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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

81 replies

HelpMeMove · 08/08/2019 16:15

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.

OP posts:
elastamum · 08/08/2019 21:39

Ashby de la Zouch is lovely but might be a bit far out

Original poster
HelpMeMove · 08/08/2019 21:39

Thanks so much everyone- lots to consider!
I do plan to learn to drive in the future but currently live in a busy town right outside the city centre so I’m not sure I’d enjoy a quiet village life.

OP posts:
AskMeHow · 08/08/2019 21:56

I think previous posters suggestions of Western Park is a good idea for your circumstances. If you don't drive, lots of the nice places out of the city are quite awkward in terms of travel. Or Hinckley, I have family there and it's a nice little town. I know Leicester Forest East and Kirby Muxloe which is a nice area but a lot more suburban - a few small shops and pubs. The bus service along Hinckley road which goes through LFE is pretty good from what I recall. There's also Nuneaton, which isn't the greatest of towns tbh esp as it's lost a few big shops, but you could live within walking distance of the centre.

user1471590586 · 08/08/2019 22:31

Enderby has local facilities such as a leisure centre (currently being refurbished). There are also some nice local garden centres with cafes such as Palmers. Also a 5 minutes drive or short bus ride to Fosse park shopping centre which is being extended currently. Narborough is good too. Secondary schools are Brockington in the village but Enderby/ Narborough/ Huncote/ Thurlaston/ Littlethorpe are also catchment for Lutterworth College which has good results. Good proximity to the M1 and M69 to get to places like Hinckley or down the B4114 back road. I would stick to county places rather than the city. A lot of people in the city try to get their kids into county schools. Other decent areas besides those I mentioned include Leicester Forest East, Cosby, Kirby Muxloe.

Original poster
HelpMeMove · 09/08/2019 08:46

Is there any nearby towns comparative to Hinckley in terms of having a shopping centre, leisure centre, parks etc.
It sounds ideal in that respect but DH is not keen on living in the town he works in for some reason?
Does Burbage have its own amenities or would we need to go into Hinckley for supermarkets, cafes etc?

OP posts:
BrainFart · 09/08/2019 08:56

I grew up in Barwell and am gutted to see the pasting it's taking here. I moved away 25 years ago though, so have nothing useful for the OP, but would love to know why Barwell has such a terrible rep now...

supermum85 · 09/08/2019 08:59

My dh works in Hinckley. We live in quorn which is lovely . There's a few lovely villages surrounding it too.

Fatbutt · 09/08/2019 09:46

Nuneaton sounds like it would be a pretty suitable area to look at, if you live the hinckley side of the town, so Weddington, Long Shoot (new builds at both areas currently) St Nicholas, horeston grange... there are small play parks on Horeston Grange, plenty of green areas to walk and some of the new builds are starting to add play equipment now too

good bus routes into town, small shopping area at Horestone Grange (Farm Foods, Co-Op, pet shop, carpet shop, chipshop, post office, Subway)

From town there is the bus station with busses to Hinckley, Coventry, Bedworth - Train station with good local routes, inc the above, Birmingham, London

A little out of town (but bus accessible) there is a Cinema, McDonalds, Subway, Starbucks, Bowling, KFC, Frankie n Bennys, Indoor soft play, Gym

The town is not bustling by any means, but suitable, and as above there are good links for larger shops in Coventry/Birmingham/Leicester

Depending on where you move to, theres a good choice of schools - it starts to get a bit 'competetive' when it comes to secondary, so worth looking at those (only 9 years to go til you need them!), then finding which feeder schools they have and looking at that area

AskMeHow · 09/08/2019 09:51

Burbage is more or less part of Hinckley, it's not really a whole separate place.

There's Market Bosworth, nice little village centre, but again transport is an issue if you don't drive. I get why your husband doesn't want to live in Hinckley (I don't, but he's allowed preferences!) but for your sake I think he needs to get over it. You're going to need access to shops and facilities which you can't do easily on public transport outside of Leicester, apart from a few places. Given you're moving for his job, I think you should be allowed to choose where you live Smile

WednesdaySpinner · 09/08/2019 09:57

I know three people that work in Hinckley, one lives in Loughborough (his DW doesn’t drive but he does and so can easily get there), one lives in Queniborough and the other in Narborough. It depends on whether you want to be nearer to the city or are happy being a little further away. If you would prefer to be nearer to the city centre then the other posters will be of greater help than I can be. There are some really lovely places around here to live, it all depends on what you are after and what your budget is. If you tell us what your budget is, that may help us with suggestions?

Original poster
HelpMeMove · 09/08/2019 10:14

@WednesdaySpinner
£200k ish for a 3 bed house?
Not sure on the logistics of moving areas with a new job so maybe we’d have to rent for a short time before buying?

