Moving to Norfolk

[Aahh99]

Hi,
We were planning to relocate late next year, but have been given notice on our private rent for end of February, so we've been pushed into doing it a bit sooner than we expected...
(great timing as baby No. 2 due in January!)

Feeling a little apprehensive about moving an hour and half Away from family so soon after giving birth, but if we don't take the leap now, it'll never happen!

We are looking to relocate King's lynn way, but not been able to go and have a proper look at areas due to covid and lockdowns.
We were thinking Dereham, Fakenham, Swaffham.
I need to be withing 20-30 mins of the hospital for work.

Can anyone recommend any nice areas with decent amenities / schools?
Any tips of relocating?
Posting for traffic! Thank you! :)

Dereham, Fakenham, Swaffham

I'm very familiar with these areas. Have you visited much?

Avoid at all costs. Unless you like run down towns full of pound shops, charity shops and closed down buildings. They're awful. I grew up in one of these and avoid visiting it wherever possible. I couldn't wait to leave. From what I hear it's only gotten rougher.

Norwich is lovely though, and parts of rural north Norfolk can be gorgeous.

Also, Norwich is a million miles away diversity/attitude wise.

Aim for as close to Norwich as you can, if you can't afford Norwich.

Do you need to be near Kings Lynn hospital or Norwich hospital?

I quite like Dereham and the house prices are reasonable....I would steer clear of Kings Lynn itself though.

Yes. Ideally near a hospital as I'm a nurse. Will be on mat leave for the first year, but would like to find somewhere we can potentially settle.
I'd rather not have to move again after a year.

And would Like to be only about an hour and half from my mum in Bedfordshire.

The reason we were going that way is it isn't too far to come back to see family, near a hospital, and only half hour or so from beaches.

Those areas are quite rough op.

I grew up in Dereham, it's rough and horrible. You couldn't pay me to move back. Swaffham isn't much better.

Unless you read the daily mail, love Wetherspoons, and are racist and homophobic in which case go for it.

Can't really comment on Kings Lynn.

Try to move to Norwich if you can, it's a great city.

I live In North Walsham- not the nicest town but property prices are reasonable

I'd personally avoid the areas you mentioned and aim for a village or as close to Norwich as possible. Areas around Norwich like Taverham and Thorpe St Andrew are nice.

Have you looked at Eaton, Cringleford or Trowse?

I was born in Norfolk and my parents were born in Bedfordshire. There are some lovely parts of North Norfolk. They are not cheap but are really lovely. But I wouldn’t call Dereham, Swaffham or Fakenham lovely honestly. First thing is if you want to be in a town centre or more in the countryside. There are some lovely villages. Equally Norwich is amazing - my sisters live there. It is quiet and slow and laid back. Something I couldn’t wait to leave as a teenager but something I would like to go back to retire to part of the year.

I grew up in Norwich and would never go back. But I think other posters have a point about avoiding those towns.

Consider Suffolk. Ipswich is much more multi cultural, not a bad distance to Bedford either.

Oh for fucks sake . Another one who moved away years ago and can’t help themselves from slagging it off . Move to Norwich ! Because there’s nothing good in Norfolk except Norwich !

I actually live in West Norfolk and have done for the last twenty years . Yes , there’s bits of it that are a bit down at heel - just like everywhere else in the country . Including bloody north Norfolk and Norwich. Equally , there are lovely bits of it too . Depending on your budget , are you actually working at the QE ? If so , Dereham is probably a bit far , Swaffham can be nice , Fakenham likewise . It’s no worse than anywhere else . Would avoid Gaywood , a sizeable chunk of the Fairstead , albeit walking distance to the QE, will think of a few more . Schools wise , Springwood is everyone’s favourite school in Lynn , but KLA is where my daughter goes , and I can’t praise it, or the staff highly enough. It’s improved well beyond measure , and is now the second most subscribed school .

If you want to PM me , by all means do.

I assume you mean the Kings lynn hospital ....
Swaffham is ok looked like some more interesting cafes/shops were opening and it has a waitrose!

less keen on fakenham/dereham

Kings lynn did have a massive heroin issue and high levels of poverty and deprivation - but some parts of it are ok - some of the villages are very strange - MIL lives in one and its mainly bungalows but quite a big primary school so no idea where the children come from!
and the pretty bits by the coast are high level 2nd homes .... and very small it's quite a ukip area (or whatever they are called these days) as well

Downham market? seemed to have a bit more going on..

Some really nice towns. Aylsham. Holt. You could get to Norwich Hospital from there. Then you get the north Norfolk places like Wells and Blakeney which would be for Kings Lynn Hospital. Norwich itself is great but really depends if you want a city (Norwich), a town (Aylsham, Wells, Holt) or a village (Blakeney).

@plominoagain sorry but we can all have our opinions and just because I moved away 20 years ago I do have family there and go back a lot. So reel it in and understand we can all have a point of view.

Obviously, it adds further travelling time back to your Mum's, but I'd go a bit further east if you can - definitely not as far east as Great Yarmouth, though! Just about anywhere on the north coast is lovely, although it can be a bit further to travel from there. North-west Norfolk coast is very posh and expensive; north-east coast is a lot more reasonably-priced. Just make sure you go for an actual town, though, and not a village, as the coast is eroding and only towns are being given protection from it.

Otherwise, somewhere more inland over east like Aylsham or North Walsham might be worth a look. Both easily commutable to Norwich.

Norfolk as a whole is never going to be known for its super-fast road network(!), which is annoying when you have ground to cover quickly, but most definitely adds to its charm and slower, less rushed pace of life.

I only moved away 10 years ago and my family all still live there. Dereham is rougher now than 20 years ago. I'm still forced to visit frequently. It's a depressing place. I certainly wouldn't want to raise children there.

and fil was in hospital in swaffham and the people were lovely both the staff and the others that we came accross... so would def be worth a look... I think it was an intermediate care place so may not be your area but there are some more smaller hospitals around. Norfolk

Hunstanton is a great beach ....but not sure I would live there...seemed quite far away..from KL.

Some parts of Norfolk can be a bit... odd. North Norfolk less so (and much pricier) and Holt is pretty affordable.

Christ don’t work at the QE! It is appalling - it’s rated inadequate for a reason.

The NNUH isn’t perfect but much, much better. Plus you can live reasonably far from the city and still be able to get to worm in 30 mins.

X-posted re Aylsham etc there.

Swaffham is ok looked like some more interesting cafes/shops were opening and it has a waitrose!

It's always looked very pleasant to us when we've driven through, but Harry Hill clearly has an issue with it

Swaffham Waitrose also sells more wine than any other waitrose in the country ....

My son worked there and it held the record for some years ..

Can't believe somebody suggested Ipswich....now that is a shit hole....