To leave London for North Norfolk (not the posh bit)..?

[Londonisnotcalling]

That’s it really?

Fully fed up of the London life, am not particularly wealthy, live in a fairly drab and deprived area of London, but have a 3 bed flat (mortgaged) and 1 DC (primary) - flat would sell quickly and would be able to get more space, garden etc in Norfolk and I do love it there (lots of holidays in that area so know it a bit). Work isn’t an issue as I WFH and it’s secure and DC’s father isn’t in the picture and my family are all abroad so doesn’t really make much difference to them.

Looking at Sheringham, Cromer and Mundesley. Can’t afford more west and want to live in an actual community rather than land of second homes.

AIBU to just go for it? Anyone else done it and really much happier now? (Hoping not to read loads of horror stories!)

5 year plan, starting after May 2021, to get fibre optic broadband to bigger places in Norfolk.

so yeah, by 2027, it should be sorted. In most of the bigger settlements.

Can't even get 4G reliably at Blickling. Everyone in rural Norfolk knows dead places where we can't get any reception on our phones.

More positively: I adore the Cromer MIU. So lovely to have that. I meet lots of people up here who don't drive, including in isolated rural homes. Obviously even more common not to drive in towns. Best to be in town on train line if you don't drive; the bus services generally stop at 6pm & may not run on Sundays at all.

Thanks so much everyone for all your comments, it’s so helpful and really giving me food for thought. It’s making me wonder if Norwich itself might make some sense.

Will look into Gorleston and Aylesham, but I am not keen on Bury St Ed, been there and didn’t love it.

A few people have mentioned Gorleston/ Yarmouth. No offence to anyone but I really wouldn’t recommend that area. It’s incredibly deprived and drugs, low aspirations and teen pregnancies etc are common. I knew people from that area growing up and they’re SO insular, never leave Gorleston/ Yarmouth. You may as well be talking about London if you mention Norwich or any other part of Norfolk as so many view them as far away places.

Thank you! I am really not keen on Gt Yarmouth, so will probably swerve that then. It’s too Butlins seafront and it’s why I like Cromer so much as it’s less arcades and candyfloss and mini-golf

100% MOVE!!
We moved from the delightful town of Luton and relocated to Suffolk!
Never ever looked back!!

😀where did you move to?

@Undertheash have you ever actually been to Gorleston?
It's a residential town with several good schools, a more diverse population due to the hospital than many areas in Norfolk, good public transport, a huge sandy beach, lots of different eateries. Quite a few people move here from London for the ease of the journey back.
Physically it is close to GY but it is nothing like it at all. Yes, Yarmouth Town is deprived and has drugs problems as do many seaside places but if you aren't a part of that culture then it doesn't impact you. I would never recommend anyone move to GY proper but surrounding areas that come under the Great Yarmouth umbrella aren't the same, Caister, Winterton, Ludham, Bradwell, Belton, Blundeston all lovely places. In fact the only time I go to GY is to pick up a parcel from the big Post Office or to have a tourist day during the school holidays.

@Singleandproud, yes, I grew up around the Yarmouth area, went to sixth form in Gorleston. I just found it so depressing tbh. So much poverty, it was either total ‘chav’ or grungy/ druggy, no middle ground. Again, the people never left the Yarmouth area, it was so weird. Very insular.

My hairdresser went to Yarmouth and Gorleston for the first time in a about 7 years the other week, she said she was shocked. Her and a husband went for a meal somewhere in Gorleston and said everyone just looked ‘rough’ like they’d start on you if you dared look in their direction and I know what she means as it was always like that when I was there.

Fully accept I may be being a bit unreasonable/ snobby but I guess that’s the thing about this type of post, it’s subjective. I do agree that some of the villages out the back of there are nice, my only issue with that is, you’re so far away from Norwich so the only places to go shopping or whatever are Lowestoft and Yarmouth, neither of which are very safe or nice.

Regarding Gorleston, I love it, but it has a very, very different vibe to North Norfolk, which is why I didn't suggest it. However if you want more bang for your bucks in terms of house size, it's a great idea, funnily enough I was walking on the beach there yesterday and met a whole bunch of Londoners who had come up for the weekend and were considering it as a retirement option!!!

It's true by the way that if hospital access is important to you, then Norfolk has a limited choice. However, Cromer hospital is expanding, they now have a Cancer Unit ( before everyone had to go to Norwich) and I had a medical procedure there during lockdown ( Norwich had a covid outbreak and closed wards) and the care was excellent.

Also, I missed that you don't have a car. If you don't North Norfolk will be difficult for you and your family, especially in the winter...public transport sucks here, Cromer would be your best option but even then you might find it very restrictive.

Much as I love Overstrand, it's really more of a lovely retirement village, and I don't think it should go on your list, there's a village shop, and a pub, and a garden centre, used to be a little art gallery, but not a lot else.

I still think you should come to Norfolk by the way, one of my closest friends moved here from South Woodford in her early twenties and she is still here, but moved to a small village on the Norfolk coast to start with ( Kelling) and it was very hard going for her and her family. She's now been in Norwich itself for thirty years and absolutely loves it!

