Leaving London for Lincolnshire

[savykeane]

HI. I would love some advice on moving to Lincolnshire also. I have just sold my property in London and looking to move to a nice area with good schools. I have 3 girls, my eldest has quadriplegic cerebral palsy so will require a special school. We have visited Nettleham and I have seen the property (which must be a bungalow) in Welton with good schools. We are both self-employed so can be flexible but I have to consider transport for my eldest daughter and the catchment area. Being a city girl I'd love to be close to some amenities such as coffee shops and a gym, don't mind driving about 30 mins. My younger children(6 months and 2 yrs) swim 3 times a week and id like this to continue also like them to start ballet and tennis lessons as soon as they are old enough Any advice on other locations you can recommend would be greatly appreciated. My budget is £550 -£600,000. Must be in a safe area with a low crime rate and good schools. Someone has mentioned Bourne as there' a special which we will look into. Thanks

I don't know Lincolnshire but just wanted to say I made the move from London out to Oxfordshire and there isn't a day when I'm grateful I did.

I chose a small market town that has good schools, tennis club, pool but within 10 miles of one of the best hospitals.

I hope someone comes along with some precise advice for you on the area. Good luck with the move.

I should also mention that we are quite flexible regarding areas in the UK. We have just found Lincolnshire reasonably priced with good schools. To be honest i will be very sad to leave London as we have wonderful carers and excellent services for my eldest but the house prices for what we need are crazy here.

Thanks, may I ask which area you choose and which hospital would you recommend.

I don't know North Lincs or property well but Bourne could be a good shout if a school there meets your needs. Decent swimming pools and you're not too far from Peterborough for some small city life and decent amenities.

Spalding near Bourne also has a special school called the Garth school which could be worth looking in to.

Also note Lincolnshire has lots of grammar schools (11+), including in Bourne, Spalding and in North Lincs. These schools are typically very good though the comprehensive schools are on their heels and constantly improving I've been told.

I am closer to London myself now but grew up and have family in South Lincs and they're never short of extra curricular activities for children (dance, tennis, gymnastics, football, rugby, horseriding, guiding groups etc. etc.)

Have you looked at north and east Cambridgeshire. More closer to price to Lincolnshire but closer to bigger cities- Peterborough, Norwich, Cambridge. Special schools are pretty good also.

I saw your post and had to reply. One of my best friends is from Lincolnshire. She has lived in london for 20 years but moved back (town with amenities you described) about 8 years ago due to more affordable quality of housing and family connections. She absolutley hates it. It simply cannot compare to the life she had in london and now she cannot earn enough to make the move back. She complains that whilst she grew up there and has lifelong friends there she really misses the open mindedness and freedoms of london(and she's certainly not a wild type!). It might be something worth looking into if you are a city girl originally. I just saw your post and it struck me with her struggles. She also has q special needs child and whils he is happy there isnt the same level if supportvthere was in london and general support she finds. With hindsight she niw says it would have been more sensible for her to live in a worse area and property in London and have a better quality of life overall with outlook and amenities etc. She plans to come back and now rent when her child finishes school. I really feel for her as i see the impact its had on her.
Good luck. I hope you find whats right for you

Have you considered suffolk?

I live in Lincolnshire and my DC goes to the school that your DC is likely to go to if you were to live in Nettleham. It is a fantastic school, the staff are wonderful and supportive. Nettleham is lovely. You cannot compare Lincolnshire to London obvs, you're not going to get the same busy places but uphill Lincoln and the cornhill areas are vibrant with places to eat. You're welcome to message if you want to know more about the school. Good luck!

Lincolnshire might prove a little too rural a jump from your previous life.
A few things to consider:

• no public transport to speak of. You will have to drive everywhere all the time, and once your children start to make friends/going out, you will be taxi service multiple times a day. You might think you are ok with a 30mins drive to your gym, but it will wear you down very soon


• healthcare services - if your family has regular health/dentistry needs, you will find yourself in a pickle. Local services are being constantly trimmed, you might have to drive to Lincoln hospital for the most trivial of things

Might be worth looking into PP advice to look into slightly more city feel and rich counties like Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire, they have more and better services.

