Relocation - help please - Need to find the right place to live, never been to Dorset!

[Changeofhorizon]

Hi,
Im moving home with my husband and son (7 years old). We're being evicted by a greedy landlord who wants to bump up the price of our home in London. My little boy is autistic and has been out of school for nearly 2 years (no schools could meet his needs in the area). So weve been looking far and wide and after consulting with loads of schools we have just a small handful of possibilities, one of which is in Chard (strong option), medium option in Dibden in Southampton, and other option is opposite side in Reading. We are seriously considering taking the jump and moving to the coast, Chard is the stronger school option - so towns/villages that are commutable that have come up in rent searches are: Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Beaminster and Bridport.

Ive never been to Dorset.. however I grew up in Wales near the coast and know what its like to live in quieter places. Im a nature lover (as are the other 2) so I will love being near the sea again and nature walks etc, but also community is important to us, having friends with similar outlooks (we are creative, have done alot of travelling, my husband is south American, Id love to still think we;d be connected to music, (be that sitting on the beach playing music with friends or being able to still see occasional live music - (one of my passions is also salsa which when I researched the area I only got a tomato salsa hahaha).. I can live without salsa for a few months at a time lol but just would like to know there are nice friendly people to connect with etc - a community that would be accepting of my autistic child (who is very obviously autistic in his stimming etc), I guess Im wondering will there be anything to do other than accessing nature? Are there towns that offer a bit of both worlds (ie.. some social aspects, creative/music, but still safe and welcoming? If so which towns are best (we're open to others not on the list)...

Also wondering how isolating does it really get in winter (Im the kind of person who is quite happy with a warm drink in a cafe watching the waves even if the weathers awful ) but I like to see people around etc...Are floods a serious problem? If so which areas?

For children - are the community accepting of children with special needs? Are there plenty of parks? things to do? My son is really active so loves long walks.. and I think he would love the beach deufinitely, the school in question is quite an adventurous curriculum so it will be quite exciting compared to what hes been used to here. But he also likes to do new things (mix it up) see new places etc.. he loves water splash parks, climbing, enjoys public transport (haha) I note trains/buses are defintiely not going to be as frequent though I do think he could handle that aspect in trade off for access to a beach.

Hoping to hear your thoughts and apologies for huge message. Also interested to hear thoughts on other areas around Dorset (even up to New forest ) if any ideas.. Thank you so much. xxxx (and we are planning a visit in next couple weeks)

No help on school issues, but the roads are always jam packed, and so commuting in Dorset can take your expected time or an extra two hours. Bridport is lovely, Lyme is very pretty, but more expensive.

Holiday season in Dorset is a nightmare for traffic. It is rammed.

Have you thought of going the North or West side of Chard? Illminster? It's less touristy than places like Bridport. Or Crewkerne to the East.

Completely agree, certainly isn't isolated 😆

Wouldn’t live in Dorset because, like the Lakes, it’s beautiful but a pretty much permanent traffic jam for 6 months of the year.

Have you considered Scotland?

I'm in Dorset and while it's a beautiful place to live and people are genuinely lovely, the traffic in holiday periods is abysmal. Bear in mind it doesn't have any motorways, and the A35 is constantly busy.

Thanks everyone, Im not too worried about the commute as such, though its good to hear. Could it really be so bad from Bridport/Beaminster/Crewkerne, Lyme Regis to Chard? Its just school run.. if so wed live closer to the school.. pretty used to awful traffic here,... its more about having the community./ things to do etc (:

Bridport or Ilminster. Lyme Regis and Charmouth are way too busy in holidays.
Bridport is a typical Dorset market town but also has a slightly alternative vibe- there’s a large indoor market which is quirky, some good cafes etc.

Chard is in Somerset and some way away from the coast. If you’re looking at a school in Chard you’ll want to live in Chard. Your nearest even vaguely ‘big’ town is Yeovil which is fairly small. The distances may not look huge but the roads are slow.

The A35 is awful. I drive it every day. If I were you, I'd live closer to Chard.

If it's a special school in Chard (there is a new one opening) then definitely go for that one. Living in Dorset isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Hi Ok.. thank you.. - yes its a special school in chard, but one thats already open (3 dimensions).. please tell me about the other one youre talking about? Why do you say living in Dorset is not all that its cracked up to be? x

What's the school option near Dibden?

Axminster, Ilminster, Crewkerne all make more sense for your school run than any of the Dorset towns.

I love living in Dorset but it is indeed a pain to get anywhere.

Its another special school by the same group, not open yet.. so less of an idea whether he'd get accepted and if it would be right for his specific needs which are quite complex)

We are open to that too, but I think the chard school looks really good

If it's important for you to get back to London for work or family reasons, I would pick Dibden. You would be 30 minutes from Southampton and then 80 minutes to Waterloo. The Waterside has plenty of housing and you would be a few minutes from the New Forest. It's not at all beachy though, as Calshot and Lepe are pebble beaches alongside the Solent overlooking the IoW. You would be 20 minutes from lovely Lymington.

Thank you, its nice to be connected to London, but more important is the overall feel of the place I think. Safe, friendly, fairly liberal and welcoming..benefit if its artsy creative..

Have a look at Wimborne, it's a lovely old town, there is Beaucroft School that might meet your needs. Lots of cafe, walks, all the shops you need, no beach but bus or car to bournemouth, Poole and The Chines.

Have you looked at Bruern Abbey for a school. They take from 8.

One of my friends DD goes to a special school in Chard - we live in Wellington, it's about 35min drive over the Blackdowns.
Taunton could be an option too.
Bonus is both are on the M5 & both on the main line to London (Wellington's new train station is due to open in the next few years).
South Devon beaches are 40mins away; North Devon beaches are 1hr away.
Cornwall is 2hrs away; Exeter, Bristol & Plymouth are under an hour & Cardiff 1.5hr.
We have easy access to all the amenities & attractions of Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire & Cornwall within a few hours or less.
We have the Blackdowns, Quantocks & Exmoor & Dartmoor not too far either.
Might be worth a look.

Unless driving is your favourite thing, driving from the coast to 3D twice a day is going to get really old really fast. It doesn't look far, but the roads are narrow and can be very slow when the caravans and farm vehicles are out.

Are you self-funding or hoping to move into the LA and get 3D named? Somerset have an embargo on INMS at the moment, so I think you would have to go to tribunal to get it. I'm not sure about the situation in Dorset.

I wouldn't live at the coast because it's really busy. Chard itself or crewkerne might be better

Bridport is a fantastic little town. It has loads of music and 2 great venues which attract some brilliant bands. It also has a literary festival, vintage market, street markets etc. yes it gets busy in the summer but all in all it’s a really lovely place to live.

I agree that Bridport is a cool place to live. However, it's quite a schlep to Chard and back twice a day if OP plans to do the school run herself rather than use school transport.

Agreed, I would live in Bridport like a shot but not if I had to get to and from Chard twice a day every day.