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Original poster

Calling all Essex girls... Where to live???

38 replies

AllBuggiedOut · 21/03/2006 20:01

Hiya

We've just sold our central London flat (yippee!) and want to live somewhere near Colchester to let DH get into London and me get to my parents in Suffolk. But we don't know the area. I really want a village or v small town, have visited, and liked, West Bergholt and Coggeshall, but need to find more good places to live. Kelvedon seemed a bit bleak on first visit (happy to be proved wrong!) and what about Great Horkesley?

Any thoughts? Comments, positive or otherwise, about these and other villages would be priceless.

Thanks!

xx

OP posts:
Jen1209 · 21/03/2006 20:20

Hi All Buggied out! I have lived in Colchester all my life. There are some lovely little villages around Colchester - is travel ok for your DH? Great Horkesley is ok, some nice houses on the outskirts. West Bergholt is also v nice. A few others you might like to look at: -

Wivenhoe - has own station - en route to Liverpool St
Manningtree / Mistley - also have stations
Langham - I lived here for 18 years so v biased but it is really lovely but also a bit out the way
Leavenheath
Dedham (bit pricey)
Marks Tey - station
Birch (bit of a one horse village)
Arlesford
Brightlingsea (bit out the way but nice)
Great Bentley - en route to Clacton but only 15 mins from Colchester and also own station
Feering (near Kelvedon but nicer)
Warls / Wakes / White Colne - 3 seperate villages!
Chappel
Eight Ash Green

Gosh, look at me, and I'm not even an Estate Agent!!!!

Hope this else, I'm not on the CAT thingies but let me know if you need any more help.

Also try - www.rightmove.co.uk - it's brilliant!

Good Luck and can I be the first to say Welcome to Colchester!

FrannyandZooey · 21/03/2006 20:43

Wivenhoe is lovely - quite arty / studenty / hippy if that appeals. I have friends who are happy living in Coggeshall, Layer and Birch.

eidsvold · 21/03/2006 21:21

just a thought - we lived in a fab little village outside of Chelmsford - very quick commute into London - suffolk not too far ( used to go for meetings to suffolk)

Danbury
Little Waltham
Great Waltham

Original poster
AllBuggiedOut · 21/03/2006 22:31

Really interesting about Langham, Jen. We saw a house there that we really like. I had heard that that there are proposals for a traveller community in (or near) the village. I didn't think much of it until I saw last night's BBC2 documentary about travellers in Essex and got worried... Did you see it? The travellers had expanded outwith the allowed area, and the hatred it brought out in the local community was terrifying. The locals had all taken their children out of the local school because 50 traveller kids were going there. The village would have been an awful place to live. I'm sure the documentary showed something extreme, but it made me nervous.

OP posts:
Jen1209 · 22/03/2006 13:30

Langham is a beautiful village - it has a wonderful pub but no village shop - there is a "community shop" which is only open a few hours a week so transport is a real must!

I haven't heard about any travellers groups in / around Langham but my best friends parents still live there so will get an update from her if you like? There is a certain amount of NIMBYism in Langham (Not In My Back Yard) so I don't think plans will be approved!

Where in Langham was the house?

Original poster
AllBuggiedOut · 22/03/2006 19:17

The house (bungalow actually) is on Wick Road, right at the junction with the road leading up to the playing field and community shop. I'd love it if you could get an update from your friend! The other thing the woman who was selling the bungalow said was that the village (or at least round her) was full of old people which worried me a bit too! But I'm glad you like the village as we warmed to it when we visited. I just want somewhere ordinary and decent for the boys to grow up! Where did you go to secondary school btw?

OP posts:
crunchie · 22/03/2006 19:39

West Bergholt is fantastic I live there :)

The primary school is good, the community is great, the co-op is open til 10pm at night, there is a baby-sitting circle! Buses run every 20 mins to station and town. Ok foody pub, friendly people.

Although it is a village it is not a 'hick' one horse town place. Due to the bus you will not be ferrying kids about all the time as they get older like some smaller villages. Some of teh ones on Jens list would be far too small for me. The other good thing about West Bergholt is that there is loads of people there during teh day, it is not deserted by commuters.

Personally the only other place I would choose to live around here is Wivenhoe, but I am an 'arty' type :)

Depends on your budgets but there are some lovely houses around here.

jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 22/03/2006 19:43

CRUNCHIE!

Me, Dior and AAA were wondering what happened to you - how about a Colly meet up?!

spacedonkey · 22/03/2006 19:46

Wivenhoe is lovely - I used to live there and like the slightly bohemian feel

Manningtree is nice too and is on the mainline from Norwich-Liverpool Street

crunchie · 22/03/2006 19:46

I've always been here :)

crunchie · 22/03/2006 19:47

hello sd :)

jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 22/03/2006 19:47

we hadnt seen you about for like AGES!

crunchie · 22/03/2006 19:48

You haven't been looking, I'm around every day :) Perhaps only a few threads ;)

jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 22/03/2006 19:50

booooo!