We moved from London to Lincolnshire (via a stop in Yorkshire).
It’s a different pace of life, you need to drive everywhere in Lincolnshire. There are decent bus services but often you need to go across the city and that would need 2 buses or 10m in the car.

Nettleham and Welton are both lovely villages with easy access to Lincoln. The schools are great there at primary level and Welton has Will Farr secondary or alternatively children sit the 11 plus for Horncastle Grammar school. There is also Priory Pembroke which is up and coming at Cherry Willingham.

There are a few special schools in Lincoln, St Francis Hill and St Christopher’s come to mind.

Swimming, ballet and tennis are common extra curricular activities, all on offer on the north side of the city.

I’m happy to answer any questions about the area, but it’s a low crime and middle class couple of villages with good amenities and still not far from the city.

I am more familiar with Lincoln rather than Lincolnshire as a whole.

My DD went to uni there and has just moved into her first proper home. She has been there for 4 years.

She lives in the city. She has a flat which is a 10 minute walk from the centre. It's right on the canal and such a lovely setting.

The city itself has everything you'd want. The council have really invested in the centre and the new shops and restaurants in the Cornhill Quarter are lovely.

Lincoln is actually very depressing compared to London, no culture, the Uni gives the City abit of life otherwise it’s not good move for careers, many people in the village have proudly lived in the same village as their parents, all their lives, their children go to the school they went to, their sister lives three doors away, talk is restricted to their life experiences, honestly too much of a leap, it’ll drive you insane.

The schools are ok, but when you factor in the above it’s just a dreadfully boring place.

Hi, we moved from London to Lincoln about 18 years ago, We all love it here and have no regrets at all. It is a lovely place for bringing up children, Welton, Nettleham, Sudbrooke, all great villages just out side Lincoln. The schools both primary and secondary are good in those areas.
Healthcare wise, Lincoln County Hospital is the local district general, any specialist services for children would be at Sheffield Childrens, or QMC in Nottingham. As someone else has mentioned St Francis and St Christopher’s special schools in Lincoln are well regarded.
We enjoy visiting London these days for a day or weekend, there are daily trains from Lincoln to London, or we drive to Newark as there are more trains per day to choose from.
Lincoln city centre has everything we need and the country side is so close, around an hours drive to the east coast, depending on where you are in Lincoln. Good luck!

I'm from Lincolnshire, if moving here I would go for somewhere near Lincoln or south like Bourne.
You will find the hospital services round here quite poor, unfortunately it's quite a distance to the hospitals as they cover such a huge area.
Public transport links are also poor, so just take that In mind if you don't have a car.

Advantages, you are never far from the sea, there's beautiful beaches along the coast, north of Skegness.
I've never found it lacking in amenities or finding something to do. There's plenty of things for children to do.

Have you looked at some of the villages around Grantham. There is a direct train from Grantham to London - think it is 55 minutes travel time. Nice village schools - try Harlaxton, nice prep school if that's something you'd prefer and good grammar schools in Grantham. Grantham itself has quite a nice town centre with a cinema and some new nice cafes/bars.
Not near the sea though.

We live in Lincolnshire, in a village just outside Lincoln, and it is a lovely place to bring up children. DD5 is just finishing reception at an amazing school. We are able to walk to school and her friends all live in the village, which is lovely for her. She does ballet and football and will start swimming again in September. DD2 does ballet and swimming and we go to the local children's centre fairly often.
I find there's plenty for adults as well - DH and I both manage to do our hobbies (football, dance and music).
I work at the University and DH has just had a promotion in his job, so it works well for us work wise too
Message me if you want to know any more.

Some of the villages around Grantham. Also look at Belton House National Trust nearby - huge wooden play park in the forest and lots of events held there for children.

