Moving to Bath

[MrsBates]

Hello,

We are planning to move to the Bath area - ideally a village not more than 6 or 7 miles from the city with space for our three children to run and get tired enough to sleep! We would love a rural view and a good primary school in the village - not a place dominated by second homes but with some real life since if plans work we won't be commuting anywhere but be full timers. Any tips from families who have done the same or who have particular places they recommend to help us narrow down our search.

Many thanks

Hello,

We were in much the same position - moved out of London but DH works from home and I commuted to Bath but am now SAHM so we wanted to be in a place with a proper personality as we are both around all the time.

We actually rented for a couple of years to look around (S of Bath) and ended up in Frome - but that's probably a bit of a town for you. Although very nice and lively with a lot going on (basically it's full of 'creative' people who can't afford Bath...)

An awful lot depends on how much money you have - 6 miles from Bath will still be expensive, 12 won't be so much. North of Bath is more expensive than south because of the motorway access. And village houses do cost more than town ones, the difference is really noticeable here.

If I wanted to live in a village - bearing in mind I don't know anything much about schools - I would probably look at Leigh on Mendip, Mells, Nunney round us. Also Norton St Philip although it does have road problems, and is expensive.

Hmm, I will think about this some more and come back - have to get in the bath now!

We, too are planning a move to Bath from London (although having just read this, think I might look at Frome as we are creative and poor) I am hoping to get my son into St Stephen's school for 2009 as it looks so good, although so do many of the others ... However, if we move now and rent, as we plan to do, I would like him to go to a pre-school in Sept 2008. St Stephen's doesn't appear to have one. Does anyone know which schools do? which are good? or alternatively which nursery children in a similar position (i.e. going to St Stephen's in 2009) might be in? so that he can make some friends who might be starting school with him. He has only just settled into his current Montessori properly after a year and I dread the thought of starting all over again too many times.

Not actually moving because of the schools but thanks for the advice - will avoid such announcements.

Hi Jessplus. I live in Bath and have a really good friend who has two children at SSS, one just finished Reception and one just finished Year 3 - both really happy there. She is very clued up on local schools and I'm sure she'd be happy to talk to you about where other Reception children went to pre-school. Her own dd went to Royal High (girls only) so no good to you, and her son went to one which has now shut (as building sold to a developer - sniff), but she could def tell you where others went. Quite a few go from the nursery at King Edwards Pre-Prep to SSS (both my children are at KES) and Kingswood. Also, if you re not familiar with Bath, she might be able to tell you good places to live - Camden Rd and Richmond Green (where SSS is) are both full of gorgeous artisan cottages where loads of lovely and creative poeple live, and tonnes of SSS children seem to live there too, so makes for good community of friends. Anyway, CAT me if you'd like me to put you in touch - she is really nice and very helpful! Good luck with the move anyway.

Thank you so much for your friendly message. It has really cheered me up. Yes, it would be great if you could put me in touch with your friend. I will have a look at KES nursery for starters. Saw gorgeous cottages along green and sighed - not sure if we can afford - but hope to rent near there in first instance. New to mumsnet, so not sure what CAT means!

Thanks for all emails and messages. Still planning the move but many things to sort out of course. And thanks for Sobernow's warning too. That thing you mentioned - re incomers and locals - is it really a problem do you think? I am a Londoner so of course almost everyone I know is originally from somewhere else - nature of a big city. I am so used to thinking everyone is welcome in my home city do you think I will be put off massively by a very different attitude and is that attitude very common? Yikes.

That attitude is VERY common, particularly if you live in a village. I reckon you have to have lived there for about 3 generations before people accept you as a local.(there is a quick route which involves marrying the local farmer but you may not wish to make that sacrifice) I live in a small hamlet south of Bath and the thing MOST guaranteed to get you universally loathed among the natives is to announce that you've just moved from London. If you've never lived in a village before, be prepared for some very parochial attitudes.

Oh bimey, that's what I'm worried about. But have had lots of emails from people saying they have been made very welcome. Won't wear my pearly queen outfit to the pub then.

Actually, maybe I will. Might get in with the Morris dancers.

We moved to a Wiltshire village 7 years ago (NOT from London, but from another city) and have found it friendly.

Hey don't diss the locals! I am from Somerset originally and now live in Wiltshire (about 10 miles from Bath) having lived all over the place including overseas. Not all locals are mad or agressive bumpkins, you will find that many are like-minded and cultured, EVEN ones that don't live in Bath!!!

I know - to be honest the Bath idea is on the way out for somewhere a bit more rural. I spend an evening with some Morris dancers in Norfolk recently so didn't need the pearly queen outfit after all. Didn't mean to diss locals - so used to being out of favour for being a Southerner and a Londoner it tripped too easily off the tongue. No offence!

Hey none taken, although I know what some of them are like, dh's hairdresser hasn't even been out of Wiltshire AND she's in her 20s!
She was off to Greece on holiday this summer, culture shock or what!!! Good luck with it all

Thankyou very much!

I live north of bath in v rural location but only 10mins from Lansdown where my eldest has just started in reception.

St Stephens has very good reputation but is very hard to get into same with all the very good primaries like Bathwick St Marys. I know a fair few people who've put their children into private pre-school at Kingswood/Paragon and then applied for state primary. If they've then not got in they've kept them at the prep school.

I think The Mews and acorns are popular pre-schools.

However if you're going rural many villages have very good playgroups/pre-schools eg Marshfield/North Wraxall which is North of Bath.

Jessplus - so sorry not replied sooner - not looked at Mumsnet Local for ages. CAT used to mean "Contact Another Talker" so you can swap info (like phone numbers) that you don't want to broadcast worldwide! It's now called "Contact a Mumsnetter" & is on the top toolbar. I did mention you to my friend and she said she'd be happy to talk to you about schools, good places to live etc. Also, don't worry about not being made to feel welcome - we moved here in Feb 1999 and I have never had a problem in all that time though poss may be different in a village setting, though friends of mine who live in nearby villages such as Turleigh, Winsley, Freshford love it and say everyone is very friendly.

Thanks again permatired and traceybath for your input. I will certainly CAT you permatired - wish I'd got that name cos I bet I'm more tired! Update is we finally had our offer accepted on a house round the corner from St Stephen's the day after applications for school closed. Can't believe it but am trying not to think about it and now that we are definitely moving am wasting much time trawling through all of these interesting threads and can't wait to move there. St Saviour's seems not to be overscribed (in the past) and the infant school also has an outstanding - (thought not the Junior, oddly, and I did really like the head of St Stephen's on meeting him - haven't yet got to St Saviour's so any hints welcome). Sorry, rambling. My next questions: the house we have hopefully bought needs lots of work, where can I start for recommended builders and architects?

Hi, chipping in...

Think my DSs will likely go to St Saviours - we are in Larkhall so it's our nearest school, and is very well thought of afaik - certainly mums of my acquaintance who have kids there seem v pleased with it, and all the Larkhall mums I know with kids the same age as my DS1 (2.8, so off to school in 2010) are planning to send them to St Saviours. I haven't yet looked into it myself, though - just some anecdotal stuff for you.

Congrats on the house - no idea on builders/architects, I'm afraid, but good luck with the renovations!