In your situation I would go for Norwich. Just spent the weekend there staying with friends and so easy to pop to the beach on the train. Lovely walks and pubs by the river if you want to be near water. My kids are teenagers and there seems to be a nice atmosphere and things to do for kids their age, but they would hate to be stuck in a little village! We live in a big city, so by comparison Norwich felt like a village anyway

I'm still annoyed at Overstrand for keeping the playground locked longer than anywhere else in pandemic (guess it reopened by end of 2020). We had regular "Woe is me how can outsiders be so reckless as to come here!" stories in EDP, featuring scared Overstrand residents, in 2020. One nearby village shop had sign up until late 2021 basically saying "We don't want your business if you aren't local how dare you come to our village bringing your scary outsider germs!".

I'm going to Overstrand today & won't be surprised to chat to some lonely resident with dementia. This is normal, too.

Getting to beach from Norwich on train really isn't that easy (I've done it). Don't live in Norwich if you want beach. Unless Whitlingham Broad beach would do... that's not easy to get to on public transport either, though.

Agree with others that Gorleston is very up and coming, totally changed its past trajectory. Didn't it recently rate highly in some national survey of "happiest places to live in Britain" ? It's a huge trek from Holt though. OP wants to be closer to her friend.

I like Cromer as a town a lot, btw. The high school is considered "ok" by locals, but they aren't an academically demanding crowd, anyway. The snobs run a mile from Cromer HS.

Everyone in NE Norfolk knows each other, btw, or knows someone that you know.

So I actually grew up outside cromer slightly inland in a small village but cromer was our go to! The school was fine - I had no issues with it and would say it was positive, I left in 2006 though so quite a while ago and before it became an academy. However I know people that work there and it seems to be ok. The staff work hard and if you are a supportive parent I think your children would thrive anyway. What I did like was walking down to the beach after school in the summer - that was always a nice way to end the day! In terms of being a teen there, it's a relatively small town with a small cinema, some shops and lots of cafes, arcades, beach etc.. We used to get the train into Norwich at weekends quite a lot before we passed our driving tests. It will be a change from a busy city but to be honest maybe that's what you want??! I have never been a city girl and even as an adult I don't envy anyone who lives in one. It's a slower pace of life but that suits me!

Move to Norwich. You're romanticising places you've been on holiday.

In comparison to London, Norwich will feel leafy, cosy and slow. You'll have a choice of schools, activities, you'll be able to make friends. When they're older, your child won't have to rely on you for lifts, can go out-out and get a Saturday job.

The whole coastline will still be there but you won't be socially isolated in towns with large drug problems, where moving to Norwich is considered ambitious.

(Source: proud child of Aylsham)

My parents and siblings live in Cromer. Its ace. Very busy in summer though but it is great as it has so much on for the kids.

Its pricier than other N.Norfolk areas though, I'm in leafy west berks and cant afford most of what occasionally comes available. Not that I can move there as DSis and I don't get on

See you on the beach at half term. Are you there for the spitfire flypast Jubilee celebrations?

Snettisham in west Norfolk was included in an under the radar seaside locations to move to by the Times last week, so could be worth considering. West Norfolk is generally far less posh than north Norfolk.

Beccles in Suffolk has been mentioned here, which I would definitely consider - I too grew up there and would love to move back if it wasn’t for work, etc. It’s a fairly short drive to beaches, and only just in Suffolk - the broads, which form the county border with Norfolk run along the bottom of the town - and Norwich is more accessible than for much of Norfolk, with lots of people working and shopping there.

Norfolk is stunning. I prefer the downham market area. Mainly due to the train links to London, and because I like shopping in Ely and Cambridge! Norwich is a lovely city. Some of the secondary schools aren't great so I would have a look if that is important to you.

Downham Market seems to be on the up, with a number of new independent shops and restaurants opening, and more younger people moving there, despite one part of the town being in the news this week for the highest elderly population in England! It can be a bit of trek to the beach in summer with traffic though. I’m also not sure how the secondary is doing, it was very bad at one point but they claim to have improved.

I've just spent a lovely few minutes looking at properties in Norwich and daydreaming about moving there.

I don't know if it is a case of rose-tinted glasses, as I'm only in Norfolk in holiday mode (Suffolk too). The pace of life, the space, the proximity to the coastline do make it seem irresistible.

You pop out for a couple of hours and boom loads of new and very interesting replies🤗

You’re all really making me think about Norwich now!

Beccles does look lovely in pictures, but never been there!

I’ll be up in Holt over half term, so perhaps a few treks out with my friend to have a look around a few more places.

I think it’s safe to say that anywhere east of Cromer on the coastline is probably off the cards as I think most of you are right that it’s too small / nothing to do.

Hi Op @Londonisnotcalling just wondered if you had made any progress with your plans? I am planning to move away from Devon (mainly to get away from abusive ex partner) and Norfolk Suffolk are on my radar. I'm hoping to get up there week after next and have a proper look around some of the places listed on this thread. If you have any advice would be much appreciated 😁

Hey, resurrection of this, I know! What did OP decide to do? Similar situation here, but narrowed it down to Beccles or Bungay. Beccles seems to have more properties, more house for the money, but wary about the new developments being built. Bungay seems quieter, and that's essentially what we want.