To move to Norfolk although I’ve never been

[mioz]

Been thinking about moving for ages and ages, was made redundant last year so deciding to just go for it. I’m gravitating towards Norfolk but need some help narrowing down potential areas. Needs to be suitable for a young family (2 boys under 3), with parks/cafes/shops and maybe a high st within walking distance. Good travel links also if possible. Anyone have good knowledge of Norfolk and can help me?

Ely and the Fens I would find too flat and isolated. And certainly lacks the culture of Norwich. But you might love it! Again you really need to visit.

Diss is great for transport links (by Norfolk standards!) commuting distance to Norwich, Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Great Yarmouth and on the main London to Norwich trainline.

The heritage triangle in the town centre is really nice now, there's been a lot of investment recently and further development of the Mere and riverside area planned. New houses will soon be going up on the edge of town too.

And, no, not all of the schools are in special measures

I think all the schools were in special measures, you need to drive everywhere

They’re really not, the schools are quite a mix, like you’d see anywhere else really.

I live about 10mins outside of Norwich and don’t drive and get on fine. Reliable bus service into the city every 10/15mins. Most places 5miles or so out of the city have that sort of service.Our village has a couple of pubs, a cafe and a few shops.
If you’re looking for more of a town then Wymondham, Aylsham, Cromer or Holt are probably worth a look. Most towns have a bus service every 30-60 mins during day time which can work fine, if you want more than that then ‘outer’ Norfolk probably isn’t for you. If you want more rural then yes, the pay off is fewer amenities and transport. The roads have also improved a lot in recent years.

I live in norfolk. There are some excellent schools here, not all in special measures at all I live in south norfolk which is better for transport links but would choose somewhere nearer the broads if I could - coltishall and around that area.
I have also lived in Ely which I also love, close enough to Cambridge to enjoy there too but more expensive to live there than Norwich. There is so much around norfolk to do with kids/ as a family. You don’t really appreciate it until you move away

Wymondham is nice. A pleasant, market town, within an easy drive of rural and coastal areas.

Fakenham is another one. Holt too though smaller.

Friends moved to North Walsham and love it.

There are many really good places in the North of Norfolk. Do go and have a good look around before committing to anything; like anywhere there are grotty areas.

www.edp24.co.uk/news/education/every-norfolk-school-ofsted-rates-inadequate-or-requires-improvement-1510384

I'd really want to spend time investigating school. . Sure , not all but I bet the half decent ones are rammed and no chance of getting in.

Norwich or Kings Lynn are interesting and have a 'real' established feel. These would offer career opps to DC.
Both are about 2 hours non stop to London Liverpool Street. Day time fare about £60 Single. Like everyone says out side of those towns you have to drive. I have lived on North Coast near Salthouse. Chillblains on fingers lasted to June! nearly!
Some really run down places in Gt Yarmouth and Hunstanton. Heacham now a new town.
Broads are silting up, lack of use and no dredging because of the 'Greenpeace' mob ruining sailing.
Visited last about 2 yrs ago.

My preference (retired) would be for Ipswich, Suffolk/Essex border to Woodbridge.

Nope, that's really not usually the case. DC go to an Outstanding high school and its catchment reaches for miles!

Their primary was Good rated, downgraded to Requires Improvement while DC were there as pressure was piled on to academise. Nonetheless it remained a lovely school where my kids flourished.

Of course there are some crappy schools, and some very deprived areas (Great Yarmouth, parts of Kings Lynn, parts of Norwich). But these are pretty easy to avoid with basic research.

Internet access can be patchy in rural counties.

I live in west Norfolk. There is a mainline station in walking distance and I can be in cambridge in 1/2 an hour. Norwich is an hours drive away.
Some very good primary schools, however the local high schools are not great.
DS is now 14 and starting to get more independent - he can now get the train to kings lynn with friends by himself.
We moved from London and I wanted a shop in walking distance and DP wanted a local pub and train links to London where he worked at the time.
10 years later we are happy and settled but you really do need a car as public transport is not great.
Definitely come up and visit and get a feel for the area you want to be in.

I grew up in Norwich and it's a lovely place to be a child and teenager - think it was voted one of the best places to bring up children or something recently. Schools are definitely not all special measures, my former school is outstanding as are several more in and near Norwich.

