To ask for your advice on moving to Leicestershire...

[HelpMeMove]

My DH has been offered a job in Hinckley so I was looking for advice on where to move to around that area?
We have family in East Leicester so it would be nice to be close to them so maybe somewhere in between?
Google maps shows Enderby as half way?
But there's also Burbage, Barwell, Elmesthorpe, Stoney Stanton, Sapcote, Thurlaston, Narborough etc.
Can anyone tell me what any of those places are like to live in? or which to avoid?
I have a DD who is 2 so we'd be looking for an area with good schools, nice parks and things to do.
I don't drive so it would be nice to be in a little town (not too remote)with shops but also happy to catch the train into Leicester.

Rutland

Just satnavved it and Rutland is 1hr30 drive from Hinckley so think that would be too far out.

I'd avoid barwell, burbage is nice I have a friend there. I live in Melton mowbray and leicestershire is a beautiful part of the country.

I live in Hinckley and it’s lovely. Good town centre, good transport links, lots of supermarkets, lots of parks, my son is in primary school and it’s a lovely school and there’s generally lots of things to do. There’s genuinely nothing I don’t like about living here.

Burbage is lovely but it can be quite expensive so it just depends on what your budget is....

There's lots of nice villages around Hinckley, nearby Nuneaton has train service which is handy. Not sure on the secondary schools but primaries are usually decent. Your money goes a decent way buying a house but some villages are more sought after than others. For more services it's 25 mins ish into Leicester, or 40 mins into Birmingham.

As you don't drive I'll suggest Blaby. Decent bus route to town and lots of shops on foot. A little library and some parks. Narborough is ok but tiny, same with Enderby. None of these places have much character in terms of cafes or bars but depends what you want. Some nice houses but no scene or livliness to speak of. Depends what you want really.

Realistically though if you want stuff to do for kids I suggest you come into Leicester. You could look at Western Park area for getting to Hinkley easily, there is also a bus route up Hinkley Rd if for any reason dh can't drive in. My SIL works there and lives Western Park and does exactly this. The school people move into the area to get their kids into is called Dovelands. Crappy choice of secondaries though.

The schools tend to be 'better' out in the county rather than city but again it depends what your priorities are.

Just to make you aware the property market here in the city is very, very lively. Things are selling really fast so worth getting in touch with agents to say what you are looking for before they even list online it is that crazy. Kirsty and Phil have done a few programmes featuring Leicester in the last year haha.

Hi I second avoiding Barwell and surrounding areas! Leicester Forest East is nice and a quick drive to both the city and Hinckley. Burbage is also lovely as PPs said.
I grew up in Hinckley, I left at 16 and never returned. As did all of my close friends from school.
Apparently it’s had regeneration/money thrown at it so maybe it’s improved in recent years.

For those that live in the area.... do they still have the 3 clubs? Le Venue, Zuu and Alleycatz??!! Total dives but I do have some amusing memories from them!

Good luck OP with your move 😊

Hinckley is much better than it was and town amenities pretty good now with new leisure centre active parent groups and well invested schools- but- I wouldn’t live there.
Right Near Hinckley I’d live in-
Burbage
Stoke Golding

Slightly further (like 10 min) -
Bitteswell
Wibtoft (though check how close to Magna park expansion)
Gilmorton
Leire
Ullesthorpe
Claybrooke

Above all have access to great schools.

I wouldn’t live in-
Barwell
Stoney Stanton
Earl shilton

Feel free to DM me

For those saying Leicester- I wouldn’t atm. Schools vary hugely and unless you need to be in the traffic it’s pointless.
Rugby and Nuneaton stations both quick to London so if that’s a consideration you’ve options
High schools- Lutterworth high and Lutterworth College (formerly grammar) (Both secondary)
St martins (catholic) in Stoke golding
Private- Dixie grammar at Market Bosworth

I live in Wigston & quite liked it. Previously lived in Earl Shilton but prefer where we are now. Not far into the City & quite close to countryside. PM if you want anymore info.

Another idea. Glenfield.

If not Hinckley ...
Lutterworth ( but you’ll need to drive eventually) there’s a reasonable ish bus service . Lutterworth folk shop and use the leisure centre in Hinckley, Rugby and Leicester . Lot of new builds going on.

Rugby - quick commute to Hinckley up the A5 - then you’re only 50 mins from London on the west coast mainline or 30 mins into Brum

I live just outside the areas you are considering but I do have a colleague who lives in Nuneaton and he is happy there

@MrsSalvatore1 no clubs anymore! Night life is horrific!!!!
Cheapest place to live is earl Shilton. Not great for schools though.
Burbage is nice but not great if you don't drive.
Stoney Stanton and Croft areas are nice but again isolated.
All schools in hinckley are over subscribed and catchment area hasn't really helped when it comes to placement.

Thinking about it none of these areas are good if you don't drive. The public transport is crap in the County. Not much better in the city tbh.

Do you want village life?

I'd say nuneaton, theres a small train station there so you could get into leicester, Birmingham etc.

I wouldn't live in glenfield, but the hospital is phenomenal. Although it doesn't have an A & E department.

I only mentioned Glenfield because she is on foot there is a few toddler groups, decent primary, play park, a nice pub and big supermarket with a cafe. Seems like it would be an ok village to bring up kids.

What kind of area are you coming from OP? I grew up around there and it's a nice enough area but public transport is shockingly poor. If you are dependant on it and coming from somewhere where transport is good then I would look really carefully at the routes/timings. Bus sercives in the area have been heavily hit in the last couple of years.

How about Desford and surrounding villages Bosworth Academy is an outstanding secondary - with the facilities to match having been recently extended from a 14-19 college. It's feeder primary all have good reputations I believe.

Some parts of Hinckley are lovely. The Council host a lot of family events, check out their Facebook page.
There has been a kids snap dragon festival on this week.

Burbage is nice and right on the edge of the town with its own little road of shops, cafe and chippy. seems to have a good community spirit which I’ve mainly seen from the Christmas Fayre which takes over the village. I would avoid Barwell and Earl Shilton.

Lutterworth is a market town which could be an option. Broughton Astley is a very large village but nice, lots of community events, good primary schools and a high school, it’s on a bus route to Leicester but it takes about an hour.

Buses in the county are slow and stop running quite early in the evening so I wouldnt pick a small village as you don’t drive so would avoid Elmesthorpe, Stoney Stanton and Sapcote.
Narborough has a train station direct to Leicester and Birmingham

Have a look at Oadby or Market Harborough

Oadby and MH are great places to live with a family (I grew up in one and live in the other now with my own dc) nowhere near to Hinkley though.

Fair point Juan ! For some reason I was thinking near Leicester, which isn’t what the OP was asking at all!

But they are both lovely aren’t they!

I grew up in South Leicestershire and Lutterworth schools had a really good reputation and I really enjoyed the grammar (14-18) school, now Lutterworth College. But unless things have changed significantly, bus services are absolutely dire.

The buses are even worse than they were 15 years ago