Ok, ill be setting up a meet in the next few weeks, so you better be there!!!

crunchie · 22/03/2006 19:55

yeh but you guys meet up when I am at work, so no can do usually :)

Original poster
AllBuggiedOut · 22/03/2006 23:55

Crunchie - we saw a house in West Bergholt that would have been fab, but hadn't sold our flat and now have lost it Sad and there's hardly anything on the market in our price range. Popular place!

OP posts:
Jen1209 · 23/03/2006 08:47

West Bergholt is yummy - my friends Dad is the Headteacher at the Primary school!! :o The buses are great and is only 10 mins into Colchester

I know exactly where you mean - there are a few oldies in Langham but because of the primary school (which I went to) there are loads and loads of younger people with young families as well. There is a play group and all sorts!

I went to East Bergholt High School, which at the time, was the best Secondary in the area. I don't know what it is like now I'm afraid as I left 10 years ago!

I don't know how up to date it is but there is a Langham web site www.langham.org,uk which should give you the local info!

throckenholt · 23/03/2006 09:20

My DH grew up in West Bergholt - his parents moved from there about 6 years ago.

crunchie · 23/03/2006 09:59

Jen, do you mean your friends dad is Mr Watts???? He is really nice, my girls go to the school and he seems like a good head.

God it is a small world.

Allbuggiedout, tell me if I am being rude, but what is your price range? Not everything goes on rightmove, and I am always seeing new places to buy. A decent 4 bed house can range from about £200 - £350 K, more if you want period etc.

This looks nice \link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-5170660.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy\here} or \link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-6183355.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy\this} which is also in the same area. These are in a new development about 1/2 mile from village centre, full of families with young kids, not period, but very practical. \link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-4802770.rsp?pa_n=4&tr_t=buy\3 bed} here is another in the same area. My friend lived in one of these houses and they are nice - quite small kitchen, but decent living room/dining room and bedrooms.

Don't waste your time on \link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-6236164.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy\this} it looks good, but it too small I looked around it, but it really is tiny inside (fab outside, fab conservatory)

This one is out of teh village so you would lose the benefits of walking to the shop/school as it is on a country road (no pavements I think) \link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-11186303.rsp?pa_n=3&tr_t=buy\bungalow}

This is newly built and smaller, but cheaper \link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-4553271.rsp?pa_n=3&tr_t=buy\unsure where it is in village}

Hope it helps :)

Original poster
AllBuggiedOut · 23/03/2006 14:14

Wow Crunchie - ever thought of becoming the new Kirstie and being a professional relocator?

Not rude at all. Budget is about £385K. I'm afraid I don't like the new development - we did a drive around and although I can see why people like it, it's not for us. The one you looked at I ruled out because it looked too small (and that spiral staircase looks lethal!). And the bungalow is too far out. I want to be able to walk to school, and really want pavements if at all poss. We also looked at \link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-10738151.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy\this } one but didn't like the area. It's driving me mad that \link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-4695613.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy\this} one is still on RightMove as it sold weeks ago!

Our bottom line is 3 beds and a study or 4 beds, although more would be good (as am trying to persuade DH that 2 kids isn't anything like enough Wink).

The one we liked was right next to the bus stop on Chapel Road. Fenn Wright sold it. Maybe you know it?

OP posts:
choccywoccydoodaa · 23/03/2006 14:29

Another vote for Danbury / Maldon here!!! We relocated last year and haven't looked back. Good luck in your search.

Jen1209 · 23/03/2006 16:52

Hi Crunchie, Yup, I know Mr Watts's youngest daughter - he is going to be a Grandad next month! I also know a couple of the teachers and helped out there myself a couple of years ago!

Small world indeed!

crunchie · 23/03/2006 16:56

I know the house and I know who is moveing in too!! They exchanged contracts today!! It was on the corner of chapel road and church lane, opposite the co-op. Someone at my work bought it!! :)

There is one that seems to be in the local paper that I love, it is my dream house, just about walkable, but really near the A12, it is in your price range, although I am not sure who is selling it now. It was on via Boydens, and it was in the local paper last week.

Diid you look around the cottage then? I looked at it last summer, but it was tiny I felt and they had ripped out the whole cottage feel of the place

\link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-6842324.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy\this for horses} could be good if you want land! I think it is out of the village centre though.

Have you been hasseling estate agencts non-stop, particularly now you are in a positon to buy? They are always getting new properties on the market, it is hard to do remotely, but calling every day or two should help get something quickly before too many people see it. Your budget sounds good enough. Another idea would be to look at renting in the Maltings for a few months whilst you look. I will kkep my eyes peeled for you though.

Original poster
AllBuggiedOut · 23/03/2006 22:46

No, it was a different one Crunchie, opposite the allotments. Number 29. Red garage and front door.

Off for a few hours browsing on RightMove. Yawn yawn...

OP posts:
eidsvold · 24/03/2006 08:19

choccywoccydoodaa whereabouts??? We used to live off Well Lane - just as you come into Danbury from Chelmsford - near the junior school.....