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Original poster

Moving to Herts -HELP!!!

18 replies

WelshClare01 · 14/11/2015 16:07

it looks as though sometime next year we need to relocate to Herts for hubbys job.
He will be working in Stevenage and more than likely I will be working in central London.
We live in South Wales and are very active and our soon to be 4 LO attends lots of classes and I want this to continue.
Ideally would like a local train station with links into London as I am epileptic and don't drive and as every other parent wants a good school LO
Help please - we have no idea where to start looking. Ideally we would like to be within 30 mins commute to Stevenage and 45mins from Central London. Thanks x

OP posts:

bruffin · 14/11/2015 16:25

Hertford has two sations on different lines that go into London and within half an hour drive of Stevenage. Hertford North also is a 10 minute train ride to stevenage. You can get trains into Kings Cross or Liverpool st fron Hertford East
Liverpool St line you can change at Seven Sisters to get to West End
Also has good schools and a market town feel

FieldWalker · 14/11/2015 16:36

Hitchin also has a half hour train to euston. Letchworth is nice but no fast train.

LetchworthHamster · 14/11/2015 16:40

Letchworth has fast trains to Kings Cross

BeStrongAndCourageous · 14/11/2015 16:51

St Albans is lovely, has fantastic schools and umpty-gillion activities and classes for kids. It's 30 minute drive to Stevenage, and 20 mins on the fast train to St Pancras.

BUT housing is seriously expensive, and you don't get much for your money. Our small 3 bed terrace is within a mile of the station, and close to three or four excellent schools - and is therefore valued at well over half a million.

'Tis a really lovely place to live though.

Lateherts · 14/11/2015 16:56

St Albans is more than 30 minutes to Stevenage in rush hour, Hertford is better value for money. What classes are you looking for for DC, and what sort of house/budget do you have?

BeStrongAndCourageous · 14/11/2015 16:58

Probably, I've not done the drive.

Original poster

WelshClare01 · 14/11/2015 20:43

Thanks everyone I am just starting by looking at all the stations nearby so all your comments fit in great.
Will have a look at all your suggestion.
We are looking at around £500k mark and compared to the huge 4 bedroomed detached double garaged property with over 100ft garden and views over the Severn Estuary we currently have its a bit of a shock!
Hubby enjoys mountain biking and being outdoors and LO we do the usual swimming, gymnastic,music and have access to a great community farm that does toddler days with 5 of more classes on that day. She will be going to school fulltime in Sept so I appreciate this will decrease but want to get out and meet people as soon as as we are both social creatures x

OP posts:

LetchworthHamster · 14/11/2015 22:54

You will get much better value for your money in Letchworth than Hertford (I've lived in both), but Letchworth is not super-great for schools (no idea about Hertford, I didn't have kids then!). Saying that, I'm happy with my son's 'good' Ofsted-rated infant school. It's the secondaries that are more troublesome. Letchworth is 15 mins from Stevenage and has a good community farm too, funded by the heritage foundation.

You could also look at Baldock - bit pricier than Letchworth but better schools, though you do need to make sure you live close to the one you want as there are more kids than places.

Hertford is overpriced imo though it is well-placed for commuting. I work there. Meh.

Outsideinside · 14/11/2015 23:31

The traffic in St Albans is madness at times, you would be seriously squashed for £500k in comparison to your large house now... Hitchin is almost as expensive as St Albans.
Letchworth is very green, some good infant / junior school, the senior schools are improving... The town is a bit quiet but there is plenty going on in terms of clubs, sports, cycling, there is a farm, a splash pool, independent cinema. Go and have a look!

Original poster

WelshClare01 · 14/11/2015 23:44

Thanks for everything. We are planning on a few good trips up there in there in the next few months to suss everything out starting with your suggestions. All we have been advised is to avoid Stevenage!
Compared to our current property we will have to downsize - not happy there - but we want to continue the lifestyle we have with me working part time and taking a few holidays a year so prepared to take that hit on the house size. The house price situation has been a real eye opener today

I am prepared to gamble on the secondry school front at the mo as that is 7 years away and will be prepared to move again or fingers crossed situations of schools change x

OP posts:

LariyahSpen · 14/11/2015 23:59

I live in Hitchin and it's a lovely little town with fairly good schools and the fast train into London (every 20 mins or so) only takes about 18-25 mins.

I think house prices are 'okayish' here and I think it's a lovely place to bring up little ones too

Good luck

LariyahSpen · 15/11/2015 00:02

Just to add...I used to live in Stevenage & was born there, it's not the prettiest but there are some lovely areas to buy houses in. It has a very very rare community feel to it as well so it's sad that you've been told to avoid it.

It's probably got more going on than any of the other places mentioned too like Letchworth, which is quite dead in my opinion.

katemoss1980 · 21/11/2015 12:28

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Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Chrysanthemum12 · 21/11/2015 15:38

Have you thought about Potters Bar? Perhaps not as pretty as Hitchin or Letchworth but a nice community feel, 20 mins to Kings Cross and Stevenage on the train, plus 20 to 25 mins by road to Stevenage.

Flower5 · 07/12/2015 09:34

We moved to hitchin 2 years ago. No much classes for children. Good parks are distance away from the town. Not good advertisement for local even. We are thinking to move out. Swimming classes waiting list goes as far as 1 year ahead.

lilypoppet · 10/01/2016 08:39

Hello just wondered how you got on moving to Herts as I'm doing this in summer 2016. Let us know if it all went well. Lily x

BumpyMum3 · 22/02/2016 21:43

Hitchin, defo! Loads of classes like you mention, top notch. I got in swimming lessons with 4yr old with no wait (last week in fact). Lots of outstanding schools, one A road to Stevenage

CruelAndUnusualParenting · 04/03/2016 09:53

The right bits of Stevenage are nice, but the Stevenage secondary schools are mostly not very good and we moved out to get into the Hertford/Ware catchment. Also a lot of the nice bits of Stevenage may not be convenient for the station.

Stevenage is cheaper than the other big towns.

Close to Stevenage, Knebworth is on the Kings Cross line and Watton At Stone is on the Moorgate line. Watton is a larger village with good facilities, but not cheap.

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