Move to Wiltshire or Cirencester

[Nuttymama83]

Hi,

We are hoping to move to Wiltshire or Cirencester from a far so don't the know the area at all! Our two kids are at primary but ideally would like to relocate near a good secondary school in either Wiltshire or near Cirencester with good local activities and countryside. We would really appreciate any advice that could help narrow down a town/village considering our budget for buying a house is ~£375K.

Many many thanks in advance xx

Wiltshire is large and diverse. Where in Wiltshire? What do you want from where you live? Key requirements?

Where abouts in Wiltshire? Cirencester has lots of lovely villages around it and you are close to the waterpark, cotswolds. It's really handy having the trainlines to London, Bristol and Bath too.

If you need a train around Cirencester, you need to be near Kemble. DH is from a village on the other side of Cirencester, and went to The Cotswold School, which was then, and I believe still is, highly sought after.

cirencester has 2 excellent secondaries. Kingsdown and Deer Park, and they have an excellent sixth form college
The surrounding villages all feed in to those schools two.
Another good school is Farmors in Fairford, again also used by many villages.
Or you can go down the 11+ route and send your kids to grammar schools in Cheltenham, Gloucester or Stroud. Many kids go on the bus from Ciren to those schools.

house prices - that is not a lot to spend in Cirencester at all.
just as an example when we were buying (10 years ago) we could get
2 bed cottage in a village
3 bed semi in Cirencester
4 bed detached in Swindon (which is the bottom end of Wiltshire)

That 4 bed detahced in Swindon is now worth £350,000 so I don't think you'll get much house for your money elsewhere.

Thank you all for your replies!!

We are not restricted to anywhere in Wiltshire, but our priority is a good secondary school. We would really like nice countryside and activities for the children in a nice low crime area, but where they have something to do as teenagers. I know it might be a lot to ask, so a lot really will depend on budget of £375K, which isn't very much when we really need a 3 bed + study/extra bedroom to work.

So I think really what I'm asking is where would tick off most of our wish list for our budget, if any?

Looking at schools on locating.com, the top seem to be Marlborough, Malmesbury, Royal Wooten Bassett

Then good seem to be Cirencester (x2), Fairfield, Chippenham (x2), Corsham, Devizes, Lasington, Tidowrth, Warminster and Tetbury.

I've read to avoid Westbury, Trowbridge, Calne and I'm not sure about Warminster.

Thank you so much again, it is really really appreciated!!! xx

Steppemum –thank you for your advice, it is very helpful re. budget. Is Swindon OK?

Marlborough, Malmesbury, Royal Wotton Bassett

I know those 3 schools are all good. (can't comment on the others because I don't know) Cirencester and Fairford are in same league as those 3.

Swindon is cheap, but there is a reason for it, it would not provide the things you are looking for. It also has crap schools. Our 3 kids all travelled out of Swindon for schools.

Some of those Wiltshire towns are not great. They are a bit empty of employment.
many of the villages are veyr pretty, but do check for facilities. I've lived in a pretty village nearCirencester (spent my teens in one) As a parent you end up being taxi driver. Can't even get a pint of milk, etc.

The larger villages and towns are better. Look for: primary school, shop, where is the nearest Brownies or football club for kids etc, pub, restaurant.

Bradford on Avon is nice with a good school.

I would stick to north wilts- in fact Wootton Bassett would probably be my pick in your position, if secondary school is your main priority. Cirencester will be too expensive but if you're north wilts it's not far to drive. If I could afford it I'd live in Cirencester 😁

Although unless you love pub crawls, I don't imagine RWB is amazing for activities 😁

Thank you Steppemum! You are very helpful! Definitely taking your advice on board and will narrow down to towns/large villages as you say. Which of those towns mentioned are not great/empty of employment?

We're visiting in a couple of weeks so trying to compile a list of towns to visit. At the moment, I have Cirencester, Chippenham (not sure the nicest town but has good schools), Marlborough, Corsham and Devizes. Would you recommend anywhere else? xx

I don't know the Wiltshire towns well enough to comment, sorry.

But I am pretty sure that Devizes school is a big no. I may have that wrong and the wrong school, but that is my impression.

Cirencester is a nice town.
But it is really expensive.

Thank you JeanBodel –would Bradford on Avon be out of our price range?

Thanks LumosSolem –food for thought! Is there a place on the outskirts of Cirencester that might be cheaper but in the catchment area of the schools?

Great, thanks Steppemum! I think at least I have narrowed it down to Wiltshire then :)!

Will do some more research on the Wiltshire towns and double check Devizes x

Devizes has no train and pretty poor buses, you will become a taxi driver for the kids.
Your budget is the poor end of a nice town or a nice part of an average town. Small towns Westbury, Warminster only have one secondary school. The top sets are good and get people to Oxbridge the bottom sets are awful (just like most places). Westbury has a great train station, Trowbridge has several schools and a cinema plus the council offices for employment. Bradford upon Avon is closer to Bath and more expensive.
Salisbury has grammar schools. Swindon has the magic roundabout

Marlborough is going to be out of budget for you, also probably Bradford on Avon. Devizes is nice and school is ok. Villages around Devizes and Lavington School, south of Devizes is excellent. I understand Chippenham has a good school(s). It's an ok town, again surrounding villages are nice. Melksham is v affordable and a nice enough place to live.

Marlborough area for St John's secondary school, lots of nice villages around.

The Chippenham secondaries are good, and the link to London is excellent. Villages outside can be gorgeous but you will be driving your kids about a lot. Salisbury is lovely at the other end - may be hard to get what you need within your budget though. Corsham School was always very good when taught in Wiltshire, but it was a few years ago. Nice place to live too.

Old Town in Swindon is a great place to live. Lovely independent businesses and several good schools... But so few properties available atm.

Actually Chippenham is a good shout too- on the mainline train, really quick to Bath which is lovely, and good schools. It wouldn't be a bad choice.

Swindon has the magic roundabout

and we love it
(learnt to drive in Swindon!)

Trowbridge gets a bad rap, I lived there for years, but it's no worse than any other small town. There are small villages (Hilperton, North Bradley, Yarnbrook, Steeple Ashton, Paxcroft Mead) within close proximity, which are nicer to look at though!

OP why here?

what I mean is - do you need to travel to London/Bristol? Access to M5?

Why this area, and not further north/east/west etc?

apart from schools, and countryside, what else do you need

I currently live near Chippenham but have also lived in Trowbridge - agree with previous who said Trowbridge gets a bad rap it's got good facilities and the outlying villages are great - I also think you would get more for your money there.

Schools wise Chippenham is very good out daughter went to Sheldon be our son goes to Hardenhuish both excellent. Chippenham itself is a bit tired but links to bath and London excellent and the outlying villages very pretty.

Hope that helps

Wow thanks everyone. There are a lot of votes for North Wiltshire! Will definitely take a look at these places.

Does anybody have any advice on Warminster and Tidworth also? Is there an army presence somewhere in the South which people seem to note as a negative, but I'm not entirely sure why?

Chippenham while not mega exciting has a sports centre, due to get a climbing wall, excellent train links and good schools.Cora ham school is not as good and I believe very poor during lockdown. Malmesbury school is excellent but has less going on for teens.