Moving to area - Huntington, st Ives, St Neots

[TwoLittleRoses]

My DH has a job in Peterborough and I commute into London 1 maybe 2 times a week. Looking for best area to move to with good primary schools and enough around to not feel too secluded (shops, coffee, pub, playground etc).

I loved Stamford but think that would be too far of a commute so looking closer now to London.

Any recommendations on location and primary schools would be hugely appreciated as bit lost on where to start. Thanks

If you want a village feel within ten mins of Huntingdon / 20 mins of Peterborough look at Brampton , Buckden , Offord , Alconbury. If you want new housing estate type feel look at Stukeley Meadows or Hinchingbrooke. Most schools are of a similar good standard in those places.
St Ives is a bit further out and a more town / suburb type feel.
St Neots is a real mixed bag some places really nice and other parts not. The Paxtons villages also worth a look.
Also try Sawtry right by the A1 but a lovely village with great amenities.

I grew up in Godmanchester. Its close to Huntingdon so it's easy to get to the train station, it's got a lovely park by the river and plenty of amenities. Brampton is also close to the train station and has shops, parksl etc. St Ives is much further from the train station but it is a pleasant little town.

Hi, I'm in a similar situation now, would love to hear what you landed on and how it went?

Hi we decided on Stamford and moved here 18 months ago. We love it here, such a beautiful town and has enough going on but still country feel. DD has settled into primary school nicely. My London commute is not too bad and go in 2 times a week. Good luck!

Godmanchester is gorgeous. I lived in Huntingdon for 6 months for work and it was grim. Deprived and rough.

It’s perfect to commute to London from St Neots. As a poster said up thread there are some nice and not nice areas. There is a lot to do in and around the town for young families. The only drawback I would add is that there are only two secondary schools that are run by the same academy trust so your choice is quite limited (unless you decide to send to Comberton or Hinchinbrooke)

St Neots is great, it's an incredibly walkable town. During rush hour the train to Kings X is around 50 min and you can almost always get a seat!

Great primary schools, secondaries under Astrea Trust but improving and honestly no different to many comps around the country! See the same headlines with similar parental views on the BBC from other areas. They are still sending students to Oxford/Cambridge/Warwick etc. My children both achieve very highly in academics and take part in loads of clubs and sport. They love it and find the discipline means less disruption in class. There are also good independent options at Kimbolton or 6th forms in Cambridge etc. Some kids go elsewhere for secondary or 6th form if their parents decide that's right for them.

Great house prices, biggest town in Cambridgeshire. Independent shops, tonnes of green spaces. On the river. Easy drive to the park and ride for Cambridge so lots of days out. It's a great place with lots of London expats 😂. The only people who moan about St. Neots seem to be the folk who have never lived anywhere else!

To be honest, Huntingdon is not nice at all. A lot of antisocial behaviour and Godmanchester is lovely but you'd need to go to Huntingdon for everything...

St Ives feels nice but the commute isn't as good for London and it's just a bit boring by comparison, more going on in St Neots. it doesn't feel like a huge jump for people who like city living and want amenities in walking distance plus cities close by.