Relocation down south

[Mcyorkshire]

Hi all,

We have a fantastic opportunity to move to Cambridgeshire with dh's job so looking for advice on good areas to live. Have seen a lovely house in Ramsey but don't really know the area very well. Does anybody know the area or offer any advice on alternative areas within a 40 mile radius of Cambridge?

Thanks for your help x

Ramsey is quite a traditional fenland market town. I know a few people from there, some love it and some hate it. I think Ramsey was one of the first places (if not the first) to have a UKIP mayor. It has lots of facilities but the transport links aren't great. If you're going to be travelling a lot then you might want somewhere closer to the A1.

What's your budget like and what sort of place are you looking for? There are loads of nice villages and towns. Do you need to be near schools? Will you be relying on public transport? Will your DH be working in Cambridge? The commute to Cambridge is notoriously crappy, the roads get clogged really quickly so if he's going to be commuting into Cambridge then you might want to look at places along the new guided busway (between St Ives and Cambridge).

Thanks EauRouge that's a great help. We're lucky enough to have quite a good budget so we're looking for 5 beds, family room, a bit of land etc. We'll mostly use cars so living in the country isn't an issue. We like the outdoors too so this would be an advantage. I would like to be fairly near a major town ideally in order to get to get to activities, meet new people etc. We have 3 dc aged 1- 13 so will need access to good schools too! So much to consider but dh happy to commute up to 45 mins if required x

Phew just realised this is going to be hard work!

I'd look for somewhere close to the guided busway then, or somewhere where you don't have to rely on the A14! It took me 2 hours to get from Cambridge to Huntingdon last time I tried and it normally takes about 25 mins.

I'm not sure on schools, my DDs aren't school age yet. There are quite a few private schools around.

Major towns are Peterborough, Huntingdon, St Neots, St Ives and Cambridge. I know most of the towns fairly well so fire away if you've got any questions :) There are lots of country parks dotted around so lots of outdoorsy stuff wherever you go. Cambridge itself is pretty expensive. Which end of Cambridge will your DH be working in?

Here's some info on the guided busway. It's slower than the A14 on a good day but much faster on a bad day Parking in Cambridge is pretty expensive too but there are loads of park and ride car parks and buses.

Ely is nice.

I live in one of the villages (Great Gidding) just south of Peterborough. Very rural but not too far to both Huntingdon and Peterborough. Until recently I commuted to south of Cambridge with not too much difficulty as this area is close to the A14 (which can be nightmare if there is an accident) and A1. Only issue for me was that you can get cut off if there is bad snow.

We moved here partly for the school and also you get more for money when we looked at housing, though probably less to to choose from.

Like many of the villages around here it has a very friendly and suprisingly active community and has an Ofted Outstanding primary school which my DC has just started attending and thankfully is loving it. Sawtry nearby has good schools for all ages and a small supermarket. I dont know if this helps as it depends on your needs, but we are glad we made the move (from London).

Hello neighbour

Hello EauRouge :) You close by?

Just down the hill from you in Sawtry! I didn't know there were other MNers near me. :)

ahh only just joined MN :o. Little one just left Sawtry nursery, which was fantastic

I'll PM you!

Hello i live in Sawtry x Local people thats great x

Hello zbelle "waving in general direction of Sawtry"

Ooh, just noticed another Sawtry person! How old are your DCs zbelle?