Considering moving to Eastbourne??

[odile]

Hi everyone - we've been considering many places in the south east to move to and think that Eastbourne is our favourite on our list.

We love nearly everything we have read and seen on the internet about Eastbourne especially as we have a young family and want a cleaner, safer place to live than London!!

We've been in the US for the last four years so moving back is a big decision. We have three children and wanted people's opinion on good schools, areas etc.

Also would like to know which secondary/high schools are regarded the best in the area. I read the Ofsted reports but really people's own experiences are far more reliable.

We really appreciate any time taken to offer us advice!

DS isn't old enough for school yet, but we've just moved to Eastbourne from London and are really enjoying being here.

We're planning to move to Eastbourne from London soon as well. It seems to be a popular place to move to :)
Any advice about schools would be useful for me too (DD is due to start reception next year)

Any one I speak to in London can't understand why we would choose Eastbourne? Do you think that's just because when you live in London it's hard to imagine living anywhere else in the UK?

odile I'm a Londoner and when we started our search we were looking along the south coast between Brighton and Hastings. I was dead set against Eastbourne as as far as I knew it was full of old people. (So therefore boring, conservative and uncool). I much preferred the idea of Brighton. I had never actually visited Eastbourne however! This was pure prejudice!

When we first started house-hunting I said I didn't want to live in Eastbourne as it had no theatres (I think there are actually about 4). DP now takes great pleasure in pointing out the road sign to "Theatres" (with the emphasis on the "s") every time we go past it!

My DP is from Scotland and so hasn't got Londoners' prejudices and he suggested we look there.

Yes, there are quite a few old people there, but do you know why they are there? Because it's really nice!

There are also lots of families with young children, and loads to do for kids, especially as it's a holiday destination in the summer. My favourite right now is the Miniature Steam Railway

Eastbourne is never going to be as cool as Brighton, or London. (It has only 3 clubs I think, and they're not exactly what you would call cutting edge!)
But it's not trying to be cool, and that's actually part of its charm IMO. Eastbourne is really pretty. It has nice parks, friendly people, good pubs (the kind that have nice food, welcome children and are in beautiful buildings - rather than somewhere you'll find the latest music). Eastbourne is a town, rather than a city. I can see both the sea and the South Downs from my windows. The town is big enough that I can get everything I need in town, but small enough that I can be in the countryside in minutes.

If I was child-free in my 20s, then Brighton would be the place for me. And Brighton is the natural place for many Londoners to move, as it is in many ways London-by-sea. But why do I need to live near cool bars and clubs that open all night?! I don't actually go to them any more, I'm home with DS and DP!

We also get a much better quality of life in Eastbourne than London. Eastbourne has lots of large, beautiful houses, which are a whole lot cheaper than London.

We haven't bought here yet - we're letting the flat we own in London, and renting down here while we get to know the area. We have rented a beautiful, huge 4 bed flat here for the same price as our cramped 1 bed flat in London!

HTH

lowrib - thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my question?! It's great to hear that someone has the same reservations or rather had but as you say clubs, being cool etc really hold no interest for us now. The choice is focused on where is the best place for us to live where we can enjoy seeing our children grow up in a great area.

We too have looked at Hastings, Brighton and other areas such as Felixstowe, Suffolk, Norfolk and Dulwich Village!

House prices and schools are always an issue which is really our main reason for not going back to London. But after four years living in Florida we have got very accustomed to more space and a slower pace of life.

The house we own in London is rented and we know that wherever we decided to go we will rent a house as you are to get to know the area before buying.

So, what areas have you considered in Eastbourne to buy?

No worries It's a bit of a pet subject at the moment!

We're very new to Eastbourne, and no where near deciding where to buy (we're studying, and we're going to buy after the course - in a few years).

But from my limited knowledge of it, the South west bits of town are lovely, including the Old Town, and Meads areas. Some great big old houses there.
Gildredge Park is great.

Or Upperton (immediately north of the station) where we are is nice too.

Eastbourne houses are really big. So even a lot of the converted flats have absolutely massive rooms.

This bit of the Old Town for example has a house which Dickens used to stay in (the Tudor one on the corner of Borough Lane) a pub with cellars that date from 1180 (and there's baan a pub on that site for all that time), the most beautiful park. And a Waitrose .

What's your approximate budget for buying, if you don't mind me asking?

Sorry please ignore that question if you'd rather!

