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Original poster

Advice about Bristol please

28 replies

notanickname · 20/03/2009 14:19

I posted this question about moving to Bristol in Other Subjects but realised Bristol Local readers might be able to offer some advice...
We're considering a move from London -we've always liked Bristol (and Bath) but ruled it out because DH work pretty much London based. But I just wonder if it could be possible?

Commuting: is it realistic to commute to London if it was 3 days a week (maybe with the occasional overnight stay at his parents in outer London).
Has anyone/their DH done this?
Is the commute hideous?
How long does it tend to take door to Paddington? Any wonderful journey time improvements in the pipeline ?

Areas of Bristol: (bearing in mind needing access to rail station) where would be a good place to live? Like the idea of Redland, Clifton (which we know a little bit) but where else would be good and preferably a bit cheaper? We'd need a good state secondary in about 3 years so we'd have our eye on good catchment area. I've heard Redland Green is good - but there must be others?? Also somewhere near green space would be nice?

Or areas just outside Bristol: I've heard there are nice villages just outside Bristol but have no idea which ones - are there any that would have good access to rail line (i'm wondering north of Bristol to get to parkway??).
Or slightly different - does anyone have nice things to say about Bath and their state secondaries, properties etc?

Rentals: as the commuting might be too much I thought about renting for a year to test it all out. Just had a quick look on rightmove and findaproperty and Bristol seems to only have student properties!! Where do people look for nice rented family homes - period, 4 beds, gardens?

Sorry this is so long.

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saggyhairyarse · 20/03/2009 22:33

Iknow 2 WOHM who commute to London for their jobs. One does 2 days and the other does 3 days and so they stay in London over night. Both say that they have the best of both worlds

I think it takes about 2 hours on the train to get to London. It could take you 1.5 hours to drive from Bristol to Bath depending on where you live.

Southville has good access to the train station. I love this area and St Mary Redcliffe School is good BUT it is hard to get into.

Out of town....Keynsham is a town between Bristol and Bath, and has a very good school (Wellsway). I live near Portishead which hopefully will get a reopened rain link soon and it is a really great area for families and has a good school (Gordano).

I don't know much about areas/schools in Bath.

PussinJimmyChoos · 20/03/2009 22:51

Stoke Gifford is near parkway station and I've heard the schools there are very good. Properties are nice there also - although expensive...

Original poster
notanickname · 21/03/2009 10:35

oh thank you. it's good to hear some positive things about Bristol. On my other thread it sounds like the worst place in the world!
will check out suggestions.
It seems that everywhere outside of London we like has problems of one sort or another. The places that tick loads of boxes in terms of commuting time and good schools are just not our kind of places - dull commuterbelt satellite towns!

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sarah293 · 21/03/2009 12:02

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Boysboysboys · 22/03/2009 18:22

Bristol is a lovely place to live. You can live near enough to the centre to walk has the downs and asthton court. The traffic is awful, but we are a 'cycling city' so fingers crossed for the future! We have a new shopping centre. Devon and Cornwall are just round the corner, ad South Wales over the bridge. Its small enough to know lots of people. South of the river is cheaper than north. The schools are not great, but are getting better (slowly).

DumbledoresGirl · 22/03/2009 18:37

North of Bristol, Marlwood and Castle Schools are both very good - better than most in the city centre. (Castle recently got an outstanding Ofsted report) And plenty of people live near Bristol Parkway but attend those schools. I can't really help with much else you need to know, sorry.

PussinJimmyChoos · 22/03/2009 18:53

Agree with BoysBoysBoys...the new Cabot circus developement is lovely. A lot of the shops are open until 8pm on Sat nights and DH and I have taken DS there in the evening for a meal in one of the many child friendly restaurants and then walked about - felt like we were in a European city and no drunken louts about - was lovely

Yes, there are dodgy areas - avoid Knowle, Hartcliffe, St Pauls and Easton just to name a few but on the whole, I like living in Bristol - very cosmopolitan, good cultural mix and always something happening - Kite Festival, balloon fiesta, Habour festival and that's just to name a few things. Loads for kids to do as well

Hope that helps a little

ilovemydogandMrObama · 22/03/2009 19:08

I like easton. One of the few places that has independent restaurants (cafe Maitreya, One Stop Thali, and Casbah Cafe)

The Sweet Mart is fantastic for getting spices and those lovely Indian sweets. Yum!

PussinJimmyChoos · 22/03/2009 19:16

Yes agree with the shops etc but I still don't like Easton...mind you, it seems to be slowly improving - the new Masala Bazaar looks great and new flats are being built above the shops on Stapleton Road

Original poster
notanickname · 22/03/2009 19:46

Oh thank you for all this info. Any city has it good and bad points - good to hear the pros and cons and that insider knowledge is great - thank you.

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PussinJimmyChoos · 22/03/2009 20:43

I've done the Bristol to London thing and as a stand alone train journey, its ok. However, you do have to factor in the traffic to the station and Bristol traffic is a royal pain in the arse. Yes, we are working towards being a cycling city but tbh, I still don't think that will improve the traffic - especially in winter.

The traffic can be great during school hols. Most days its bearable but if there is an accident or road works somewhere, then it can get grid locked pretty fast

saggyhairyarse · 24/03/2009 14:47

I actually don't think the traffic is that bad! Though it is true that if there is an accident then it is nightmarish!