Don’t move to Diss thinking it’s got good transport links- it doesn’t. It has a train that in theory should be fantastic - goes to London and Norwich but it’s frequently late and frequently replaced by bus services which take hours. Us locals barely use it. I moved from London some years ago thinking I’d commute to work in London a couple of days a week - totally laughable, the trains are terrible. I’ve spent many hours on buses / changing trains / there’s a leaf on the line everyone off / etc etc.

Saying that, I love Norfolk. Absolutely love it. But it’s not for everyone. You need to drive. It’s 25 miles to Norwich from Diss and that’s where the nearest big city shops are. It’s difficult as children become teens because there isn’t so much for them to do locally and you become “taxi of Mum” but yes it’s lovely - countryside is pretty, nice people, beautiful beaches etc.

Sounds like you’d ideally be host/Cromer kind of way. Close to/on the coast plenty of shops and bits to do. Transport not the best but then I’m judging that by my own areas a bus every 10minutes.

Certainly wouldn’t go to Stamford for things to do or good transport. Lynn is rather miss as well.

How about the Linton Travel Tavern? It's equidistant between London and Norwich.

@Maggiesfarm Lovely as North Norfolk is, I wouldn't say it has good transport links. I have relatives near Fakenham. Their offspring moved to London. Travelling home involved 2 trains (at least) and someone to collect them from a station at least 40 mins away. In fact the London based relatives could get to us much easier and in half the time - and we live in rural Shropshire!

My parents live in Ely, I live in North Norfolk. Ely is a dive in comparison, my parents can’t wait to retire and move here. Same as any place, do your homework r.e schools and remember if kids are young, a lot can happen in the years before they are old enough to attend. I agree, Wymondham has good transport links and Wymondham College is excellent, with day boarding and boarding facilities (not private but there is a fee).

North Norfolk is gorgeous and I am 30 minutes from Norwich and 30 minutes from the coast. PP mentioned Aylsham, 10 minutes from where I am and a very nice town.

But you really should visit both Ely and Norfolk before you up sticks - potentially a very expensive mistake!

Ely’s great. Pretty much the whole place is lovely. The villages on the outskirts are nice too Little Downham, Witchford, Haddenham. Train is an hour and 20 into London, 15 mins to Cambridge. drive an hour North and your at the beach in North Norfolk.

You live in Ashford. Move down the M20 to Folkestone.

Where are you currently living? I live by the coast in East Norfolk, amazing beach and great high st with good buses to Norwich every 15 mins. But yes, to drive anywhere else in the UK it is a pain!

"Us locals barely use it" Yes we do! I work in Norwich, dh in Ipswich, we both commute by train. I stand by what I said, Diss has great transport links - for Norfolk. I'm glad I have the option of commuting by train, lots of my colleagues in the city don't.

Another west Norfolk person here - put 5 kids through two high schools and one primary - and somehow have three at uni at the moment so their education can't all be dreadful ..

If you want good transport links , it really depends where you want to go . Norwich line into Liverpool Street, long and beset with delays . Kings lynn - kings cross , faster and more reliable most of the time . I used to use it pre pandemic all the time . Regular buses run basically the A47 route from Peterborough through to Great Yarmouth , but I can't get a local bus from my nearest town , to the next nearest town north .

Ely - used to like it , but it's expanding so rapidly that it's just turning into yet another commuter town for Cambridge and prices are going up . It's expanding almost to Littleport , which isn't pleasing the locals too much . New school recently built at Littleport , views are mixed .

I love it here , but if you do move here , just be aware that this isn't the Home Counties . We've had so so many move here from Essex and Kent particularly, who think it's all lovely until the winter comes , the roads are covered in ice and no grit , or mud in beet season , they can't get a takeaway delivered and they have to drive five miles to pick up milk .

I'm on holiday at the moment on North Norfolk and of course, I want to live here now 🤪

But then I want to live everywhere I go to on holiday!

Diss, has OK transport. But it will depend what your baseline is. If you're coming from somewhere rural it will be nice but if you're used to somewhere very busy and central it's going to seem sparse and isolated.

I love Norfolk but agree there is no such thing as good transport links there.

We left Norfolk due to this and lack of jobs in my DHs sector.

Oh god, I'm from Trashford originally. DO IT! Norfolk is wonderful in comparison.