a white middle class loaded person with money to spend. I spent £300 there, was made very welcome. I came back home to my village and not seen a soul. Never see anyone here in the village. But my big old London money bought this house, renovated it totally, and added value to neighbours properties. I have contributed to village groups and donated and spent money, hundreds of pounds , in Towcester and this village. I don't really fit in.

It's okay for me to spend and invest money in this community/county but not ok for me to fit in or be accepted or have help when isolating?

I moved to Northampton 5 years ago and made loads of friends. Now have a family here and am meeting new people all the time through my baby classes. I've not encountered any prejudice against southerners moving here.

Duston, Upton, Hunsbury, and Hardingstone are all nice areas on the edge of town. I think the surrounding villages are lovely but likely to be more expensive.

I am a Herts girl, i just do not think a fellow Herts girl is going to like it here. Suggesting Duston, Upton and Grange Park as good enough for Op is wrong. Total toilets.

Stay in Herts Op. Maybe Hitchin , Stevenage or Letchworth. Watford, North Watford, Mill End or Maple Cross.

[quote Saxo367]@Ifiknewthenwhatiknow, am so sorry to hear this. Don't know what to say really.[/quote]
That's it's a shame she allegedly had that experience, but many people living in the county haven't had the same experience at all. If the village was that bad, you'd think they'd name it so as to warn you. 🤷‍♀️

I desperately want to know the name of the village. You hear of those attitudes all time in places like Cornwall but that's because it's popular for holiday home owners and it's pricing locals out. I can't imagine many people have a second home in Northants.

I've lived in Northamptonshire for over 30 years. Admittedly in towns rather than villages and in the north of the county rather than the south. I'm originally from Liverpool. The people have been welcoming and I have had no difficulty settling down and making friends. It was easier once I was part of the school gate mob.

Come and have a look around to get a feel for the place.

@Doodle2021

Towcester is lovely i echo this and easy access to A5 and ultimately M1 Duston (old village) is nice, the new village not so much There is a estate of new homes going up oppositr Duston in Upton and the site looks really well done. Ill try to find the name of the site. Not sure if you are looking at new builds?

Grange park is also nice. You are likely to get a townhouse with that budget in Grange park.
Wootton also (im not sure your budget may extend to Wootton ive not looked recently)
Also the villages between Northampton and Bedford
Olney
Turvey
Sharnbrook
Great houghton/little houghton
Braefield on the green

You won't get much for 300 in Olney, you might just about in Sharnbrook. Try Higham Ferrers. Lovely town near rushden

"That's it's a shame she allegedly had that experience, but many people living in the county"
haven't had the same experience at all "

No allegedly about it.

"If the village was that bad, you'd think they'd name it so as to warn you. 🤷‍♀️"

The village is so small it would out the poster. The poster has given fair warning to the OP.

"I've lived in Northamptonshire for over 30 years. Admittedly in towns rather than villages and in the north of the county rather than the south. I'm originally from Liverpool. The people have been welcoming and I have had no difficulty settling down and making friends. It was easier once I was part of the school gate mob."

What part of London is Liverpool then? I guess your southern west London accent was a great help at the midlands sch gates. My Nan and Grandad from Birkenhead. I have no scouse dialect as born in London. I guess a regional accent may help you fit in , in the midlands sch gates.

Trying to think of a village with a population of only 400 people that is very near Duston!

@Ifiknewthenwhatiknow

"That's it's a shame she allegedly had that experience, but many people living in the county" haven't had the same experience at all "

No allegedly about it.

"If the village was that bad, you'd think they'd name it so as to warn you. 🤷‍♀️"

The village is so small it would out the poster. The poster has given fair warning to the OP.

Nah, not fair warning at all. To be honest, maybe there is a slight attitude which rubs people up the wrong way? 🤷‍♀️

Bearing in mind the number of people who haven't had the same Northants experience, it suggests that maybe the problem isn't Northants in and of itself. Even if this did happen exactly as described, the experience in the one village isn't indicative of the whole county!

And, frankly, it's lunacy to say that London / southern accents are a problem. Northants is relatively close to London and that type of accent is commonly heard.

OP, visit the county and have a look for yourself. It's not a bad county, as they go.

@AutumnOrange

Trying to think of a village with a population of only 400 people that is very near Duston!

Chapel Brampton?

"Nah, not fair warning at all. To be honest, maybe there is a slight attitude which rubs people up the wrong way? 🤷‍♀️
Bearing in mind the number of people who haven't had the same Northants experience, it suggests that maybe the problem isn't Northants in and of itself. Even if this did happen exactly as described, the experience in the one village isn't indicative of the whole"

Agree. There are also multiple people who move here and
experience the same but , do not partake of Mumsnet.

