Anyone live in / near Haydon Bridge?

[Eaglebird]

Currently live in Newcastle, but considering moving to Haydon Bridge.
Anyone live there, or nearby?
If so, please share the positives and negatives with me.
DP works full time in Newcastle, and I work part time. We have a 2 year old son.
Thanks in advance.
Eaglebird

I am in Newcastle too and have friends in Haydon Bridge - not sure what you want to know that you won't be able to find out by visiting. All I can tell you is they seem pretty happy, have been happy with primary school/nursery etc (seems to be a good set up where the nursery does the before and after school care). She commutes into Newcastle, think it is about 40 mins or so.

Other random thoughts - middle school is somewhere out of Haydon Bridge (allenheads??) but then high school is back locally. Plenty of countryside for exploring.

Thanks Elliott.
Was just wondering if I'd be welcomed into the community, or treated as an outsider.
We went last weekend for a pub lunch with DS, and had a walk around the village, fed the geese by the river, and had a wander round to look at the outside of a couple of prospective properties.
The staff in the pub were friendly. Several people smiled and said 'hello' as we were strolling with DS in his pushchair round the village. And one bloke started chatting to us as we walked past his house. We mentioned that we were thinking of moving there, and he invited us into his garden to have a look at the flood-defence wall (we mentioned that we were a bit concerned about flooding due to the close proximity of some of the properties to the river).
I felt really happy with the feel of the place.
I've heard good reports of the nursery & primary school, and also the high school, which is reassuring.
The commute would probably be ok. For me, it would be straight onto the A69 then onto the A1 south to get to work. It wouldn't be much more of a chore than my current commute, since I have to drive through the suburbs to get to the A1 at the moment.

Have your friends always lived in Haydon Bridge, or did they move there? .
Thanks. Eaglebird

Hi Eaglebird,

Sorry I have come really late to this thread. My brother lived in Haydon Bridge for many years (until 2009) and loved it. He found it really welcoming. There was a new estate built there in the past few years, so I think that they are used to new folk!

The first school and pre-school are great. The middle school (at Allendale) has been having major issues but your son is a long way off that and I know that they have installed completely new management, so that should be sorted soon. The kids get bussed from Haydon Bridge to Allendale for middle school or you could apply to Hexham schools. I have only heard good things about the High School.

Haydon Bridge is great value, especially since the bypass went through.

Florence

Oh, and be careful as some of the new houses were built on flood plain. My brother lived on one side of the main street (Ratcliffe Road) and then the other. On the river side they never had flooding, but came close and had to sand bag a few times. On the other side things were fine.