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Original poster

Stotfold near hitchin/letchworth

20 replies

Azzurro · 16/02/2014 12:04

We are soon to move in the hitchin/letchworth area, we will rent first and try to sell our house in Surrey and then buy up there; looking for houses and schools and after much debating about good/bad schools in hitchin and letchworth we started to look into the villages in the neighbourhoods (after a suggestion from a very lovely mumsnettter)......we stumbled on Stotfold and are totally taken! Outstanding schools and very lovely houses (we love newly built and modern style)...... So is it really so good? Can anyone comment? Good or bad happy to hear it all! Thanks

OP posts:
loveisagirlnameddaisy · 16/02/2014 12:17

I live near there, have a friend who grew up there and one who lives there now. It changed a lot of the years but I think it's still got quite a nice villagey feel. Lot of facilities nearby and train connections into London aren't bad at all. I've never lived there so I can't vouch for it personally though.

loveisagirlnameddaisy · 16/02/2014 12:18

Oh and Hitchin v nearby is still lovely, I go there a lot for shops, coffee etc and really like it.

Original poster
Azzurro · 16/02/2014 12:35

Yes, we love hitchin too but very few properties we like though we have a very good budget (550-600k) and schools are a postcode lottery! I just wonder if stotfold is like all stay at home mums as we are both working, also not sure about the differ schools system with lower and medium schools till 13....

OP posts:
Montydonrules · 17/02/2014 06:47

The fairfield park area is quite nice if you like new builds. I gather it has a good community and a good school. I'm not so sure about other parts of stotfold. I think crime might be an issue. If you are thinking of beds villages I think Clifton and henlow village are nicer and the schools are still good I think. They all share the arlsey station link to London.

Tbh for the healthy budget you have, have you thought about some of the villages in hertfordshire? Ashwell is beautiful. Has a good school and train links to London..or letchworth and hitchin are nice towns with more going on and good stations with great links to London.

Montydonrules · 17/02/2014 07:03

Meant to say ...sorry I don't know about the 3 tier school system. Maybe other mumsnetters can help you there. I guess with a town you will always get good and bad schools. I don't think there are any terrible schools in hitchin or letchworth. There are certainly schools which are better than others..

If you move to a village with a good school you are more likely to be allocated a place..however stotfold is expanding a lot..I'm not really sure if it is a town or a village..so schools are becoming oversubscribed.

If you fancy villages take a look at Weston nr baldock..pirton ( lovely but quite far out, hitchin is closest station ). Codicote, gosmore, or ashwell? Just some thoughts, all based on personal opinion. X

Original poster
Azzurro · 18/02/2014 10:28

Thanks Montydonrules! I am surprised to hear that crime is an issue in Stotfold though! why is it restricted to this area? I thought that Hitchin was the roughest of the places, if one can say that at all!

Must do some more reseach on this.....Brew

OP posts:
Montydonrules · 18/02/2014 13:26

Yes do....i seem to hear a lot about car crime and burglaries in stotfold and arlsey.I'm sure you can access crime stats for certain areas in Bedfordshire...

I don't really think of hitchin as rough but then I don't live there. I'm sure crime does go on..I think you expect that to a certain extent in a town and if you live in a town it's diluted a bit but in a village I wouldn't expect it so much. I don't wish to put you off. Have a look at the stats

Cosmosis1 · 04/03/2014 11:11

Montydonrules - Are you serious?! Stotfold really is not that great. Fairfield Park is a housing estate and the schools in Stotfold aren't great.

I'm wondering if you're a troll. Hitchin is renowned for its schools. The boys and girls single sex secondaries are both outstanding as are all the primary schools apart from one!

As for Hitchin being rough! What absolute nonsense, it's a beautiful, affluent feeling market town. Stotfold has never been thought of as nice whereas Hitchin has always been lovely and very sought after.

