Relocating to Northants from London

[M8riamoley]

Looking for some advice for places to relocate to in Northamptonshire. I grew up in Northants so know the area reasonably well. Having just spent a week and a half there over Christmas & New Year scoping out areas and new developments, we are still none the wiser! We are a couple with a 1 y/o DD. My mother is in Duston area and will be providing a couple of days childcare a week so ideally within 20mins drive from there. DH needs to commute to London several days a week so needs easy access to a station, but will also need to visit the local office located near Stony Stratford once or twice a week. I'll be resigning and looking for something more local but no rush on that. We prefer town living but know that Northants towns aren't great so large village or small town is fine. Budget of up to £400k for a 3/4 bed.

Initially we were thinking Towcester, Stony Stratford or Olney but apparently parking at MK station is awful (and expensive!) and also you don't get so much bang for your buck in South Northants. So we have been looking at Earls Barton and Wootton Fields instead. Has anyone got any insider info on any of this, specifically:

• is the commute from Wellingborough preferable to Northampton?
• what is Earls Barton like? We were thinking about the new development just on outskirts of the village...
• does anyone know much about the new housing at Towcester and how people feel locally about it? I understand it's a FIFTEEN YEAR plan?!

Any feedback gratefully received.

I live in Northamptonshire, I've been here for 10 years, but I live in Higham Ferrers. However I know Earls Barton and I think it's a lovely place to live and lots of people commute from Wellingborough to London, it takes 50 minutes. Not much of a help but just to say, I love living here!

Thanks a lot for your message - just nice to hear someone speaking positively about the area!

I would also consider looking at commuting from Long Buckby station (between Northants & Rugby). Large recently extended car park so plenty of space, significantly cheaper than other stations to park at (£4 a day).

If you look at areas to live around there, it's straight down the A5 to Stony Stratford and not too far from Duston either.

I would second looking at commuting from Long Buckby - or even Rugby, which has the faster train to London. Should be feasible from around Towcester.

Earls Barton is extremely cliquey. I have lived in a lot of places but this has been one of the most snobby and cliquey places Ive ever lived.

It's the incomers actually, the proper locals that have lived there generations are great. Incomers have an odd snobbery about them. A good example is that you can't join the local Facebook secondhand selling page unless you're already known to the other members in person. Which means, if they don't like you as a person, you can't join.

It has fantastic amenities for a small town or large village whatever you want to call it, but don't bank on getting your child into the local secondary at Wollaston, as recently the proximity criteria has changed and teens are being sent to Wellingborough secondaries instead.

I live in Earls Barton! Not at all cliquey and I'm an incomer! Lived here 9 years or so. It is lovely but the choice of secondary schools is a bit crap...

I've also heard there are plans to downgrade Wellingborough train station, can't find the details but someone shared it on the local facebook group a while back... Might be worth checking what'sgoing on there first?