Where to live for Bristol and Bath

[Flowers321]

Hi,
Please can anyone recommend a nice area to buy a family house within good commuting distance for both Bristol and Bath. Looking for good schools also.
Thank you

You could consider South Bristol (areas of Brislington/Knowle/Totterdown) as it's reasonable commuting distance to Bristol and Bath. There are nice family houses in the area and there are good primary schools in the vicinity.

You could also consider other areas like Keynsham or Saltford but it depends on what your budget is.

Thank you. What are the main differences between Keynsham and Salford and the other areas you mention?

Keynsham and Saltford are closer to Bath than to Bristol but I don't really know those areas particularly well to comment on any differences.

Hopefully someone whose familiar with the area will post something shortly.

If probably look at one of the outlying villages, Winterbourne, Coalpit Heath, Frampton Cotterell, Chipping Sodbury etc. All are pleasant and within easy commuting of both Bath and Bristol.

Saltford has the super expensive houses and a more villagey feel, but the A4 running through it. There's a beautiful river, pubs, library/post office and convenience stores, barber etc. Great primary school. Catchment for Wellsway secondary would also have choice of Oldfield Hayesfield or St Gregs possibly/if Catholic.

Keynsham is a small town undergoing a rapid period of expansion so plenty of choice of new houses (the somerdale development is good) or 1930s semis. There is also a fair bit of older housing stock at lower prices. A good spacious and pretty park with tennis courts and skatepark, a parkrun, a newly refurbished swimming pool and big library and council services. A train station, buses every 20-30 minutes to Bristol and Bath and 10-20 cafes and restaurants, several banks, lots of independent shops including an award winning record store a medium size Tesco. There's a Waitrose between Saltford and Keynsham. Most kids in Keynsham are in the catchment for Wellsway but not always all, there is also Broadlands. Four primary schools but if you want St Johns you need to live v close to it. You might get into Saltford primary living in Keynsham as it is bigger.

I would say it depends where in Bristol you are commuting to. I have lived in both Keynsham and Saltford and worked in both Bristol city centre (which is easiest by bus as traffic is fairly horrendous) and Filton - going round the ring road. I think if you are working in north Bristol villages further north might be a better bet, like Wick or Bitton, however I think these have poorer provision for bussing it into the centre of Bristol.

Brislington is worth looking at. Lovely Victorian houses, good primaries and a secondary school very much "on the up".

If you are commuting to either city you need a variety of options.
Keynsham has a railway station and Saltford doesn't. It takes about 10 minutes to Bristol Temple Meads and to Bath Spa from Keynsham.
Taking the car into Bristol or Bath can be a nightmare. The A4 is one of the busiest roads in the south west.
Buses are pretty frequent. About 20 minutes to central Bristol and marginally longer to Bath from Keynsham.
I would recommend St Keyna in Keynsham for a primary school. However this year it's the most oversubscribed primary school in BANES.