Needing Inside Info/advice please!

[wickedone]

Hi there,

We are relocating to York from the south coast and could do with some help on areas, its so far to just pop up!

Ideally we would like to be in a village outside of york but we have 3 kids (ages 8, 4 and 3) so would need nearby football clubs, cubs, rainbows etc.

I will be working at the hospital, strange hours so I will also need a local childminder so cant be anywhere too remote and my husband will be working covering a large area travelling around leeds, harrogate, york, so being near the motoway network would be good.

And obviously we would like good schools but dont want to pay over the top prices, lol. We want everything hey!

We are coming up for 2 days in August to look around a bit so any advice on where to concentrate on looking would be a great help! So far we only have Wistow and a few other villages near Selby and Wilberfoss on the list? Any thoughts?

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd really appreciate any help!

Hi

I live in Copmanthorpe, on the West side of York, right by the A64 for commuting to Leeds, and right on the ringroad for the hospital. I commute to Leeds and it take about 40 - 45 minutes at 7.30am. I went to the hospital this morning, and it took about 25 minutes although that was holiday traffic. Having said that, DH got me to the maternity department in 17 minutes through rush hour ring road traffic when DC2 started looking like she was going to arrive in the car!

Copmanthorpe is a large primary, 60 to a year, rated outstanding on Ofsted. Feeds into Tadcaster Grammar School but plenty of choice for secondary schools in York. Has all the usual groups - cubs/scouts, brownies/guides, swimming at the local school pool, etc - and is only 10 - 15 minutes drive away from York centre is you want to go shopping or have an evening out. It also has a very handy bus route to Leeds and the East Coast, which is about an hour away.

We love living here, it has plenty of amenities, good pub, Chinese, Indian, fish and chips, co-op, Londis, beauty salon, library, hairdressers etc etc, and everyone is really friendly. The only thing I don't know about are childminders, because my parents also live in the village and look after my two DC, however I do know there is a very popular nursery and after-school club at the sports centre and also a breakfast club/after-school club just starting up at school.

The only downside is that the traditional village centre is very small, and most of the village is large housing estates, so if you want an older property, you might have to wait a while before one comes up for sale. Although there is a very pretty three bed cottage for sale on Main Street I noticed the other day, if that's your kind of thing.

If Copmanthorpe doesn't quite fit the bill, then Rufforth, Hessay, Bishopthorpe, Acaster Malbis, Appleton Roebuck are all in the same area, near the A64 and the ring road, and are all worth a loo. Bish is the same size as Cop but a bit nearer town, the others are much more "villagey" IYSWIM.

Hope that helps, sorry for the essay, and best of luck!

PS I was caught in the rain today, driving on the M1. Utterly terrifying, I had to pull on to the hard shoulder because I couldn't see anything.

BTW Lawrie, hope the judging goes well tomorrow and the mess is all cleared away.

And have been loving looking at the links for houses - one of my favourite pastimes is looking at other peoples' houses, even though I will never, ever move again!

Copmanthorpe is nice and I really like Bishopthorpe too - you can leave near the Archbishop!

hanahsaunt There is no central scout website for York AFAIK but there is one for North Yorkshire which does cover York. Try

www.nys.org.uk/index.php?/Scouts/join.html

and hopefully you will get a response.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I think you may be right about being closer rather than further if parking at the hospital is that bad. Or if Im further away am I not more likely to get a parking pass? There is a possibility in the job I do that I would get one as some of it would/may be community based therefore coming n going.
Im not too worried about being in a quiet area but do worry about moving and knowing no one, in which case being in a bigger area would appeal.
Im very curious as to where is 10 minutes walk from the minster? Most of the city houses Ive seen have small gardens though and we have a dog. I think perhaps our house budget is too small.
Im about a 40 minute drive to work at the moment so as long as its not more then Id be happy although less would be ideal.

Ha ha I just read the entire thread. Im new to MN and didnt realise there were 3 pages lol!! No no, you havent sent me running. I love the fact youve been househunting!!
I think the villages around copmanthorpe that someone mentioned sound fairly perfect in location for hospital and husbands commute.
Im in a bit of a predicament given we live in a good area with excellent schools next to the sea. It makes it difficult for anything to compare. Our budget is fairly low, Max £300,000 - but ideally would like to get it below 250. Its so low!

Requirements:
Villagey/small town
Nice fun people
3 (ideally 4) bedrooms or room for extension/conversion
Decent garden for dog/husband to build an office
good schools
ok commute to hospital/town
Condition not important as husband does houses up.

Thats it, fill your boots x

Thats not so low! You're in the Norf now! I'll leave househunting to others as my stomping ground is east of York, too far that way for you really.

But York is lovely. I'm not from here originally either, and feel very at home and settled now.