Another area to consider is Long Ashton. I live fairly close and it is a nice place and a good spot for getting in and out of the city

bratnav · 24/03/2009 15:24

We live in Stoke Bishop, which is basically the other sicde of the Downs from Clifton, quiet, suburban, but you are a 5 minute walk from Whiteladies, away from the students. AFAIK we are in the catchment for either Cotham or Redland Green which are both excellent secondary schools. We love it and would highly recommend the area.

I used to have to travel to London once a week for work, and the early train from Parkway was brilliant, much faster than from TM, so perhaps as Puss says, Stoke Gifford sort of area might work for the commuting?

Original poster
notanickname · 29/03/2009 14:39

Hi thanks for all these replies.
Is Cotham supposed to be a good school?
I have noticed on estate agent details that being in redland green catchment is sold as a good thing. But they don't seem to do the same for Cotham school - is it not considered to be good locally?? Did it used to be Cotham Grammar??

Thanks again.

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saggyhairyarse · 29/03/2009 22:32

Yes, Cotham was Cotham Grammar. It is a good school and, yes, has a good reutation. I went to 6th form there

PussinJimmyChoos · 29/03/2009 22:33

Cotham is good - no worries there

navyeyelasH · 30/03/2009 21:56

Don't listen to estate agent claims about redland green catchment, check it our for yourself as the catchment is shrinking so so quickly you really need to live next door. read this for more info. IME Stoke Bishop area wont get into Redland Green - the catchment is more parts of Westbury park/parts of Bishopston. In the Stoke Bishop area you'd go to Elmlea (if you were lucky) and Elmlea doesn't feed into Redland Green IME (I am a nanny and look after primary and secondary aged children in the area).

Are your DC girls or boys because Colston Girls is an academy now, meaning you don't pay. Cotham is a good well established school; Redland green is a bit of a mixed bag (in the first year they let anyone in because parents were reluctant to let their DC be the test dummies, so you have got a "mixture" of children but no doubt this will change over the years) in my opinion. In terms of teaching the teachers are quite young and they have a modern approach to teaching and discipline; in terms of organisation nothing ever gets done properly and things are very last minute & they seem to relish red tape mroe so than others schools IYSWIM? - but does have the best facilities of any non fee paying secondary in Bristol IME. There is more hype around Redland Green because it is new and does have better facilities but I personally rate Cotham and I'm not sure Redland Green have any published results yet as it is so new?

Hope this helps!

ilovemydogandMrObama · 30/03/2009 22:08

Navy is right -- Redland Green is such hype. Apparently it was oversubscribed before it even opened....

Original poster
notanickname · 30/03/2009 23:38

Ooh interesting to hear it's not just London that has all this hype and nonsense!!
I have girls and did read about Colston girls - but it seems that it's a bit random for entrance (language ability for some and and then just random ie no catchment) - but surely worth a shot?

Glad to hear good things about Cotham - the ofsted did seem good. We don't have to worry about secondaries for a couple of years but i kind of feel it would be worth trying to settle in an area where we could stay put through secondary stage too.

If you go more Westbury Stoke Bishop Sneyd Park areas - does anyone know which school are you likely to get into/be given?

Thanks again for all this fab info!!

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navyeyelasH · 31/03/2009 23:07

You have to be careful with the areas - I would like to guess for Cotham catchment but basically if you're in Stoke Bishop/Sneyd Park you're not getting into Reland Green.

I don't know much about Sneyd Park/Stoke Bishop areas in terms of catchments as the children I look after in those areas go to private schools but this website has a full list of schools.

I would say, (in my not trained in anyway, know nothing about councils policies, only know what parents and children tell me) that to get into Redland Green you need to live:

No further north than Howard Road and only as far down Howard Road as the junction with Halsbury Road, no further East than Tyne Road (at a push) no further South and West than Redland Road - although not 100% sure on south and west boundaries. Of course this area is only going to get smaller so if you want to be a dead cert in a few years time I would live as close as poss. But having said that they seem to change catchments etc on a whim.

The thing with Colstons is that it used to be private, it does have a catchment area but it's not as over subscribed as RG or Coth and you have to sit entrance exams.

Colstons specialises in languages (hence the emphasis on language ability) and has a fair few international students; RG specialises in Science and Cotham in drama.

If I were you I'd live in any of these areas as each of the schools are good; IMO so long as your DC don't live, breathe, eat, sleep school and have lots of other activities and friends from outside of school to "shape" them they will be fine

bratnav · 31/03/2009 23:24

navy - I didn't realise that Colstons was no longer fee paying, any idea why? Is it any good? It was me who posted about living in Stoke Bishop, I have to say that I guessed that it would be ok for RG, but TBH as long as the DDs get into either RG or Coth I am a happy bunny (in 4 years time).

I asked one of my parents friends (a councillor on the Admissions forum) and I mentioned RG as a possible for the DDs and she told me to move if we wanted to get in, was very surprised as it is closer to us than Coth, hey ho.

bratnav · 31/03/2009 23:26

nota nickname - when you ask about nearer Westbury, do you mean sec or primary?

Original poster
notanickname · 01/04/2009 00:09

Navy - thanks that's great info!
Bratnav I meant for secondary, but have just had a nosey at primary ofsted reports and the primaries aren't getting glowing reports either! Schools are a pain! Property prices are a pain....

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bratnav · 01/04/2009 10:17

not-just be really careful as the only primary school that had spaces when we moved here was Sea Mills, terrible school which one of my DDs is still at. St Johns, Westbury Park and most of the other primarys around this neck of the woods are actually great (well ompared to the rest of Bristol anyway). HTH

Fairfield might also be an option, not sure how good it is, but again not as bad as some others in Bristol AFAIK

sarah293 · 01/04/2009 10:28

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