Relocating to Northampton (Berrydale/Rectory Farm)

[Dvh149]

Hello, We are looking to relocate to Northampton and we have been looking in villages outside Northampton and to the South of Northampton to be close to the M1. We started widening our search area and recently saw some properties we liked in Berrydale/Rectory farm area? Does anyone have any information on what this area is like please as we know nothing about this area of Northampton. Thank you

Where else have you been looking in Northampton and what kind of area are you relocating from?

rectory farm isn’t somewhere I’d choose to live but I don’t know what your priorities are

Thank you, we have been looking in Wootton, Hunsbury, Cogenhoe, Hanslope, Grange Park, Bugbrooke, Milton Malsor and a few of the other villages. We are relocating from Bracknell.

Berrydale and Rectory Farm aren’t villages, they’re estates. Not great (understatement!) The places you mention in your latest post are better.

Rectory Farm is ok - there are worse estates in Northampton!

But yes, they’re estates as opposed to villages

Yes we knew they wernt villages as we went there at the weekend, but just wondered what the area was like. My MIL lives in Towcester and doesn't really know the areas we looked at this weekend so couldn't comment. Is there any other areas in Northanpton close to the M1 that are worth looking in please?

Hanslope is lovely, although has grown a lot. Castlethorpe is the next village on in the direction of Milton Keynes and is also lovely.

The next village in the other direction is Hartwell, which is right by Salcey Forest and nice (I used to live there, and had relatives in Hanslope and Castlethorpe). You've then got Roade, another village, which is closest to junction 15 of the M1.

I moved from Hartwell to Wootton, and lived there for 9 years. It's mainly nice, but covers a big area. The old Wootton is a very small part of it.

Grange Park is all new build, and very close to junction 15 too (literally right on it).

I moved out to North Northants 8 years ago, every time I have to get onto the M1 I moan about the extra time it takes from where I live now, and I practically drive past my old house in Wootton! Used to be so handy for getting to Luton airport, London, Birmingham etc.

Thank you so much! That is really helpful information. It's so hard when you don't know the areas so well and we can't trial any of the areas before we sell our house, so want to make sure we have researched as much as we can before we make the move.

The other villages you’re looking at are much nicer than rectory farm so I’d stick to them!

I'd swerve Rectory Farm tbh. Wootton is nice, as is Hardingstone if you want that side. I'm not a fan of Grange Patk but people who live there love it. Depends on what you need for schools too.

Have you been to the town centre? I'm surprised that's not put you off.

Yes I have been to the town centre, but I lived in Slough most of my life which is much worse 😅 We have a nice town centre where I currently live but I dont often go into town and I heard that Milton Keynes is very good for shopping and has a decent town centre so I can't see myself going into Northampton town centre much.

Bugbrooks alright.

Most of the villages in that area are ok.

Agree that a housing estate isn't a village!

The older villages mostly all have a mixture of housing in them these days. The oldest properties are the most picturesque (and ££) and then you have the 50s council properties which are bland looking but massive with big gardens and mostly privately owned nowadays. Then there's usually a little (or large!) new estate tagged on the side somewhere which none of the residents will have wanted built 🤪 They'll have attractive stone houses near the main road and smaller brick ones further back in.

Do google street view for a 'stroll' around the villages it'll give you a rough idea of them.