Hi wickedone, it depends how long a journey you are prepared to cope with. My DH works in York, I work in Leeds. We live in South Milford, which is a great village. Or right next door is Sherburn-in-Elmet, a bit bigger. Both are near the A1/M1. South Milford has a rail link to Leeds, Sherburn has a rail link to York. I had both my dc in York hospital, getting there can be a bit of a pain because the A64 and A1079 (York ring road) can be awful, but it rarely takes more than 50 minutes.

There are lots of things going on in these two villages - sports clubs for children and adults, rainbows/cubs etc, WI, village fetes/gala days etc etc, and excellent local nursery too. South Milford has the edge on schools but there's nothing wrong with those in Sherburn.

I know I said I'd leave it but I can't resist rightmove...

Bishopthorpe is nice, and right by A64 for your commutes, this one ticks your boxes but looks peculiar.

Fluffyanimal - Im so relieved you mentioned these places as we have been thinking about exploring Sherbern and S. Milford. The prices are lower so we could get a decent sized something. Plus I could always work in Leeds/harrogate/doncaster hospitals - it doesnt have to be york. I just want to be near enough to York to enjoy the benefits of being such a fab city really. I can work at any of the hospitals so long as there is a maternity department and job vacancies!

Im basically fairly flexible!!

Im loving the househunting, please keep going!
Here is some we have found on right move (its addictive lol) but there is no real info on what is next door, what the street is like, its position etc... I need inside info!
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-32450792.html?premiumA=true

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-24650854.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-25775683.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-16857342.html

Ooh that second one - Wilberfoss is lurvely. My ds goes to nursery there! And my friend lives on that road.

However. I live in the town where your kids would be going to school (unless can afford private?) and that would put me off if I had kids of your age. It's not an awful school, but there certainly are better. I could be wrong about catchment areas though, anyone else know if you could go anywhere other than woldgate?

Appleton is nice, and you'd get into Tadcaster Grammar - very very good rep! My friend sent her daughter there, apparently they are especially good at stopping bullying, and they are v good academically. Oh its not a real grammar anymore.

No, cant afford private so would be looking at high school reputations. So far Ive been told just 2 high schools to avoid, Barlby and Market Weighton (unless anyone else knows different).

So far on the definite to explore list:

Wilberfoss
Sherburn in Elmet
Copmanthorpe
Wistow
Appleton Roebuck

Anyone know if the schools are likely to have a space in year 4 and year R?

Hi wickedone, the first house on your list there, the South Milford one, is in a little cul-de-sac at the end of the village, wooded countryside all around. The Sherburn one is on a biggish housing estate. The Pasture Way estate is the nicest of the estates in Sherburn.

Info on secondary schools: Sherburn High School has not had a great reputation in recent years but is now steadily improving. I'm hoping it will be fine by the time my boys are ready to go. But Garforth College is also nearby and is a Beacon school. For primary schools, South Milford is better.

Wickedone, I've just moved in to the area, and my 3 children are starting school at Wilberfoss in September. They said they had places before I told them which years my children are in. So I guess you'd be alright!

Thats great! How are you finding it? Do you know anyone in the area or are you totally new? I'm really nervous of moving somewhere new and not knowing anyone!

Ive just booked the York premier inn for next weekend so we can do some area exploring and take the kids to the jorvic centre. Anything else you would recommend to do with kids so they don't get bored with all the looking round us adults are doing!?

Sorry I can't remember if you said how old your kids are - but you could ry the Railway Museum as well and Rowntrees park just near town is good as well.

Poodles - that second house is at the top of our street!

Mine love romping around the museum gardens which is right in the middle of town and it's a nice riverside stroll to there from the railway museum. They had fun at DIG this week too.

Meant to say that mine love walking the walls.

Thanks very much everyone. We visited, loved it as much as ever as did the kids so all good. We visited a few places too, loved wilberfoss and some little places around there and decided on where would be too far. To be honest, most places look great so it's going to come down to schools and house prices so we can reduce our mortgage a bit.... So just waiting for a job advert to come up to apply... This Could be a long process, I've only seen a job advert come up twice in 4 years in York!
It's definitely where we want to be though so just got to be patient!

Ooh bella do I know you then? How exciting. I've a feeling I do - did you go to a first birthday party at one of your neighbours houses at the start of the summer?

Hi All, I realise I am joining this thread very late but I am finding myself in exactly the same position as Wickedone wanting to move to the York area (from London). We have fallen in love with Escrick and Wilberfoss and I was hoping for some help choosing. We have 2 sons 3 yrs and 10 months and so nursery and primary Schools plus child care and lots of activities are top of our list. We would like find a house to rent. I would love to know what happened to Wickedone and where you ended up. Thanks so much

Hi there HarryH1,

We're also moving from the south, have two kids aged 4 and 7.

We've been looking at bishopthorpe and dunnington.. Was hoping to be in catchment for fulford school.. Bish lovely but seems pricey and not much comes up..

Any advice gratefully received!!