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Original poster

Considering leaving London for Bristol...

39 replies

clacketyclack · 12/04/2010 17:53

So, as the title suggests, we are considering leaving London and moving to Bristol with our 1 year old DD. The main reason is to move closer to family and friends with babies (both me and DP are from the West Country originally).
I do love London though, and it is a tough decision. So I'd like some advice, which would be the best areas to make the transition, i.e. family friendly, lots going on, shops and cafes and parks etc. But not too expensive (Clifton definitely out!). Is there anywhere that fits the bill that will mean I don't have massive London withdrawel symptoms?
Also, any advice on ways to meet other people (I'll prob be at home for a while until I get a part time job). Worried about being lonely in the day, an area with lots of playgroups/activities would be great.
Thanks in advance x

OP posts:
Scrudd · 12/04/2010 18:02

I'm in north Bristol. There are lots of nice family areas depending on your budget. Bishopston is very middle class/guardian reader land, and there are some good schools.

Presumably you're selling a house in london so will have a good amount to spend? Victorian terraces (3/4 beds) go for around 300-400ish.

If that's too much then Ashley Down is good, but a bit cheaper (although ripple effect is taking hold).

Redland/Cotham are both very nice too, a bit more expensive and some lovely georgian houses and good schools too.

It tends to get cheaper as you move away from the centre of town, so Horfield is more affordable.

St. Werburghs is lovely, but the houses are generally very small - we moved away as soon as second child came along.

Check catchment areas for primary schools, there is a big shortage of places in north bristol so you have to be well within the catchment for the most popular schools, although they are going to build a brand new one, any day now. So the council have been saying for the last five years

Ask away if you have any specific questions.

whimsicalname · 12/04/2010 18:54

We live on the edge of St Pauls / Montpelier. It's pretty 'urban' but very handy for town, we have a lovely house (well, I like it!) and a great sense of community. There's libraries, sports centres and baby groups within spitting distance, and lots of decent local shops, with a proper high street a bit further away.

I don't know where you're moving from in London, but friends who live in Herne Hill / Loughborough Jn end of Brixton seem to think it's not dissimilar.

Hope that helps! I also think it's pretty easy around here to meet people through your child, even just hanging around in the park.

posieparker · 12/04/2010 19:03

I live in Bishopston, Southville is similar, I believe....

Bishopston 3/4 bed you're looking at £280k - £350 for a Victorian terrace.

Gloucester road has lovely cafes and local shops, you can get nearly everything without having to go to a DIY superstore or Supermarket.

posieparker · 12/04/2010 19:04

PS.....Lovely parks too! And my boys are at a Catholic school which has loads of Londoners who have made the same move.

I have a one year old, let me know if you move we have a meet at the museum every other Friday.

Scrudd · 12/04/2010 19:07

Oops, I overestimated the price of a house in Bishopston.

If the cafe culture is what you're after, then anywhere within walking distance of Gloucester Road would be good.

LilyBolero · 12/04/2010 19:13

Bishopston is nice, but schools are massively over-subscribed. St Andrews is nice too, has a lovely park with paddling pool! Montpelier is lovely, very bohemian, but is more of a lottery with schools, and lots of kids from there go up to Cotham for school.

Original poster
clacketyclack · 12/04/2010 19:17

Hi, thanks so much for the quick responses! We are in Forest Hill, I suppose my ideal is a similar feel to East Dulwich.
Bishopston sounds lovely, although we would be looking closer to the £280k mark (selling a teeny tiny 2 bed garden flat for that amount, another of the reasons we are moving).
I like what you are saying whimsical, I have heard bad things about Montpelier, but from non-Londoners (in fact London haters) so perhaps the fact I love London would mean that it is a good area for us. Hustle and bustle certainly doesn't bother me at all, and being close to Art galleries would be a bonus. I'd just love to be close to a big park so DD can run around.
I have just been looking up house prices on line, and seems we can get a huge one in Staples Hill, any thoughts on this area (seems quite far out though)?
And would LOVE to meet up when we do make the move, I've lived in London since I came here for uni so it's very daunting leaving all my friends behind (although none of them have babies so I don't see them much any more).
x

OP posts:
Scrudd · 12/04/2010 19:22

Montpelier is lovely, architecturally, and has fabulous views over the city if you get the right property. I lived there for almost a decade pre-kids. It can be a bit noisy at night because there are three pubs within close distance of each other. Not sure you'd get much for your 280K there though!