(lowrib - come to the brighton meet on 9 oct)

(I'm there! Thanks )

Hi,
I moved 8 years ago from London when my son was 4 and we looked everywhere on the South coast before settling for Eastbourne. The pace of life is slow but it is very safe here and perfect for bringing up a family. I now have an 8 month and am enjoying the space, clean air and sea which was lacking in London even in Blackheath where we lived. Agree with lowrib re areas to look at to live plus West of town centre.
Re schools there are some very good private ones or St Johns in Meads is a very small church school. In Old Town there is Pashley or Motcombe which feed to Ocklyne (7-11). Ocklyne is apparently the largest junior school in Europe which sounds off putting but they get lots of money so have fantastic facilities and have yet to come across anyone happy with the choice.
Regarding secondary schools Ocklyne feeds both Ratton and Cavendish who seem to produce the same results as most of the secondary schools around here. However Cavendish has a new headmaster who is looking to improve the results. Ratton is more of an arts school whereas Cavendish is more sporty if I had to describe the two.
Anyhow please let me know if I can be of further help :)

Hi Lucyhanco .
Good to hear some stuff about schools, once we're settled that's the next project! We're renting at the moment, and aren't going to buy until we have a good idea of where DS will be going to school.
Have you got any tips on state primaries?

Hi,

Not sure if this is too late now as I have only just joined Mumsnet, but I have lived in Eastbourne all my life and can thoroughly recommend it - biased I know!

My 5 year old daughter attends Motcombe school which is a primary feeder school to Ocklynge which pp has already mentioned. They are both great schools but are very oversubscribed so unless you live in catchment area then difficult to get in - and getting moreso, Motcombe is having to build extra classrooms at present - this reception year took in 5 classes....

Re Old Town secondary schools Ratton (which I went to many moons ago) is great and on par with Cavendish - I think the best results though are currently Bishop Bell in Langney - which when I was going to school was the worst! I think Bishop Bell has a maths/science slant whereas Ratton is very performing arts/arty...

I find loads to do here with kids, the beach for one - plus the Downs, and don't forget Drusillas zoo, and the other local play farms are good too.

The town centre shops aren't too bad, but we do have all the big supermarkets and usual superstores Matalan, Primark, etc, so you can generally get what you need - for great shopping though always go to Brighton!

I work in Tunbridge Wells and I don't think it compares to Eastbourne if you have kids - ot as much to do - hugely expensive houses and generally as a commuter town it has no soul...

Anyhew - sorry for long post HTH

I've lived in E/b now for ooh, 23 years!!! Moved down from London during secondary school. DC 1 goes to Ratton, DC2 goes to Ocklynge, where I worked for a few years until I left to have DC3.
I live in Lower Meads, indeed, in one of those massive converted flats, and they're fab. We're even lucky enough to have a shared field out the back, so masses of playing space but only 10 minutes from town. I can verify all of the above, OP.
We're only going to be putting our place on the market because we've had DC4 and so we now need more rooms! I've been in this maisonette for 9 years, so it's going to be really tough to leave, but we need another reception room really, and to get what we need in our budget we're thinking of moving to Hastings.
But do move to Eastbourne - we're all very nice here!

Oh, and despite it's size, Ocklynge had ALL 1's for it's last Ofsted (when I was working there! )

Sorry, slighty off topic, but I need advice. My child attends Motcombe and didn't get a place at Ocklynge for Sept.2011. We've been offered Stafford Junior School. What is local opinion of this school? What are the pupils and parents like?

we are thinking of moving to Eastbourne from Hastings, but alarmed by reports of it becoming gang infested Sodom and Gamora type of place.

Hello mummies,My nameis erikaandi have a 2year old daughter :) we just moved to Eastbourne and don't know anyone here. Anyone knows where is friendly playgroups or mum meet ups?I live by the marina now and find it a bit difficult to get out there yet.I know nobody posted on here for a wile but maybe someone can respond? :)

Hi all we are wanting to move to Eastbourne would love to meet up with mums also be really grateful for advice anyone know places to avoid many v thanks

Hi there. I’m looking to move down that way as I’ve lived in London then Herts /Essex border since uni & then as a nurse in hospitals. My family live in fareham, lee on Solent and Worthing so that’s my main motive. It’s the best areas to look for property that I need to know. Even if it’s 5 mins out or across toward Brighton side.
You seem to have your finger on the pulse!
Are there good restaurants there?

Hi @facetech I am also considering moving to eastbourne. Did you manage to find out anything about the area? I grew up in Worthing but have lived in various other places since then so lots to learn about sussex now!