Looking to relocate to Morpeth or Hexham

[Popsicle30]

Looking for any insights on whether Morpeth or Hexham could be a better place to relocate to in Northumberland. We are a family of three with an 11 year old child.

We think Morpeth is potentially the better fit as it's close to the coast as well as the countryside and also has good transport links to the motorway and trains on the main trainline. We also like the high street which has a number of shops, restaurants and bars. However, Hexham keeps coming up and wondered what people's thoughts/insights were between the two?

Our child will be moving from a two tier education system to the three tier system.

We will be having another look up in half term so planning a trip to Hexham too but any insights before would be helpful.

There’s not a huge amount of difference, both are lovely. I had family who lived near both and it’s a good lifestyle. I preferred the 3 tier school system. Check out house prices and schools nearby to see which is a better fit for you. Neither area is cheap because they’re both seen as very affluent.

Thank you @Brightbluesomething

I’ve heard Morpeth can be cliquey. I love Hexham but a bit further out from Newcastle. Great community though. Both very affordable for housing and good schools

Thank you @Fraudornot

Purely going on visits over the years on holiday (which, of course, isn't anything like moving somewhere and thinking of schools etc) I would prefer Morpeth. Good shops, good transport links, near the coast and near other interesting places for easy trips out.

I would choose Hexham as their secondary school is better, and I like more the overall feel of the town and surroundings. However, Hexham is more expensive and few houses come at the secondary school catchment. What is your budget for the house? On average, you get more for your money in Morpeth.

Morpeth is a bit mixed bag, and I find it a bit lacking cultural activities and events.

What do your kids like to do? Morpeth is closer to Ashington/Cramlington with teens activities, while Hexham is a bit further away. Hexham is great though for outdoors lifestyle.

We chose Hexham after months and months of research and visiting. Except we didn’t ever find a house there. Any that came to market were snapped up so quickly. We are now in north east Scotland instead!

Yeah, there are two secondary schools in Hexham, which makes the catchment for the more popular one very limited. The houses in the right catchments in Hexham go very quickly; the houses in nearby Corbridge are just too expensive for what you get.

The choice would also depend on your main motivation for moving. Is it schools, countryside living, getting more for your money or just a fresh start?

We’ve been back up today. Spent more time in Morpeth but plan to spend more time next weekend in Hexham. We still had a better feel for Morpeth from our visit today. I prefer the high street and the location feels better suited for us with the ease to the A1 and the main train line plus the proximity to the coast. We will spend some more time in Hexham but my gut is still saying Morpeth for us.

I grew up in the area and went to the secondary school in Morpeth (I'm not sure what King Edwards is like now but haven't heard anything negative). Whilst I love Hexham and the stunning surrounding countryside, I'd choose Morpeth for family life. It's well-connected transport wise and is still a thriving, well-kept market town whereas parts of Hexham I think are a bit run down. There are loads of cafes, pubs etc. Alnwick is also lovely with more cultural activities just up the A1, and you have the stunning Northumberland coast on your doorstep. You can also get the train to Edinburgh from Morpeth station, and it's close to Newcastle for shopping and culture. Plenty to do for teens with leisure activities in Morpeth and the surrounding towns as mentioned above.

Thanks @theparticley this is exactly our thoughts and why we feel our preference is still Morpeth.