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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for honest opinions about Chafford Hundred, Essex

72 replies

MumOfTwoSweethearts · 17/07/2011 19:37

Good Evening All,

We are in the process of viewing houses in Chafford Hundred, Grays, Essex and I was hoping to get some honest and frank opinion on here, please?

We are looking at a 4BR Semi Detached property in a cul de sac close to the Gorge. We like the area because it is quiet, well kept, and the ones we have viewed do not require much work or improvement.

I was hoping anyone who lived in the area could offer very frank and truthful opinion about the area in terms of safety, schools for children, healthcare, value for money and the neighborhood - the people living there, are they welcoming and neighborly?

Thank you all.

OP posts:
gallicgirl · 17/07/2011 19:42

Can I assume your localish to that area already?

I don't know the area particularly well other than driving past on my way to Lakeside. I would seriously consider a drive out on a Saturday to see what access is like because traffic can get mad.

Becky99 · 17/07/2011 19:44

I worked as a teacher consultant at Chafford 100 secondary school about 3 years ago. It's was a school that had great resources/good site etc but was not meeting it's potential. Pupils not very aspirational, apart from working at Lakeside.

Original poster
MumOfTwoSweethearts · 17/07/2011 19:46

Thank you....We are in E13 at the moment and would like to move somewhere more family friendly, quiet and safe. The traffic should be manageable because we intend to take the train to work and only drive to lakeside occasionally.

OP posts:
onebigchocolatemess · 17/07/2011 21:43

some friends are moving out of Chafford Hundred because her daughter is about to start school and the local catchment primary schools were underperforming and she would have been in a significant racial and cultural minority that goes against the grain of the UK as a whole.

I am not and don't have an opinion on this reason, I am simply passing on her experience.

ILoveThinLizzy · 17/07/2011 23:07

Some of the houses look really lovely. I sneaked a look on Rightmove and they seem alright. I also came across a snotty article saying its full of chavs? No idea though about the demographics or neighbourhood. Maybe some MNers who live there will be able to help you?
Good luck.

Original poster
MumOfTwoSweethearts · 18/07/2011 04:58

I did see dt article as well hence my concern and wish to ask around ......

OP posts:
CurrySpice · 18/07/2011 05:59

I don't think Grays in general is the nicest area tbh. I personally would not want to move there

ILoveThinLizzy · 18/07/2011 18:58

Gah!!!!! Shock Shock No one lives here then?

Henrythehappyhelicopter · 18/07/2011 19:11

I have worked in Grays and to say it is not the nicest place in Essex is a huge understatement.

Chafford hundred is the nicest part of Grays.

I wouldn't live there if they gave me the house for free, sorry.

Beamur · 18/07/2011 19:14

A lot of my family live in the nearby area, Grays, Aveley, Tilbury etc. Personally I wouldn't live there either, but it's an area in commuting distance to London where houses are affordable. Chafford Hundred is not an area I know well as I've lived away from Essex since childhood, but it looks quite smart and tidy.

PinkWinePixie · 18/07/2011 19:26

Is this you, S? If so, make sure it's very near the station ;)

(If not, ignore me! All I know about Chafford Hundred is that it's the station for Lakeside!)

HarryHoleCameToTea · 18/07/2011 19:49

I lived there for a couple of years (but it was 10 years ago) and it was fine. Never went into Grays because it was a bit grotty and there was definitely a lack of any decent local pubs. Can't say anything about the schools, they were building a lovely looking new school at the time but it wasn't anything I needed at that stage. Overall it was fairly comparable to Billericay (where I lived before that) even though that was supposedly much "nicer"

But - I didn't like living in Essex particularly. Before that upsets anyone, I'm sure there are lovely bits but I had one too many experiences of people swearing loudly at their children in the street. The mother who called her baby a stupid c*nt for dropping her 500ml bottle of Lilt out of her pram really sticks in my mind and I found a lot of people were casually racist and homophobic. But that was just my experience and I am not in any way saying everyone in Essex is like that.

BulletWithAName · 18/07/2011 20:23

But that was just my experience and I am not in any way saying everyone in Essex is like that.