I think your best bet with that money is Bishopston/Ashley Down.

navyeyelasH · 12/04/2010 19:22

I reckon Westbury on Trym/Henleaze area!

belgo · 12/04/2010 19:24

Southville has certainly improved since 20 years ago. Plenty going on for young families at the Tobacco Factory and other places. Greville Smyth is a lovely park, you are also within walking distance of both the centre and Ashton Court.

bratnav · 12/04/2010 19:34

Nooooo not Staple Hill. Sorry, lived there, not good. Full of chavs (with one noteable exception) and very far out. I live in Redland, it is fab but pricey, for what you sound like you are looking for I agree with others that Bishopston sounds ideal for you. I have a 7 mo old and go to the meetups on Fridays too, as do quite a few others, if you poke around the local board you will find all our threads

bratnav · 12/04/2010 19:35

Oooh yes, Southville kind of similar vibe to Bishopston, slightly easier on the wallet for house prices?

navyeyelasH · 12/04/2010 19:38

southville is definitely cheaper than bishopston but still not that cheap and most gardens are tiny.

Westbury on Trym/Henleaze/nearly into Southmead area is nice and you get a lot for your money IMO.

ilovemydogandmrobama · 12/04/2010 19:42

St George/Greenbank.

sarah293 · 12/04/2010 19:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

navyeyelasH · 12/04/2010 19:48

houses round this area IMO

LilyBolero · 12/04/2010 20:00

If you look at Henleaze/Horfield/WestburyonTrym be VERY VERY careful about distance from schools - if you are too far away from one of the 'good' schools then you will be sent much further away to a 'not good' school, and it can be a real problem in these areas - there are pockets of streets where the kids just don't get into the local schools.

Good schools in these areas are Westbury-on-Trym CE, Henleaze, Horfield CE, Westbury Park (though that is a more expensive area). This document I think has distances for successful applications to all the bristol schools.

Original poster
clacketyclack · 12/04/2010 20:05

How funny navyeyelash, I had already saved that house on my favourites.
Confused about Staple Hill now!
At least it seems there are lots of options, I suppose a consideration will be where DP ends up working, I want him to be able to get home at a decent time (7.15pm at the moment, shocking). And schools will be a major consideration.
I feel a lot more confident about the move, need to visit and check out some of these areas to get a feel for them.

OP posts:
WhatFreshHellIsThis · 12/04/2010 20:19

We live in Westbury on Trym and love it - it's near enough to Whiteladies Road and the Downs to access all the shops and cafes there quite easily, very close to Henleaze high street which has lovely cafes and nice shops, not as expensive as Westbury Park, but also has its own village centre and quietish feel. Lovely park - Canford Park - and excellent primary school (Elmlea) but the catchment is VERY small for that one, it's incredibly oversubscribed.

CAreful looking for houses in WOT though, estate agents' definition of what constitutes WOT is very elastic, look carefully on the map before you view! I've seen houses bang smack in Southmead being called Westbury on Trym

WhatFreshHellIsThis · 12/04/2010 20:20

p.s. we used to live in Nunhead and like it here much better

navyeyelasH · 12/04/2010 20:29

sorry for hijack but do they work out school places now 'as the crow flies'? I think they've one away with catchments?

WhatFreshHellIsThis · 12/04/2010 20:32

yes they do, sorry was using catchment as a lazy way of saying that basically you have to live REALLY CLOSE to Elmlea to have a hope of getting in.

They take a point in the school grounds and measure distance from it as crow flies to your house.

Peabody · 12/04/2010 20:39

They might not have catchment areas but I believe they have 'Primary Areas of Responsibility'. Unless I dreamt this you can get each school's area from a downloadable booklet on the Bristol City Council website.

navyeyelasH · 12/04/2010 20:56

peabody, yes I think that's the thing they scrapped? Found this but not sure how accurate it is.

I think LilyBolero has linked to the document that has lots of info on it about applications. Not sure of the date though. Never realised precisely how oversubscribed the schools are. 60 spaces and over 200 applications

LilyBolero · 12/04/2010 21:43

All the good schools are MASSIVELY over-subscribed unfortunately. Some schools do have areas of prime responsibility, but you aren't guaranteed a place by living in these, it still depends how many places there are after siblings etc, and so it is still done on circles, with distance being measured as the crow flies.

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