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! :)

Oh it just feels very daunting.
We've had notice since September, didn't worry too much, we've got ages to go, but now it's creeping up on us, and the new arrival in 7 ish weeks too.
Feels a huge thing to settle on and sort out!

So Swaffham is okish...
And maybe look at more Norwich way.
Thank you.
We'd like to be nearer Hunstanton and Wells beaches ideally.
A lot more research needed.

Stick to Norwich area. Hospital is much nicer than the one in King's Lynn too. Towns like Aylsham, Wymondham are nice, suburbs like Taverham, Drayton are nice. Reepham and it's surrounding villages nice too and good schools. Hethersett and Mulbarton are also nice. I have experience of both Dereham and KL. They're not completely terrible, but Norwich/near to Norwich is much nicer.

Lots of other lovely beaches to choose from as well as Hunstanton and Wells. Sheringham, Cromer, West and East Runton to name a few are all easily reached from Norwich area.

As someone who grew up in the Kings Lynn area from the age of 13, my advice would be don't move there! Horrible skanky area, and horrible people too! Couldn't wait to move away!

Definately don't want to move to King's Lynn... Just surrounding.
Just thought the location would be OK, near the beaches we like, near a hospital.
Not too far to come. Back.
I think everyone would slag off where they've moved from.
That's exactly why you've moved.
We could do the same about where we are wanting to leave too.

We live on a busy main road, down the road from a travellers site, new developments springing up, one road through the village that's getting busier and busier.
House is full of damp and mould and the landlord won't do anything about it.
OH family difficult, hence wanting to move a bit further away.

We lived in North Norfolk, Norwich is a lovely town, depends what you like doing. I live in Cornwall, just down the road is the most prosperous and the most deprived. Similarly in London you can't get greater contrasts.

My cousin had her first in N&N where her dp went as a dr shortly beforehand. She was very touched when he came home with a new parents gift basket as he went on holiday before the baby was due.

Be aware that with rural roads, any if the 3 towns you've mentioned are likely to be more than 30 minutes to hospital in rush hour.
Fakenham is closest to beaches that you mentioned and has a nice community feel. Thursday market is good.
Norfolk is a lovely part of the world and will be a great place to raise your little one!

I like Hunstanton. Yes it's run down but so is much of the area & the beach is nice. Almost every other suggested location is TOO FAR. OP is not going to cover Norwich to Lynn in 25 minutes. Not even sure if Swaffham would work.

Closer to Sandringham gets posher. The estate is lovely place to roam with small ones. Avoid Wisbech.

Around Dereham, I’d probably consider one of the larger villages- Mattishall, Swanton Morley, Reepham. Dereham itself has got a fair few amenities but it’s also got some rough bits. Closer in towards Norwich there are lots of really nice areas around Taverham, Costessy, Eaton. Good luck with your house hunt!

Don't under-estimate the roads around Lynn, how slow, how congested.
Keep in mind that rough or 'run down' in Norfolk is not like run down anywhere else in England. I live in a Norfolk town that gets dissed a lot, but it sure beats Redcar. I thought HIlgay looked nice enough when I went there not long back (which is nearish to Lynn).

I have a home ready to retire to in Freethorpe in Norfolk in a few years.

If you choose Norwich it may be easier for visits from Bedfordshire independently as the trains are more frequent, even if you have to travel via London.

West Winch. Watlington. Gaywood. Downham Market. Snettisham. All villages around KL that are nice.

Norwich is nicer than Kings Lynn and the hospital is better, but house prices will be higher and schools a consideration if you're near the inner city.
You would also be lucky to get to Bedfordshire in 1.5 hours.
You need to really know what lifestyle you are wanting before deciding on an area of Norfolk and then do your homework.

So I am Indian (with mixed race children), and living in a village ten miles west of Norwich in Norfolk. I find Norwich and Norfolk an open and welcoming place. I do not recognise it as a racist place at all. Norfolk people have always been kind to me, and Norwich has a really good range of ethnic shops, both close to the University and on Magdelen St.

In terms of living here, when we moved we drew up a big list of pluses and minuses. Lots of pluses such as great countryside, the seaside, good cultural life at local theatres and Cinema City in Norwich. Good housing prospects at affordable prices relatively speaking. The big disadvantage is it is far from everything else if you have relatives elsewhere. Norfolk has no motorways and even on A-roads (which are mostly single lane), do not count on moving more than 30 miles an hour.

