Advice on moving to Somerset with a 1yr old...

[DownToEarthMother]

Hello all - wonder if anyone can offer any advice on family friendly locations in Somerset? I have a new job just outside Bristol and we're leaving smelly old London in September. DH will be looking after DS, doesn't drive and I reckon they will be looking for things to do pretty soon On a map Bridgwater and Wells look interesting but there's nothing like proper advice so please feel free to pitch in! Many thanks!

Hello!

I'm in Taunton and it's very suitable for children. Very dire for Teenagers so you will have to make sure he leaves the area when he is 18.

If you are in central Taunton then there is every amenity necessary within walking distance. It isn't particularly pretty although there are nice parts i.e. the parks are good. The canal and river are nice and there are lots of developments along the riverside over the next 5-10 years, so the area is undergoing a lot of regeneration.

There are good schools in Taunton too.

Bridgwater is fairly dire TBH.

Public transport is crap in this area, there is very little.

Wells is nice but you are quite far from the motorway and transport links - there are MNers who live there though so someone else might advise.

Bear in mind though that (depending on where you work) traffic is HEAVY between Taunton and Bristol. You are looking at a 1-1.5 hour commute. The train is possibly your best bet, depending on where you live in Taunton.

Hi i'm in the area too, no offense to anyone in bridgewater.. but I would avoid it IMO.
there are some nice places on the outskirts though.

Taunton is okay.
Agree with MP on the public transport.. it's terrible.
Be prepared for things to mover at a slower pace here.
the bristol commute will be quite long and really nasty when you hit holiday season. AS will the M5 and A303.

But 3 years on I am finding I like it ..

Yes, I would agree about Bridgwater...

Wells is lovely, and the villages around Street-Glastonbury where I lived until I was eighteen, and have since moved back to after I was married (DH is from round here too, we're both yokels ) are gorgeous although you may find that they are difficult to get around if you are a non-driver.

I'm very biased, but I think Street is great, it's the biggest village in Europe, had an outlet shopping centre, fab schools (i went from nursery school to college, all in Street) and still has a village-y atmosphere.

But yes, public transport isn't great, tbh. Not bad... but not exactly brilliant either.

I do the commute from Taunton to Bristol and it canbe really bad by car (I also only have to do it 2 days a week).

The trains are better and the quicker ones are only 25 minutes to Temple Meads.

Ooh yes, avoid Bridgwater. We all have two-heads and eat babies for breakfast But hey...I've lived here long enough to get used to the assumptions people make, usually without really knowing the place.

However..... Taunton is a reasonable place with most the things you need. Wells is pretty but I beleive quite expensive to buy (as is anywhere between there and Bristol). I personally dislike Weston-s-mare, Burnham, Clevedon (although I've been reliably informed by MNers that it's changed). Glasto is OK but v hippyish but near Wells and cheaper.

I'm afraid you will need a car. Buses are a rare species especially if you want to get out into the countryside.

I am incomer to Taunton in 2005. we love it. we live in a village outside taunton and dh commutes to exeter and bristol regularly. a car is a must...but it is fantastic to live somewhere that everyone else wants to come on their holidays!
nothing better than driving to the beach for the day or heading to exmoor or exploring the levels. an idylic area to raise kids IMO.

once your used to the change of pace (we came from the centre of birmingham...omg culture shock....) you will love it.

good luck wherever you choose.

Avoid Birdgwater and Shepton Mallet - which can be tempting due to cheap housing... there's a reason for that! ;-)

Hello I live in Taunton, it is a nice place to live and raise a family, lots of pretty places locally and close to Devon as well. Bridgewater is not good, they took the one reason to go there Sedgemoor spash and pulled it down about a year ago!!! I think Wells is meant to be nice, some parts of Bristol are really nice as well XxX

Taunton is lovely, Bridgwater is not. Moved here in 2001 and have a one year old now. Lots to do.

Can I just point out that some of us Bridgwater girls are in fact perfectly decent people with a good education and a heart please?

OK I don;t live there now (studying) but my family do and whilst I woudln;t choose the place I woudln;t demonise it: here is supposedly posh and it lacks a great deal of the humanity Bridgy has. And of course carnival which I am part of and proud of.

Wells is lovely but costly; Chard not to my taste but quiet as is Ilminster. personally I would go to Glastonbury if we returned (I suspect we will head for Devon however),
or one of the very many nice lareger villages- Puriton., Kinston St Mary, Star, South Petherton.

I'd by choice skip North Petherton and Shepton.

Please also help. I have been offered a job in Yeovil. Looking to move in the next 2 months. I have read that yeovil is not a very nice place to live in. I am willing to drive around 20 mins to work. Which nearby bigger villages can you recommend. I have a 16 month old boy and so would also like a good christian nursery if possible.

Taunton, Wellington, most villages lovely. Wells lovely but expensive. Avoid Bridgwater - schools will b an issue. For Yeovil - ilminster, Sherborne are nice, chard is not, and I'd avoid crewkerne as well. But it's all personal taste :)

Thanks. just checked out a few. Wells seems a bit further away. About 26 miles from Yeovil. Ilminster is good distance and Sherborne also. Which other places are most villages as I dont have a clue.

Wells is about 40 minute drive from Yeovil [I've done the trip the other way] and yes spicandspan it is pricey in Wells.

Towns like Langport and Somerton are popular and have a village feel to them, being smaller and all that. You are looking at 25 minute trip to Yeovil.

That's about the limit of my knowledge of that area. I go to Yeovil now and then, but i actually live closer to Bath/Bristol now. I have a few friends that live in Street/Langport/Somerton and work in Yeovil and found them good spots. The roads are quite clear and aren't restricted speed limits, so even though they might be far out in miles, they aren't too bad a drive.

Hi.. I am having the same problem, we moving from a job in Bristol to Yeovil.
I heard Yeovil is not a good place to live in.. I like living in the town centres, or near by.. I dont prefer the villages..
We plaanning to move toTaunton as a first thought..
Any nice areas to rent in? .. is the area near the Kings College okay? I want a place where I can take my daughter to , she is 22 months ..

Near Kings College is good. Trull area is also good. Vivary park is great for kids.

I live near Clevedon and think it's very nice and there are some villages this way that are lovely - does depend how much action you're after though, there's not a great deal to do anywhere once you have teenagers (I grew up near here and used to get the bus to Bristol which stall takes about an hour). Our village is tiny, no pub (there's a lovely bar at the village hall open every night and all day on the weekends), one shop and a hairdresser. The village toddler group, preschool and school are fab and I can't believe how much of a community it is considering on first inspection there's nothing here. Commute is about half an hour to Bristol, maybe 45 mins in proper rush hour...

Hi, I know this is an old thread but really after some advice. Hubby has been offered a job in wells. But as mentioned above we've noticed is quite pricey. Anywhere nearby that's commutable but has enough to do when the terrors (2 young boys) hit their teenage years. We don't want them moving away due to lack of opportunities. Really appreciate any feedback.