Relocating to East Sussex - advice needed pls

[Catsandfelix]

Hello

We are relocating from the North and need help figuring out where we should live.
Looking for somewhere no further than 1 hrs drive to Hailsham
Top budget is 800k, 3 beds
Need options for sixth form, independent or state
A town or city where a non driving family member won’t feel lost without a car, so near a town centre (15 min walk is fine)
Good for teenagers
Safe but with some atmosphere, cafes shops etc
Would like off road parking and or a garage
So far considering Eastbourne, Worthing but not sure. Like the look of Lewes and Tunbridge Wells, very expensive but look great for non driver and teenager.

Don’t know the area at all and is a huge move for us. Any advice or areas to look at or avoid would be gratefully received.

I regret not sending Dd (now 16) here:
https://www.bedes.org/
Many of my colleagues use it, I think it is really excellent.

I think outer Brighton is a good bet. Portslade through to Rottingdean have both excellent bus (and train from portslade) links into the city centre and there is a lively high street in each. Few good college options in Brighton and nearby. Shoreham is also good, again good links into Brighton and very up and coming. Worthing could be a good shout but the public transport there is awful!

Definitely not Burgess Hill unless you want your teen(s) bored out of their mind.

@Goldencup that looks gorgeous!

@Goldencup female, fairly academic but looking for a friendly, good pastoral care, inclusive type 6th form. Has always been in an independent but happy to look at either.
Their happiness is more important than results.

Doesn't it ? In Hailsham too, which is much cheaper than T'wells or Lewes but no train. It does however have a nice prezzo, a huge tesco and the cuckoo trail.

So in T'wells she would probably be best suited to TWGs which has a famously tight catchment. Think about living in Hailsham itself if you are prepared to go private Bedes might suit her. Your DH would definitely get his garage and drive there.

Or Lewes, but I don't think your DH will get his garage, it is basically a medival town.

New build in Hailsham with garage.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134356352#/?channel=RES_NEW

Dear god not Eastbourne. Lewes or Brighton. In Lewes look at Wallands and Nevill.

I would recommend either Eastbourne, nice areas; Meads, Willingdon, Ratton or
Lewes. Both pretty close to Brighton which is great lively place for young people.

I would strongly avoid Hailsham. Bedes is in Upper Dicker which is on the outskirts of Hailsham. Very different places although close together.

@Loopyloo159 good shout, this could be a good compromise.
@bussteward thank you! Good to know won’t need a snorkel 🤿
@Goldencup super helpful. Looked at Bedes already, so great to hear your opinion.
@Harringtonperle we live in what would definitely be described as pedestrian and not edgey. Semi rural, expensive, very pretty, desirable location, couple of well known independent schools, lots of 4x4s 🫣, good restaurants but poor public transport and it’s an absolute must to drive as everything very spread out. Our non driver feels very isolated and left behind without a car. Want them to feel more independent and not at so much of a disadvantage.

OK. I really feel (and I know how biased I am) that TW would be a good fit. You would need to be in St John's to get into TWGGS. Pastoral care good at SKA (not near St Johns) and St Gregs, have not heard great things about the pastoral care at Bennett, if I'm honest

T Wells or lewes. T wells has good schools and a good variety of stuff going on for teens, lewes is a nice town and is really convenient by train for Brighton.
I wouldn't choose any of the other suggested options. We have three teens ( 18,16 & 14).

@Harringtonperle thank you. We could look at non selective independent sixth form if state are difficult to get into. Or are independents just as difficult?

I've always lived in Eastbourne and there's definitely more younger families than there used to be. You would definitely get what you want from your money in the Old Town area. Old Town is also on bus routes and you can walk into town, seafront and to the downs from there.
There is plenty of outdoor stuff for kids to do. I'm not sure about the nightlife scene for older teenagers!
Most academic teenagers tend to go to Bexhill, Lewes or Brighton to study A Levels. The local college is working to increase its A Level provision. There is Eastbourne College or Bedes for independent schools.

OP I think we are psychic 🤣 I literally just logged on to say that Beechwood Sacred Heart and Kings College are also fabulous (private schools). Kings college is single sex and AFAIK outperforms Beechwood academically

Bede’s is a wonderful school. No need to live in Hailsham, as they send buses all over.

@MummyItsallaboutyou thank you. It’s a big pull to get more for your money in Eastbourne! Looking at those two independent schools.

Anything further West than Brighton WILL be more than an hour drive to Hailsham more times than not whatever the maps tell you - so I think you should prob rule out Worthing, Shoreham etc because of this.

Eastbourne really is your ideal town for non-driver, easy commute to Hailsham and range of good schools. Meads, Old Town and Upperton are the better areas. You'd prob get a VERY nice 4 bed detached in Old Town for your budget. Eastbourne can be fully self-sufficient, everything is walkable and has mainline train. Excellent art gallery, also theatres, and the seafront.

Lewes is prob the most desirable town- lots of lovely characterful businesses and people, and a better commute to London. You pay a lot for housing because of this. It's the one everyone bee-lines for - if the wider environs is more important than the house this is your place.

Uckfield is a good town, big enough to keep itself going. It has a trainline up to London but nothing out to Lewes, Eastbourne or Brighton. Its main town area is essentially one long high street. If you lived in one of the other towns, you wouldn't otherwise go there necessarily, but it keeps prices more affordable. A lot of development around Uckfield is going on - bit like Hailsham. Hailsham to Uckfield is car/bus only and can be a very congested journey at rush hour despite not being too far.

Bexhill (out East) is fairly similar to Eastbourne, but with a worse train journey up to London. It also has a great gallery/arts centre (De la warr pavilion).

Personally, I'd pick Eastbourne. Seaside, nice selection of cafes, good stuff going on in the town. Good private schools (if you want).

You're definitely looking at older populations in all these towns, and it is really very white.

But I like it here. I live in Hailsham - but prob tbh for your money you can afford somewhere with a bit more character than here :)

I would bet my car neither of the privates are oversubscribed at sixth form but may live to regret saying that 🤣

@Bleepbloopbluurp is it a nurturing/friendly type school? Inclusive etc? Thank you

Kent college I mean! SO sorry, Its been a long day!

Eastbourne is terrible now according to my friend, the hotels on the front are being used for asylum seekers my friend says you can't walk past without feeling threatened

Apparatus Forest Row is nice, lots of mid Sussex uckfield Haywards heath cuckfield midhurst ditchling

@Ellicent thank you for such excellent info. Much appreciated.
@Harringtonperle it’s such a good state systems, why would you pay! However, it might keep my stress levels down, knowing I don’t need to worry about the competitive grammar school system. Don’t want any extra pressure on DC.

Haven’t read all replies yet but just wanted to chip in to say Worthing is great (I’m biased) but is in West Sussex not East, if that matters. We could drive to Hailsham in an hour on a good day but I imagine it would take significantly longer in rush hour.