In terms of living advice if you need a hospital I would base yourself at the Norfolk and Norwich and look to live slightly west of Norwich so you can get on to the A11 quickly if you need to. If you need to get to London towns like Wymondham and Hethersett are good as you could commute from Diss as well as Norwich.

I have never regretted moving here, and my kids have had a lovely life country orientated lifestyle in lots of fresh air, good schools and very limited racism compared to what I experienced in the Midlands, and trust me the West Midlands is still not an easy place for a person of colour to live.

I drive from Bedfordshire to burst east of Norwich on a monthly basis and it takes me 1.45 now the Thetford A1 bit is finished (I've been doing it for 15 years, it made a huge difference but isn't all that new anymore!!).

As for Norwich, there are some lovely areas around Norwich and Great schools. Having been there, I would avoid KL or ending up living somewhere your children would go to secondary school in KL. I grew up on the broads, between Norwich and Yarmouth, I'd move back in a heart beat.

We moved from Norwich recently more towards the coast. Lot of staff live in Cringleford, Heathersett - very close to hospital, near the ringroad and easy to get into city. Cossy is another area near hospital a lot of staff like. Villages surrounding Norwich like Poringland/Mulbarton are also popular. It really depends on your budget. Ive worked at James Paget, NNUH and QEH. Would recommend the first two. X

Thanks all, I've jotted down some.Of the places you've all mentioned to do Some resesrch.
We are quiet people, just want to be near the beach for a quiet outdoor life with the kids.
At the moment we're a good 2 + hours from the beach. We all love being at the beach, even in the winter with wellies on.

Norwich is a bit inland for us I think, but will have a look at some of the places mentioned that way too just incase.

Also just to say Norwich isnt amazing for having small babies. Majority of childrens centres were shut and all the childrens groups are over subscribed. Just a thought. X

The problem with that area is the poor transport links, they are not commuter towns. Traffics jams to the coast in the summer, Hunstanton and along the North Norfolk coast looks nice but there is no duelling of the road. I would also think that somewhere like Wells would be quite pricey. Hunstanton, Swaffham etc haven’t got train stations. Although Kings Lynn is a bit of a dump it has got a train station, big supermarkets, more schools etc. Personally I would find a job at a hospital and go from there, surely it is better to live in a less desirable area with a short commute rather than somewhere stunning but isolated and be stuck in a car for 2 hours a day?

I don't necessarily need a train station. We have a car to commute back to our parents.
I'll be on mat leave for the first year anyway, but do need to transfer to an NHS job in Jan 2021 otherwise I'll have to pay back the mat pay, plus I don't want to lose a registration I worked hard for.
I guess it doesn't necessarily mean I need to be near a hospital, just an NHS based job.
I'd work in a hospice or care home while the kids are little if I have to.

Having done the A10/A14/A1/A421 trip to Bedford many times I would avoid it like the plague, the A10 is a difficult road at the best of times. The A11 is a much better route now the dualling is completed. I live on the Suffolk/Norfolk border and travel to Bedford to see family quite regularly and it is a much easier journey. I am mid distance between Norfolk and Norwich, Ipswich and Bury St.Edmunds hospitals and am 40 minutes from the coast at Southwold so it might be worth expanding your search area a bit

www.wellshospital.org.uk/

Norfolk has an elderly population, there are a lot of care homes in West Norfolk. The catchment high school along that stretch of the coast is Smithdon High School in Hunstanton and a lot of the villages have primary schools. I have no idea what these are like. The coast between KL and Hunstanton will be more affordable than somewhere like Wells or Holkham. Think Snettisham or Heacham.

Everydaymumma mentioned James pager Hospital, if that’s an option and you’re wanting less city centre and more coastal you could do well in that area.

Gorleston itself where the Paget is has some nice parts and THE best beach, but also the surrounding areas/villages slightly more inland could work for you? They would be way more affordable than the Norwichy surrounds.

2 1/2-3 hrs drive to London similar on the train. I don’t know about Bedfordshire links sorry.

Assuming you are a driving household that area is nice. You can get a nice house in a village not too far but still be near to work/the shops.