I wish the OP all the very best. x

@AutumnOrange

Trying to think of a village with a population of only 400 people that is very near Duston!

Greens Norton? There was a beautiful chapel conversion for sale there recently. The only reason I could think that the sellers would let it go would be bad neighbour relations. It looked like my dream home so I couldn't imagine ever wanting to leave!

The comments about Northamptonshire are pissing me off. It is not a toilet as someone posted up thread. I actually live in one of the places i suggested and someone called a toilet. It has a great community and large cheap houses with lots of ammenities close. And fantastic parks.

As in most places it takes a while to make friends and i can only assume if you havent made any friends here theres another reason why.

Southern accents are not a issue here. I myself am not originally from Northampton im from London and my partner is from the North so yeh something else (i would guess your attitude) maybe rubbed people the wrong way.

" It has a great community and large cheap houses".

I do not live anywhere near the cheap housing and perhaps that is why i have missed out on the great community.

How can accents be an issue?
Northamptonshire is as neutral and bland as any other southern county accent wise

OP only you can make your decision and as always with these type of threads there'll be for and against any area as there are so many different people living in it.

Other posters obviously have their reasons for their dissenting comments which all sound rather bitter but that doesn't mean you'll have a similar experience. Have a look round the area see what your budget will get you and whats right for your family and good luck xx

I dunno, this here:

I went to Towcester yesterday shopping, as a white middle class loaded person with money to spend. I spent £300 there, was made very welcome. I came back home to my village and not seen a soul. Never see anyone here in the village. But my big old London money bought this house, renovated it totally, and added value to neighbours properties. I have contributed to village groups and donated and spent money, hundreds of pounds , in Towcester and this village. I don't really fit in.

Reminds me of this:

I can't think why there was a problem! 🤔🤷‍♀️

OP Relatives moved to one of the places some years ago without knowing anyone and were totally integrated into the community. The train to London from Milkton Keynes (which is about 20/25 mins from Towcester) so lots of relatives' friends are ex-Londoners that commute into Euston.

@Rainbowsew

How can accents be an issue? Northamptonshire is as neutral and bland as any other southern county accent wise

OP only you can make your decision and as always with these type of threads there'll be for and against any area as there are so many different people living in it.

Other posters obviously have their reasons for their dissenting comments which all sound rather bitter but that doesn't mean you'll have a similar experience. Have a look round the area see what your budget will get you and whats right for your family and good luck xx

There is most definitely a Northamptonshire accent! It's very easily identifiable and different from a generic Southern accent. I like the Northants accent just pointing out that you are wrong.

There isn't one Northants' accent either. Kettering tends towards either Leics / Notts / East Anglia dialect with it (and drops Hs, Ts and Gs); depending on the age of the resident, and their background, a large proportion of Corby has the Scottish-based accent; and Northampton has a more southern accent, for instance.

If you want welcoming and cheap with large open spaces close to a town centre with loads of amenities, you should try Weldon Park or Priors Hall to the north of Corby. Both lovely wide open brand new estates with lots of green space and a new secondary due to open in two years.

Corby is incredibly welcoming to people from outside the area because it’s a town made up of migrants. Loads of Londoners here (I won’t mention North Londonshire..) It has a fabulous swimming pool, lovely town centre that doesn’t make you feel depressed and friendly people. The transport links are also good. You’re not far from the A1 or the A14.

It’s probably not what you were originally after but you should take a look.

I stand corrected about the northern half of the county, having had a Google it is a complex county and more influenced by the Midlands and other areas.

But I do believe that accents are unlikely to be a cause for the unwelcome attitude the pp has commented on quite strongly. The southern part of the county to which the original op asked about and which I am familiar with is not so different to other southern accents to induce prejudice or discrimination and a "your not one of us" type attitude. It's hardly like Geordie or Yorkshire or Liverpudlian for example.

@Rainbowsew

I stand corrected about the northern half of the county, having had a Google it is a complex county and more influenced by the Midlands and other areas.

But I do believe that accents are unlikely to be a cause for the unwelcome attitude the pp has commented on quite strongly. The southern part of the county to which the original op asked about and which I am familiar with is not so different to other southern accents to induce prejudice or discrimination and a "your not one of us" type attitude. It's hardly like Geordie or Yorkshire or Liverpudlian for example.

Oh no, I agree with that. Hence me calling it 'lunacy' in one of my posts. I'm pretty sure that poster's attitude has caused her issues more than her accent!