I haven’t read whole thread, so apologies if this has already been mentioned, but have you looked at Stamford?

Only 15 mins drive from Bourne, so still close to the SEND school. Lots of gorgeous independent shops, coffee shops, etc. Short drive to Peterborough, not too far from Cambridge and lots of lovely places nearby, namely Rutland Water, Belton House (worth joining NT for this alone!) Burleigh and loads more.

Good gyms in Stamford and Bourne to suit everyone, whether you’re a weights or a yoga person. Dance schools in Bourne and Stamford and tennis courts too.

It’s a beautiful old Georgian town and was used for filming Middlemarch many moons ago!

Holy crap do not move to Grantham. Half the shop units are empty in the centre. I’m from Grantham but have lived in London and the south for over 20 years. My family is still there and I have a couple of friends still but it’s very limited in things to do and quite parochial. If you’re into horses and dogs and will support the local hunt then you’ll have an easier time of it. The local hospital is a shadow of its former self and you now need to travel to Lincoln for the A&E and maternity services. ( 25 miles probably). I think the schooling is good with 2 grammar schools and it has fast train service to London but not cheap - I think someone told me it would cost them £600 per month to commute. Lincoln would be an easier move. Uppingham in Rutland was voted one of the best places to live in the country and I hear good things about Louth but I don’t know it personally.

Stamford is lovely but maybe not as great as it thinks it is.

Just thought I’d throw my two pennies in as I grew up not far from Sleaford after my parents moved us when I was late primary age - don’t do it!! Lincolnshire is a boring nothingy place to be a child/teenager in and to be honest it can be fairly rough. I would never choose to live there now. Lincoln is a nice city, and there are some pretty places, but in between it’s a bit shit. And winters on the dodgy crumbling roads are a nightmare. I live in Suffolk now and it’s a million times better- even the dodgy parts!

I grew up in Grantham, and 4 out of 5 siblings went to one of the Grammar schools, my brother went to one of the comps. The town centre has been hammered recently, but there is a Boundary Milk complex at the North end of the town, which is developing a designer shopping village. There is another designer village being built south of the town. Grantham is a main stop in the East Coast railway line, so there are loads of trains to London, York, Edinbugh, Newcastle. Nottingham is also easily accessible by train. The A1 used to go through the town, and now bypasses it so easy access by car North and south. Personally, I would look at Bourne, Stamford and Woodhall Spa, not as good transport links, but lovely towns.

We moved to South Lincolnshire almost 20 years ago from London and would not go back.

My DH still commutes to London 5 days a week for work from Peterborough station.

Stamford is a lovely place and it is near to Bourne so if you decide on the special school there it is probably covered by school transport. Look on the Lincolnshire county council website regarding school transport. www.lincolnshire.gov.uk

My DD goes to a special school which is run by C.I.T. Academies www.citacademies.co.uk if you look at their website it shows all their schools and where they are.

When my DD was in mainstream she used to have staff from St Francis in Lincoln come to her school to give ideas and support in her learning and I must say they were brilliant, they used to come to her EHCP meetings and they also supported me if I had questions, I could contact them at any time.

Do not look at Boston it has some lovely houses but it is not a good place to live, the hospital is also not brilliant, although there is a brand new special school there.

There are great villages all around and we have not regretted moving here, it is worth coming to have a look around, you will get a lot for your budget and there are some lovely bungalows around and there is always something to do.

You do have to drive and depending where you live, buses are not frequent and most do not run on a Sunday, but if you are aware of this it is a great place to live,.

Also if you like takeaways most places you cannot get delivery you have to collect, some takeaways do deliver for a fee. We do get Ocado, Waitrose, Asda, Morrisons and Tesco deliveries though.

I lived in Spalding for about 3 years, my only advice? Don't move there 😉

Lived near Boston for a few years. Awful place. I find most of Lincolnshire difficult to be honest. Just find it quite old fashioned and narrow minded. I was never happy there and moved to Yorkshire. Much better in my opinion.