Montydonrules · 04/03/2014 12:39

Ummm.... Have you actually read my post properly? Read it again.... You will see that I have not said hitchin is in any way rough. I think you will find azzuro suggested that and before you jump down their throat too I'm sure this was an assumption....I have actually told azurro to be careful of stotfold as the crime in this area is not good....I have actually said that I do not think hitchin is rough....

Can you actually read?

Montydonrules · 04/03/2014 12:49

When people ask for opinions that is exactly what I give... An opinion. You will find people have good and bad things to say about different areas based on their experiences of living there. I was born in hitchin and went through the schooling system there. It's a great little town in general..I have friends and family who still live there.

Please read my post again. I personally feel that fairfield park is quite a nice area. I personally do not like stotfold itself as I think it is a little rough with car crime and burglaries. This is what I have said to azurro in my post.

I have no idea what a troll is but it doesn't sound particularly nice.

Rainbow44 · 05/03/2014 19:52

Cosmosis1.. Stotfold has 3 ofsted outstanding primaries I believe. I do not live there but it would not be my 1st choice area to live in. I agree with montydonrules.

Cosmosis1 · 08/03/2014 18:33

Yes, not secondaries though.

There is no competition between Stotfold and Hitchin, hence Stotfold being around a quarter of the price. Go figure.

Rainbow44 · 08/03/2014 22:31

Yes the secondaries are much better I believe in hertfordshire. I would think house prices are cheaper in stotfold as the links to London are not as good for commuters and there is nothing to do in stotfold. As montydonrules says crime is also high. However this is an assumption... I don't live in stotfold. It depends what your priorities are..if you are on a budget and you need more space house wise, then stotfold is an option.

It depends on what your priorities are.

Rainbow44 · 10/03/2014 14:55

Cosmosis1 .. I would like to know your definition of ' outstanding schools' do you mean in ofsted terms or your own personal opinion? In ofsted terms, hitchin girls' school is rated outstanding through ofsted but the other 2 secondaries in hitchin are not. Most primary's in hitchin are ' good' ofsted wise.... Not outstanding.

In general the schools in hitchin are good. I went to hitchin girls school. ( many moons ago ), but they are not all mainly ' ofsted outstanding' as you suggest.

I think if you are going to give advice to someone who is considering moving to an area it is best to be as accurate as possible.

Cosmosis1 · 10/03/2014 21:47

Samuel Lucas - Outstanding
William Ransom - Outstanding
St Andrews - Outstanding
Our Lady - Outstanding
Mary Exton - outstanding
Hitchin girls - Outstanding
Hitchin boys - Outstanding
The Priory - good
Whitehill - good
St Ippolyts - good
Ickleford - good
Preston - good
Oughton - good
Highover - good

Rainbow44 · 11/03/2014 07:08

Thankyou... So they are not all outstanding apart from one as you suggested! Don't forget pirton.... That's good too :)

Rainbow44 · 11/03/2014 07:56

Oh and wilshere dacre junior school...special measures.

The point is I think we are both suggesting hitchin is a nice place to live. It still has it's rough areas like most towns but it has some really nice areas too. I will always love hitchin..I was born there like montydonrules and I too went through the schooling system there. It is a special place to me.

My only gripe with it is that it is getting very crowded because it is so lovely everyone wants to live there! As the schools are so good too I have heard of people living in hitchin and not getting a place at their local school as it's so oversubscribed.

I have started looking around schools recently and found ofsted reports to be not particularly helpful.

CoffeeandDunkingBiscuits · 14/03/2014 23:06

Azzuro, the pp have said most of what I would say re housing, but I wanted to add, if you do move I to this area, please do drop me a line and we can get a meetup going in this part if herts. :) good luck with the move!

rubyredbutton1965 · 17/03/2014 20:07

I am moving from Welwyn Garden City to Letchworth in May. Really looking forward to it. I am a childminder and have been for 21 years, so I hope to find out where all the toddlers clubs and parks are

rubyredbutton1965 · 17/03/2014 20:21

I am moving from Welwyn Garden City to Letchworth in May. Really looking forward to it. I am a childminder and have been for 21 years, so I hope to find out where all the toddlers clubs and parks are

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