Nope, Colchester is lovely!

Alfalpha · 18/07/2011 20:29

BulletWithAName

Hear hear.
(from another Colly girl)

Alfalpha · 18/07/2011 20:30

or as dh says 'colchestarian'

Hatesponge · 18/07/2011 20:44

I'm from a town just down the road from Lakeside, you'll pass it if you head from there towards Dagenham. I lived round there from early childhood til 2001 when I moved to Kent.

At the time my then DP and I were buying our current house, so 10 years ago now, we did spend a lot of time looking at houses in C Hundred, and would have bought there (but for the fact that my ExP was from Kent and wanted to live closer to his family).

I did like C Hundred and thought it looked like a good place to bring up DC - ok I didn't live there, but I did only live about 4 miles down the road. You are very close to schools, shops, there's lots of little park areas and the train stn which has good connections to London. Plus there are good road links. It does get congested around there on a Sat with lots of people driving to Lakeside though.

Theres a lot of unjustified snobbery about certain areas in Essex, for some reason people feel entitled to look down their noses at places like Romford and Grays (Ok Grays isn't brilliant I'll admit but I can think of lots of worse places). I grew up round there and have very fond memories of doing so. If it wasn't for my job I would have moved back to Essex when Exp and I split up.

IlanaK · 18/07/2011 20:45

I lived there for 7 years. I had my first son there and we moved away when he was almost 3 and I was pregnant again.

Did I like the house? Yes. It was a lovely 3 bedroom detached. Did I like the area? No. As has been said already, it is the nicest part of Grays and that is not saying much. The people living in Chafford Hundred are not much nicer than the people in Grays.

We moved away as I literally couldn't take living there anymore. I had moved there from London and we moved back to London. I found the whole area so homogenous, White (I am White by the way), and dull. I just could not find common ground with anyone. I literally did not make one real friend the entire time I was there. Snce being back in London, I feel like I am home again. There is nothing to do there except shop. We spent so much time in Lakeside, I swear, my ds1 grew up in that shopping centre.

My advice to you is don't move there.

BulletWithAName · 18/07/2011 20:47

Alfalpha- I'm not a 'Colchestarian' by birth, I moved here 3 years ago from East London and I absolutely love it! You couldn't pay me to move back Grin

Mare11bp · 18/07/2011 20:47

Love Colchester and the villages surrounding itWink

Chafford Hundred looks nice and the facilities look good but dangerously close to Grays which I know is not so pleasant having worked there in the past....

Alfalpha · 18/07/2011 20:57

Mumof2sweethearts - sorry i have not added anything useful to this thread, i should really hang about in chat a bit more.

Mare11bp - esp love the villages surrounding it! Wink

BulletWithAName - i was a chelmsfordarian til age of 4, colchestarian there after. Will remain so hopefully. I think you are allowed to become an honorary colchestarian if you love it that much!

wallstreet · 18/07/2011 22:10

IlanaK I am not surprised you didn't make friends with an attitude like that Hmm - I have family in Grays. It may not be the greatest place but they are very nice, hardworking family people and have plenty of like-minded friends.
I wouldn't necessarily want to move there but where my family live is nice and well kept. I do feel there are nicer parts of Essex but you will not get as much for your money.

ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 18/07/2011 22:14

It's ok. Nothing special, but affordable and relatively safe. The proximity to Lakeside would put me off, tbh, just because the traffic is horrendous at weekends/Christmas etc.

PinkIceQueen · 18/07/2011 22:17

I grew up in Grays, I wouldn't move back. Another vote for Colchester here :)

ILoveThinLizzy · 19/07/2011 07:21

So Grays isnt ideal....Chafford Hundred is though? Is that right?

I'm really interested in this, not just being nosy. I've seen some lovely houses in CH but hesitant to view because of the percieved impressions and I have to think of my child and the benefits or otherwise of moving out of London.

Very useful thread, MOTS.....

wideawakenurse · 19/07/2011 08:32

Due to the school situation, I would consider some of the villages around Chafford 100, and towards Romford. Such as, Rainham, Hornchurch, Cranham, Gidea Park.