Brum/warwickshire mumsnetters, I need your help

[squirmyworm]

HI all....I know I posted a 'who knows about Barnt Green' for a friend last week but now my Brumwards forays have come back to haunt me. I have a new job which MAY mean I need to move back to the Midlands in a few months. Ideally I'd like to live in Warwickshire somewhere with good links by train to Brum and (less importantly) London, in a village or small town with a good state primary school nearby. Any suggestions?

why warwickshire?

I would say Solihull

good shops, schools, nightlife ,retausrants and near to B ham international for the main london line

friend lives near biford on avon

loves it there

Sorry SW, don't really know anything about Warwickshire. Solihull is nice though

kenilworth mat be noce but alot one horse town ish and loads of tourists all the effin time

heres some photos of bidofrd

Solihull nice but also expensive for houses at the moment. Have you thought about Worcestershire? Worcester is 30-45 mins to Brum, a bit further up than Warwickshire. In the Sunday Times Home section this week it said that the average Warwick 3 bed semi cost about 100K more than the same in Worcs. Come to think of it, I'll try to find the link about that article. Would be right up your street (har har)...

Here it is

many thanks all....have started looking in worcesetershire too..you're right moomin - some good stuff for much less...
just thought warwickshire because I need to be in London once a week.
ta for all the suggestions
x

Kenilworth is lovely despite Coddy's comments! Anywhere this side of Warwickshire is lovely, as Beety says Leamington, Warwick etc and now Warwick has a new train station easier to get to Brum and London. Easy access to motorways from any of these.

We ended up buying in Worcester because property was much cheaper than Warick/Leamington Spa area. My top tip is to make a short list of what things you need/can't live without (although we messed up a bit - on our shortlist was broadband!! Oh well, can't win them all...), then take some time to tour the different villages, towns & cities to see which fit you and your criteria the best.

Are you going to be renting in Midlands cos I don't think rental prices differ so much between Warwickshire/Worcester. Agents to target in Solihull/Knowle etc are Hunters, John Shepherd, Burchell Edwards. Actually they could probably help you for Worcestershire too. www.hunters-property.co.uk, www.burchelledwards.com Most schools in Solihull are good, leading primary is Oak Cottage according to Solihull LEA listing. Other v good are Greswolde, and St Alphege. Anywhere in central Solihull is only 10 mins walk (max) from Station (trains through to Paddington I think), Touchwood, hospital, and 5/10 mins drive from Bham International Railway, Airport, NEC and M42. I'd be happy to supply any further local info if required. Do you live in Solihull Coddy?

Can I add a word of caution on Worcestershire if you seriously need to be in London once a week. If you are planning on going by train it is not that reliable - my other half assumed it would work out OK for the odd visit and it seems that every time he goes (on average once a fortnight) there is a problem of one kind or another. But I agree it is cheaper, nice countryside etc. Rechildren watch out for the fact that some of the county is 3 tier schools and some two - so the local primary may only go up to 8 years.

Get in touch if you end up moving to Warwickshire and need any more info/contacts, etc (we're just outside Leamington). For rail links Leamington/Warwick are not bad for either London or Birmingham - I'd look at the villages around Warwick Parkway station perhaps - Haseley, Hampton Magna, Hatton, Hatton Park.

Rosalind, where in Worcestershire are you? The trains can be unreliable wherever you are travelling from. I don't think trains from Worcestershire are more of a problem than anywhere else.

I've been to Brum on the train from Worcester quite a few times and have never had a problem.

I don't know about Brum but squirmyworm mentioned London too - we moved here assuming the trains to there would run as per the timetable more or less (as much as any do!) and therefore be OK for the occasional journey and in the event they have proved a real problem. I am referring to the Hereford- Worcester-Evesham-Oxford line. The Malvern Gazette is also presently running articles on how unreliable trains through Malvern are so I don't think it is just bad luck. I suspect that trains on the Bham Int'l/Warwick side are a better bet - they were certainly quite good when I lived in that area some years back.

thanks everyone - really helpful stuff

where's the new warwick station, and is there much parking there? does it cost to park?

interesting about worcester stuff on the train and about schools....

if you don't mind I'll be in touch gill and jampot when I've a clearer idea of how things are going - really kind of you both, and everyone else

xx

Hi squirmyworm.

Warwick Parkway station is not far from junction 15 of the M40 (near the junction of A46 and A4177 just to the West of Warwick if you have a map) and has a big (400+) carpark which is free on Sundays/bank holidays, otherwise £2 off-peak or £4 for peak times.

There's a map here - the station is on the road north of Hampton Magna, pretty well in the centre of the map.

The Budbrooke primary school which also covers Hampton Magna, Hampton on the Hill and part of Hatton Park (big "new village" just outside Warwick) too is pretty good - I know several people who are hoping to send their children there. School tables for Warickshire are here .

Rosalind, I know Squirmyworm mentioned London as well. I personally, and friends of mine who've been to London more frequently than I have, have very rarely encountered any problems. One of my friends used to live next door to Evesham station, and in the 6 or 7 years that she was there and used the trains on that line she only had delays 2 0r 3 times, and one of those was when someone threw themselves under a train!