OP posts:
user1471590586 · 09/08/2019 11:06

Someone up thread mentioned Quorn. Nice area but very expensive, closer to Loughborough than Leicester. I'm born and bred Leicester but rarely go into the city, maybe only a couple of times a year. Prefer Fosse Park, which is being extended. There is also a big Sainsburys and Asda there and a big M and S with food hall. The Meridian is close too with a Vue cinema, 360 play soft play, bowling etc. Enderby/ Narborough/ Blaby villages are good as you are close to the countryside but not too far out if you want to get into the city.

thegreenlight · 09/08/2019 11:22

200k for a 3 bed?! Where are you moving from! You will really struggle to get anything for that. Think more pushing 300k for a 3 bed unless buying in a very undesirable area. Due to the proximity to London house prices are quite high here. That may be a consideration to you. You definitely won’t be able to buy in a ‘nice’ village with good schools for that budget.

WednesdaySpinner · 09/08/2019 11:33

A lot of the smaller areas mentioned here are very nice places to live but I think that you need to rule them out at this stage due to your budget. I would definitely recommend looking around Enderby/Narborough and also Leicester Forest East. Depending on where you want to live, you can definitely pay less than £300k for a 3 bed in a nice area.

thegreenlight · 09/08/2019 11:35

Pay less than 300k but definitely not 200k which is the OPs budget.

Pemba · 09/08/2019 11:39

I would say more like £250000 would get you somewhere decent.

Pemba · 09/08/2019 11:40

Just look on Rightmove

Spudlet · 09/08/2019 11:41

I grew up in Hinckley. You have to bear in mind that my views are probably coloured by that as I too got out at 18 and apart from a brief and deeply depressing return to my parents after uni, have not gone back (other than to visit family of course) and wouldn’t consider it unless I had no other choice. It’s not the worst place, the leisure centre is nice now it’s been renovated and there are the usual chain coffee shops and a few chain shops. The parks are alright, Hollycroft park is quite nice. It is a lot busier than where I live now and that doesn’t suit me at all, I like to visit towns then leave! But for a non-driver that’s probably not much of an option.

Barwell and Earl Shilton are not great places IMO, I believe it was Barwell where that poor woman with a disabled daughter burnt them both to death after being harassed for years. Stony Stanton and Sapcote are alright I think, though wouldn’t be too sure about the buses (I’d basically assume there will be very few). Market Bosworth is pretty but again not v accessible and maybe a bit quiet for you.

Burbage is basically attached to Hinckley and quite nice, you’d be able to walk into town easily.

On another note - Zuu! That brings back many memories, most of them sticky floored. What was the name of that place with the helter skelter as well? Anyone else on this thread leave chunks of skin on that, sliding down in inadvisable clothing while drunk?!

Whatsername7 · 09/08/2019 11:44

You will struggle for that budget. Leicester Forest East is your best bet. Good links to the city and Hinckley. Ive lived in Leicestershire all my life, I know LFE, Glenfield, Markfield, Ratby, Groby really well. Feel free to DM me if you have any specific questions.

Teddybear45 · 09/08/2019 11:47

If your budget is 200k for a 3 bed then you may struggle outside of Hinckley for that part of town. Leicestershire has had a bit of a boom in terms of house prices. You may want to look further afield into Leicestershire proper - in some of the smaller towns / villages it’s still possible to get a house on that budget in a fairly nice area. Take a look at right move and get your family to help in narrowing down the options as they should have more local knowledge.

Teddybear45 · 09/08/2019 11:48

Another option is Nuneaton. It’s not far from Hinckley and it’s often easier to get from Nuneaton to Hinckley / Leicester on the bus and train then it is from most parts of Leicestershire. You need to be really careful about areas though.

whatever123noname · 09/08/2019 12:27

OP, I have friends who moved to Leicestershire 6 months ago. You really need to be able to drive, it's going to be so unbelievably boring if you can't. Buses are few and far between.

Juanmorebeer · 09/08/2019 13:02

I've been thinking about your situation all night. I really think you need to come into the city or at least close by suburbs because otherwise you just won't cope without a car. Buses are one an hour and some places they even stop at about 7pm so you'd be so isolated.

I learned to drive late in life and my dd was already 4 by the time I passed so I have done the not having a car with a child thing. I wouldn't want to do it again and I was living just 1 mile out of the city centre back then. You need to consider your own wellbeing for this move not his commute I think.

Blaby, Wigston, Western Park, you may get a 3 bed that needs work for less than 200 but you are prob looking at a 2 bed terrace so parking may be tricky.

Toddlerteaplease · 09/08/2019 13:23

@Juanmorebeer I remember when I was a kid how Docelabds was always in the paper because it was falling down. How times change!