Huntingdon

[SuperGlumFairy]

I just wondered what Huntingdon itself was like to live in? We had been planning to move to Ely but have not been able to secure a house and now all the primary schools are full so have switched to looking at Huntingdon.

How is it to live there? How are the schools? Any areas of it I should avoid?

Sorry, don't know Huntingdon very well, despite living fairly close by, but friend of a friend lives in the Hartford area, she likes it there plus it looks nice when you drive through. Godmanchester would also be a good place to investigate. Both these areas close to the river and relatively scenic.

Godmanchester is lovely, hartford is also lovely. Most of the schools in the area are great, just avoid cromwell park primary like the plague and you will be fine! (Massive managemnt issues and huge staff turnover.)

Godmanchester is lovely [biased]

IMO most of the outlying villages are nicer than Huntingdon itself.

Hartford and Godmanchester are nice. I've only driven through Oxmoor but it doesn't look great.

Have you looked at villages around Ely? How old are your children?

I have to say Papworth everard is lovely, as are Hilton and Fenstanton if you would consider villages nearby, all v good primary and secondary schools.

Papworth really worth a visit to see the family facilities

Isn't the new A14 link going to go right past Papworth? Might be worth double-checking with the local council what the plans are.

It will go between godmanchester and Papworth, but not next to either village, in fact closer to Godmanchester.

That is if the link EVER gets built! Been promised for the past 10 years!

True, by the time it gets built we'll all be driving flying Deloreans and we won't have to worry about getting stuck for hours

Thanks for the help, my kids are a nearly 14 year old daughter and boy/girl twins 8.5yrs.

St Peters has a place for my daughter and several of the primary schools can take the twins which is a great relief.

I don't drive so don't want to live outside of the middle of Huntingdon if I can avoid it, perhaps in a couple of years when I plan to be driving I could move further out but for now given I have anxiety I am best off if I can walk places or short bus rides.

Anxiety is a bastard, hope you feel better soon. Buses in the town are pretty good, the further you go out the worse it is. I live 10 miles away and we get one bus an hour.

Thanks EauRouge, anxiety really sucks and it's taking a lot of me at the moment trying to co-ordinate this move from Australia with my ex being as difficult as he can. He won't even look at places for me even though he is 25 minutes down the road from Huntingdon after walking out on us leaving me to pack the house, rehome the pets, finish off selling cars on top of dealing with kids who are in a right state over the way their father is acting.
I've still got to manage the plane ride yet too with 3 kids and I don't travel well but he bailed on travelling with us after he said he would.

Crikey, that sounds like a lot of work for you :( Fingers crossed things start getting better for you once you get over here.

Thanks EauRouge, absolutely packing it over flying over I have to say.

In terms of the Huntingdon Primary schools are any better than others? Hartford appears to be full at this stage but i can get the twins into most others.

How far a walk is it from the Tesco end of Huntingdon to the High Street? Trying to figure out where best place for a house is, though my preference seems to be Stukelely Meadows. Hard to get a house there though.

What is Thongsleys like? We were offered a house there, with our cat even...but it seemed a bit rough there so wasn't sure?!

I would choose stukeleys over thongleys if possible. It's closer to st peters and the high street. The tesco is a bit further out of town, not much but still makes a difference.

The area of the Stukeleys is a nice area and friendly school with a nice big park.

Out of interest..is the local high school for Godmanchester,St Peters in Huntingdon and if so is there a bus that goes from Godmanchester to the school?

Godmanchester is in catchment for hinchingbrooke not st peters.

Flowery Oh okay...hmm...last i checked Hinchingbrooke was full for my daughters year level..even though it was our preferred pick of the two schools. Thanks for letting me know.

How is Hinchingbrooke to live in? is there anywhere in that area where if I need milk/bread or something last minute that I can pop to a shop there? I see Stukeley Meadows has a Tesco Express but is there anything in Hinchingbrooke? I love the idea of being so close to the Country Park but does it make it harder for my eldest to get to school 1.2 miles away at St Peters and is Cromwell Primary really that bad!?
If I worked in the Town Centre what's the best way to commute?

Also going to throw St Ives into the mix now as I am getting supremely desperate to get a house now. How's the jobs, facilities and schooling there?

St Ives is lovely. I know quite a few people who live right in town and they like it a lot. There are nice shops, the river front is pretty and you'd be near the leisure centre which has lots to do for children. The Ivo school is supposed to be fine - not outstanding or anything - but I know several teenagers who've done really well there. Primaries are all fine - lots of people seem to rave about Eastfield but the others are all good. Not any that'd you worry about sending your children to.
I'd choose St Ives over Huntingdon everytime.

Oh and there's the Guided Bus which is good for getting to Cambridge.

St Ives is great. Wheatfields Primary school is good.

How is it retail workwise in St Ives? I am starting to prefer it as I am getting scared by a lot of the reports about Oxmoor and some of the areas of Huntingdon itself.

My ExH was posting happy snaps at St Ives last weekend and it certainly looked lovely but to be honest if he is thinking of moving there it would turn me right off. He's playing silly games and not telling me what areas he is looking at and I am wanting to avoid not being able to walk down the street somewhere and not bump into him and his new gf. He won't even look at houses for me and the kids for the sake of his own children. No help whatsoever.

I did contact the School Admissions though but it seems I can't get daughter into St Ivo..Swavesey is also full so not sure where that leaves us with secondary schooling? The primary schools that have availability for my twins are Thorndon, Wheatfields only has one place available and Westfield they would need to discuss with the school itself!?

Houses do seem more affordable in St Ives though, and it is pretty.
Are there any major supermarkets etc there though as I don't drive so need jobs, school, Dr, Dentist, Post Office, Vet etc all closeby.
Are there any areas there I should avoid?

Is there a train station there at all or would we have to go into Huntingdon or Cambridge for that?

Really appreciating all the help, this is so hard to do long distance but I haven't even been able to find something self catering to come to so we can at least leave here to look at places there :(

St Ives immensely nicer than Huntington, less shops but much 'naicer' good library and good range of shops. Buses into Cambridge if you want the big city. Better schools than Huntington and less social problems.

North of st Audrey's lane is cheaper, but still possible to walk into town (also a good bus service) and has shops for groceries. Good recreational facilities there as well, and the town is beautiful.

I rate it better than godmanchester or loads of other places around there.

We lived 5 miles outside and I just longed to move into st Ives as it's so lovely, and has loads of family friendly places