Oundle, Northamptonshire

[CyanDog]

I’m looking for some advice as my husband’s new job is in a small town called Oundle, Northamptonshire.
We are in the South West and do not know this area well. Can anyone shed any light on whether it’s a good place to live? The nearby towns and cities are Corby, Kettering, Peterborough and Northampton.
Also is there a lot of media or alternatively security presence with Prince George allegedly starting at the school?

thanks!

Yep the school is right in the heart of the town. It’s walled.

Rutland water.

It was filmed at Drayton House, not Drayton Manor, which is a theme park in the West Midlands.

Yes correct - thanks

Oundle area is good for adults especially if interested in history. Many country houses and a castle at Rockingham. The Treshams and other families that featured in the middle ages. A very good Heritage Railway, the Nene valley. The towns mentioned are quite good for their size. Good open countryside.
Peterboro and Corby are improving, they have many attractions for teenagers.
Suggest you check bus routes and timings. Independence in travel will be important. Mopeds and scooters when old enough will be the key to happy teen life.
We wanted to move to the area, (I grew up in Northampton) when we left London but had to go to Dorset to be near ageing relatives. Regrets? I have a few.

Northamptonshire has one of the best county music provisions through NMPAT, and my DC all benefitted from that through the Saturday morning music centre that meets in Oundle. From there they joined county groups and had opportunity to travel, residential courses etc. If your DC are musical or interested in performing arts, Northants is great.
The scouts and guides are active there.
There is a monthly farmers’ market.
Generally Oundle has a genteel mini culture hub vibe. Its own theatre, concert hall, lovely restaurants etc, plus access to the school’s facilities.
There are many lovely local villages (and many local belt country pubs).
Thrapston is a ‘poorer cousin’ and will have cheaper housing but I noted George Crosses on the lampposts recently.

I grew up there, it's a nice little market town, commutable to London if need be (from Peterborough) and a good safe place to bring children up. Stamford is also not very far away, and it's not very far from the A1. I think Peterborough General is a good hospital. About an hour from Cambridge. Happy to answer any more specific questions you may have.

No I am sure it was a different one.
It was years ago that I went there 🙂

Can agree with a lot of this too!

Yes, Rutland is about 45 minutes away, near Oakham.

I would move to Oundle, but none of the other places. Friends children were at Oundle and had a fabulous time

I think I was thinking of Pitsford Reservoir which apparently has a sunken bridge not village.
I remember it being nice... wherever it was 😁

Pitsford is OK, if you're into reservoirs. It's just a reservoir though. There is a visitor centre with expensive not great food. They have a cold water swimming club.
There's a parkrun there (so don't bother trying to go for a walk on a Saturday morning).

I lived in Oundle for a while and would again, would swerve some of the other places you've mentioned though.

Not sure if it's changed but when I lived there the school didn't share their facilities with the public, other than swimming twice a week which you had to pay to he a member of although that may have changed as they've got a whole new sports complex.

Intrigued by what your husbands job in Oundle is, most ot the work in the town is at the school and everyone else commutes.