Moving to Berkshire

[New2Berkshire]

Hello,
we are moving to Berkshire from West London and would welcome advice on good areas to live to allow for a daily commute to Central London. Our daughter will be going to school in Winklefield.

I would also welcome advice or recommendations please for school drop/pick up in the area. If anyone has a nanny/childminder they could suggest - most grateful. I don’t know the area at all.

thank you in advance

Do you mean Winkfield? If it's Lambrook have you considered the London bus instead? There are also buses from Eton/Windsor and Maidenhead which are a better bet for the London commute than living a bit more rurally. Or you could do the school run in the morning and then on to Maidenhead/Twyford/Slough station for the Elizabeth line and park at the station. Depends where you're commuting to in London as well.

Winklefield 🤣🤣

A few more thoughts - don't know how old your DD is but we had a live-out nanny who would do 7-7, school runs and meals and take care of our younger one while the older one was at school. You can try and get an au pair if your DD is older but they are like hen's teeth these days and need to be able to drive if you're living out that way. Found out nanny through Harmony at Home agency who were fab, and there were a few child minders about who would do pickups and after school tea but that was pre-Brexit and I know the landscape for childcare has changed completely.

Thank you so much, that’s really helpful. I would consider staying in London, but fear it will make the school day very long.
Yes I will need someone who can drive. I will look at the agency you suggested.
Do you know Windsor/Eaton, would you recommend relocating there? I don’t want to be too remote!

Windsor/ Eton aren't remote at all! Both close to good train lines and the M4/M25.

Well there's plenty of stuff online about moving to Windsor eg https://www.countryandtownhouse.com/cth-life/properties/lets-move-to-windsor/

Also, since the Elizabeth Line has opened, it makes commuting even easier - there is a branch line from Windsor up to Slough and then you can take the train all the way through to central London. Or if you're doing the school run in the car you can then park at the station.

Thank you! Really helpful.

We have been to visit Windsor and it’s pretty, just difficult to know where is a good post code to be in for commuting and school.

Any advice about plane noise in that area? Where should we avoid?

It's not a big deal - they move the planes around, sometimes they're landing and sometimes taking off depending on the wind and the runway so you're not always under the flight path. If you live in SW London it's comparable, even a bit better. And within a week or so you completely stop noticing the planes going over at all.

@Xiaoxiong thank you so much. Super grateful for all your responses and signposts! Reassuring to know about Windsor and noise.