Insight Newport south wales

[Sparklybutold]

Posting for traffic. My family and I are relocating to Newport south wales. Anyone have any recommendations - where's best to live, where's best to avoid, places to go, primary and secondary schools, nurseries, all insight muchly appreciated 😁

Can you look further afield to Magor, Caldicot, even Monmouth?

I live in Newport. Would recommend areas more on the outskirts - Bassaleg, Rogerstone, Alt-Yr-Yn, Caerleon, St Julian's are all good areas. Avoid Pill, Alway, Better, Ringland or Lliswerry. The town centre is pretty grim. We mostly avoid it and go into Cardiff for meals out/shopping etc.

Top schools are Bassaleg and Caerleon. I believe John Frost school is good these days too.

Yes Welsh is taught, it's compulsory up to age 16.

OP, Cardiff is just up the road from Newport and is one of the best cities I’ve visited! I’d move there and get DH to commute. Infinitely better than Newport

I work in Newport, it’s a shit hole. You don’t want to live in Newport if you can help it. Caerleon is nice, as is Magor and High Cross. There are plenty of decent houses to be found nearby for very reasonable rent, I would just avoid the city itself.

Welsh is compulsory here but they do make allowances for children with no knowledge of the welsh language. I highly recommend you don't live in Newport itself and look for a home on the outskirts like St. Brides/St. Mellons. It's an absolute shambles, full of crime. If you can live with a small drive to and from work I highly suggest it!

Caerleon is lovely, and this is in a nice location

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137920928#/map?channel=RES_LET

I have a friend who lives there and commutes to Bristol. Its a pretty rough place by all accounts. She's thinking of putting her house on the market and just accepting that a flat in Bristol is preferable to a house in Newport.

I second this suggestion

I live in Newport too, Ridgeway, Caerleon, Bassaleg and Rogerstone are nice areas. Cardiff is so close we tend to avoid the grim town centre and socialise there . Newport has got some lovely parks / forests very close by . It’s a great location to get to other major cities .

I’d recommend travelling into Newport for work but locating in Caerleon, Magor, Abergavenny, Usk, Monmouth, Raglan.

Good primaries, Pentrepoeth, Glasllwch and most of the schools in the towns mentioned above, don’t know as much about secondaries. Welsh definitely compulsory to GCSE.

What about blackwood and hengoed?

OP try not to be too discouraged by the comments here. There are parts of every city which aren't great. I live in Cardiff but worked in Newport for a while and it has its good points! Bassaleg, caerleon and at Joseph schools have good reputations - I worked with st Jos for a while a thought it was great. It is catholic though. For the other two you'd need to check catchment area carefully - I'm not up to date on that.

From what I've seen, caerleon, rogerstone, bassaleg, Marshfield all nice enough areas. also know a few people in St Julian's who like it. You could also look at areas outside Newport such as caldicot, cwmbran, Risca etc. Or Cardiff but more expensive.

The city centre isn't great, but you are close to Cardiff and Bristol. There's also out of town shops and cwmbran has a reasonable shopping centre. Plenty of nice green spaces around.

Second language Welsh is compulsory to GCSE in all schools now but I think sometimes there might be exceptions of coming from outside Wales late on in school. And most English speaking pupils don't have high is levels even though they'll have done it since primary.

Keep in mind that catchment areas are tight - back her. I was teaching, Bassaleg was hard to get into unless you lived on the doorstep. Maybe that's changed but I'd check before committing to a house.

Newport I’d from, I wouldn’t live there if someone offered me a house. What about Monmouthshire?

The power of mumsnet!! Love it! I have a pad out and listing all recommendations! We plan to visit next week to look at some houses, anywhere cheap and cheerful to stay?

I will PM you

I was born here but moved away when I was young,I often go back and visit family and whats become of it makes me want to cry, extreme poverty,addiction etc,avoid bettws,ringland,alway, duffryn and pillgwenlly st Julian's and malpas are not that bad

My DM lived in Newport for nearly 20 yrs- after I'd left home so don't know about schools but it is not universally a shithole. She lived at the town end of Alt-yr-yn/ridgeway (near the civic centre) which is very nice and only 15/20 mins walk to station/ town centre.

Only go to live on Ridgeway, or one of the roads off it. Glasllwch Lane has some nice houses.

Definitely read the south wales argus. It will give you a great insight on newport and the surrounding area's. It's quite eye opening.

There's a Premier Inn next to a Beefeaters but it would be a shame to pass up a chance to stay at Celtic Manor tbh.

Caerleon. I also like Caldicot.

Cardiff is great. I’d happily live there. It’s pricey though.

Premier Inn in Newport is fine for a night or two and cheapish at £50 a night.
Agree that Altyryn/Ridgeway would be the preferred area. Langstone is ok too if you need motorway access.
Blackwood/Hengoed is the valleys. It can be quite locally. I’m from a nearby area and I wouldn’t move back to the valleys now. I would feel very out of place.

And agree with pp that Caerleon is worth a look. Good school, nurseries and pubs/cafes etc.

New inn is close to Newport. Some parts of Cwmbran might be worth a look.

Good luck 👍