Relocating - must be within commuting distance of Street, Somerset - advice please!

[OompaLumpa]

Hi Ladies, DH has landed himself a job with Clarks in Street and we need to relocate, somewhere within commuting distance. Ideally no more than 40 mins drive away. We don't know any areas or any people and have a 7 mth old DD. I'm really looking for suggestions on villages or towns we should look at. I'm keen not to be too isolated so somewhere with some local walkable facilities if we run out of milk etc. Pub would be nice and some mum/baby activities. If we could have a reasonable journey to a swimming pool that would be fab. LO may have some special needs (having an MRI on Wednesday - gulp) so we may need to be nearish to a hospital too.
Some places that have been recommended thus far are South Petherton, Bruton, Wedmore and Taunton but would appreciate some honest feedback.
We live in Guildford at the moment but i'm a country girl at heart so if we didn't have LO would be happy to go quite rural but I think that would be unfair on her.
Thanks in advance! Debs

Hey i'm a local :-) try binegar (gurney slade) it has 2 pubs a shop, great people and a really great mums and toddlers group. villages around there near wells tend to be really nice.
I actually went to school in bruton, it is alright, has two very posh schools and a lovely church, its expanded loads since i was there so its not quite as villagy as it used to be.
Wedmore is nice, the home of wilkos cider farm (he's fantastic) however its based completely on peat and liable to flooding but has some nice fishing lakes hidden away.
Swimming pool wise there is wells leisure centre, midsomer Norton leisure centre which are both good.
Street actually has a really nice outdoor swimming pool but the name is escaping me right now!
if i could suggest anywhere it would be binegar, and you are only looking at 20-25 mins travel to street max.

hope that helps :-) good luck with everything x

That is great! Thank you very much!! X

Feel free to pm me if you need anything. i'm full of useless knowledge :-) good luck again x

I might well be taking you up on that thanks, feeling a bit overwhelmed at the mo. don't want to be a billy no mates :o) x

Congratulations to your DH for his new appointment.

Wells is lovely - swimming pool, toddler groups, get a season ticket to the Bishops Palace for lots of peaceful picnics. The nearest big hospital is Taunton, about 40 minutes drive away but then all the big hospitals around Street are a bit of a distance.

I've always fancied living in Evercreech (village near Shepton Mallet) and Croscombe is lovely. Glastonbury is not as pleasant as you might think (my home town) although Pilton (home of the festival) has a better atmosphere. Butleigh, Barton St David and Priddy are all quiet but lovely.

Let me know when you move down - it would be good to meet a MNer!

I was going to suggest Wells and Shepton Mallet

They have some lovely surrounding villages like Croscombe, West/East Horrington, Oakhill/Binegar, Doulting, Chilcompton.

It's about 30 minutes to Street from Binegar [I used to go to/from Strode College as I lived nearby]. Bath RUH will probably be the closest big hospital which is about 30-45 minutes away. Though there are small local hospitals in Shepton and Paulton.

Wells has a lovely indoor pool, Shepton & Street have outdoor pools that are open in the summer and are lovely for a family trip

Wells has a small cinema, Yeovil, Bath and Bristol are your nearest chain cinemas.

Trains aren't too far away, Bristol Temple Meads has a train to Victoria in about an hour and that's 45 minute drive away, Bath and Castle Cary.

There is loads of lovely walking on the Mendip Hills, Weston Super Mare is about an hour away and is a lovely sandy beach. Though the Dorset coast is about an hour and a half away, so day trips to Weymouth and Lyme Regis are a treat.

Glastonbury has big price tags but IMHO isn't that special, Shepton Mallet had a bad rep 10-15 years ago but it's nicer now. The villages are not as cliquey as they used to be, most of the village schools do have a great rep. Binegar school has recently closed, but local schools are in Chilcompton and Oakhill [both are brill, me and DH attended them and our mum's still work in them].

DD is 13 months and there is lots going on locally for her to do [too much sometimes]

My experience of Wedmore was a little poor when I was a live in Nanny, not too much going on and the people were all quite mature and cliquey, but that was 12 years ago.

A friend hated growing up in South Peth, I think it was a trek to anywhere in particular.

Feel free to contact me if you want any further questions asked.