Move to Winchester or Bath

[Rema39]

We are considering a move to Winchester or Bath next year. I have visited Bath recently and really liked it but we haven't been to Winchester yet-but plan a visit next two weeks.

Ideally we want to be close to centre but where are the best areas to live- walking distance to everything but nice areas to live in!

We have 2 daughters- 6 and 3 so if anyone could advise best private schools in both areas too!

And are both areas friendly- we won't have any family to support us so making friends easily is important for our sanity....

Hi.

Try posting on the Local boards for the areas you are looking at and people who live in those places will tell you about them. You probably won't get the traffic here.

What's your budget and where are you moving from?

Thank you!
Moving from Channel Islands.
Max budget 2M

I've lived in Winchester for 20 years and love it here. I know Princess Mead is a very good primary school not sure if it has a nursery attached though.

I personally would pick bath every time as I could never get on with Winchester, but there's nothing intrinsically wrong with it.

Sorry posted too early, we live near St Giles hill and there are lots of nice houses around here. Chilbolton Avenue also has some lovely houses. The houses actually in the town centre are gorgeous and old but parking is a nightmare!

You won't get something in centre of Bath apart from maisonettes etc for 2M Mark. Outside Bath more doable.

DB's PILs live about a 10-15 minute drive outside Bath and traffic going into and out of bath is very bad every day.

No idea on private schools - their DC went to them but not sure of name and I was told it's now a junior school anyway.

Quality of life in bath is great though, lots there, theatres, cinema etc and shops quite good but crowded most days especially round Roman Baths area.

Friendly yes in bath (no idea of Winchester) but yes most people are friendly and approachable but can tend to be on the "horsey upper class type" but generally friendly.

I've spent lots of weeks and weekends there and just got back from 5 days there, very nice. bath parking is awful too, town centre apart from sainsburys locals there's only Waitrose and M&S but sainsburys outskirts on way to where PIL live.

Love Bath on the odd time I have visited but dont know it well. Found the loud motorway noise in and around Winchester v annoying, esp in the evening. Also seemed to be full of Hooray Henrys. Fine if that's your thing, not if not. We thought of moving there at one point and decided against it

Winchester is nice.

St Cross area for walkable, nice area [watermeadows] and that kind of budget.

St Cross

Thanks!
That's certainly given me food for thought.

I will repost on the local forum but again thanks for all the replies. Much appreciated!

I'm in Winchester, lovely place & the schools are all brilliant - not just the private ones.

Hi. Have lived in/near both places. Bath is lovely but the traffic seemed worse than in Winchester (at current rates), as did the weather - it definitely seemed cloudier, although I may have just picked a bad two years to live there! Winchester has a quicker train into London and is closer to Heathrow/Gatwick, if any of that is important to you. People in both places have been friendly and pleasant. Have never noticed motorway noise in Winchester, apart from when I lived really, really close to it!

Thank you- yes I've heard traffic and parking are a bit of a nightmare there!
I'm just wondering if Bath has more going on- we have 2 girls under 6 so not looking for clubs but do like good restaurants/family events etc.
thank you!

There's loads of good restaurants in both places, afaik. Bath has the advantage of being close to Bristol which has loads going on, Winchester has Southampton which is a bit less appealing! We are currently in a village outside Winchester and have certainly found enough to keep our young DC occupied - we used to live in the middle of nowhere though so anything was going to be an improvement. I don't know anything about schools in Bath - would think St Swithins would be the top private choice for girls in Winch. The state schools are very good at all levels, if that's an option.