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Original poster

Places to live near East Croydon - Please help

72 replies

3catstoo · 24/08/2006 15:39

Hi,

We currently live in a village in Bucks. My DH works in London but will soon be moving offices to East Croydon. The journey will be 2 hrs each way so we really need to move.
Neither of us know that area. We have 3 children (DS 6, DD1 5 and DD2 2).

Ideally we want a 3/4 bed house with a big garden, in a place with good shopping facilities that could be walked to or easily reached by public transport.
Currently I have to drive to everything. Our village has one small shop and 2 pubs.
DH would also like to be within easy reach of London just in case his job moves again.
Good schools and facilities for children are a must.
Our budget isn't great. Max £375,000.

DH said Dorking has a good connection. Never been there though.

In October my parents are having the children for a short weekend so that DH and I can stay in a B & B to check out our chosen area(s).

Can anyone recommend any where in this area?
Any suggestions would be greatfully received.

OP posts:
jodee · 26/08/2006 08:38

Wonder if we were there at the same time? DS was in the school Sept 03- Mar 04 when we moved on his 4th birthday to Bournemouth. (I was very upset on his last day!) We went for most of the first part of 2003 to the pop in bit, the ladies were sooo nice and we loved the singsong at the end!

noddyholder · 26/08/2006 08:43

Nutfield has a very good primary school and seems nice

foxtrot · 26/08/2006 10:03

How about Carshalton Beeches/Wallington/South Sutton in the London Borough of Sutton? My sisters live there and it's quite villagey, good schools, close to the countryside and 17 minutes from East Croydon. Family orientated kind of place. Try this link for travel information tfl journey planner

Good luck with your hunt.

redsky · 26/08/2006 10:47

We lived in Selsdon/Sanderstead area for years and loved it. Don't know about schools there now - we were there 10 years ago.

Original poster
3catstoo · 26/08/2006 16:14

geoteach, Is there a set catchment area for St Bedes? I only ask as I noticed that there is a secondary school in Reigate itself that doesn't seem (as far as L T are concerned) to be as good.

Which primaries feed into St Bedes?

Is the only way of finding out catchment for primaries by actually phoning the schools?

Sorry for all the q's.

OP posts:
geogteach · 26/08/2006 19:38

St Bedes is a church school so that is the main criteria for entrance it is a joint catholic and c of e school but the free churches also have places. The catchment is big (stretches as far as Caterham) but there is a lot of competition so church attendence is manditory. Reigate school has an improving reputation. There is another secondary in Redhill called The Warwick which has a less good reputation but would still look OK in other parts of the country. For primary there are loads but the most popular e.g Holmsdale have very small catchment areas. I would guess that your daughter in yr1 would probably be ok as that is a small year (my son is in it) and lots of schools that are normally over subscribed weren't that year. There is a lot of snobbery round here about whether your address is Redhill or Reigate but you will definately get more for your money in Redhill. We have a Redhill address but houses 200 metres up the same road are in Reigate. If you want to know about specific primaries let me know as friends kids seem to go to most of them. I was bought up in Caterham so know a bit about that too!

GeorginaA · 26/08/2006 21:20

Jodee - could well have been - we left in July '03! Ds1 was just over 2 at the time.

dinny · 27/08/2006 09:29

ooh, I know where, LIZS - basically behind the school? know them quite well.

LIZS · 27/08/2006 18:22

That particular one wasn't actually in your village but nearer Redhill (Did try to look at 2 near you , very possibly including the one you mention, but they sold so quickly. ) Think their dd was around 7 and the ds about 2/3 ish, moving to Oxted. If you do hear of any more coming on or thinking about it though ...

Original poster
3catstoo · 28/08/2006 08:21

Thanks for that Geogteach,
Does that mean that even if you live really close to the school you won't get in if you don't go to church?
We came to Reigate yesterday. Went to Priory Park. There was a house on rightmove for sale on/nr Cockshot Hill. We couldn't find it. We only planned to drive past anyway but wanted to see what it looked like outside just to get an idea of why it was priced as it was.
We had lunch it Pizza Express, which seemed pretty empty. The children enjoyed it.
We then drove to Dorking and Horsham.
DH is still undecided.
Horsham was much bigger than we had imagined. Dorking seemed quite tightly packed in but surrounded by lovely greenery. Lots of indutrial bits dotted about though. We didn't get out of the car so probably not a fair idea.

In Horsham I noticed in an Estate agents window a house which was described as being in the favoured East side.
As an outsider you wouldn't really know things like that.

Does the same apply to Redhill and Reigate? Do they have favoured sides?

Thanks again for all the help.

OP posts:
dinny · 28/08/2006 08:34

3cats - PLEEEEASE check out Oxted!

LIZS, oh, bugger - the one that sold fast, she did mention it before it went on market in case we were interested, wish had thought to tell you. Will keep ears open, definitely.

We're moving next month - but only to another rented place (same village).

LIZS · 28/08/2006 08:50

Thanks Dinny All the better ones have viewings before they hit Rightmove etc, 3cats too, so you do have to be "known" to agents and pester a bit. There are definitely "better" areas of Redhill and Reigate. The area around St Bedes is sought after for example , but there is quite a fine line as you get nearer to the town centre. Similarly to the South of Reigate -Meadvale or to the South of the park good , Woodhatch less so !

Original poster
3catstoo · 28/08/2006 20:26

Thanks for that LIZS, it's good to know where to avoid. I never know whether to ask estate agents such q's just in case they are not so honest about it.

Will look up Oxted now on rightmove, Dinny.

OP posts:
Blossomhill · 28/08/2006 20:32

Carshalton, Sutton or Wallington where I am is fairly near.

Good shops, really good schools and lots of stations that go to London.

Probably get quite a nice house for that money too.

car25 · 28/08/2006 21:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
3catstoo · 28/08/2006 21:20

We haven't rules Haywards Heath out. Since discovering that the good school in Reigate allocates 260 of it's 270 places to church going families we are not so keen. Being a non church goer and am not even christened. Don't think that would go down too well.
Haywards Heath has a good school too. I looked up Warden Park website. It looked very good, especially languages.
Again not sure where to look in H/H though.
Not a great deal coming up on rightmove within our price range.

Any info on it would be gratefully received.

Will look up Carshalton and the other places mentionned. Thanks.

OP posts:
Original poster
3catstoo · 28/08/2006 21:21

excuse my poor typing.

OP posts:
car25 · 28/08/2006 21:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

serenity · 28/08/2006 21:48

Can I just put another 'hands up' for Oxted? I used to live in a village about 10 minutes drive from there and commute to Central London via Oxted Station. East Croydon is only 15 minutes on the fast train, and it used to be pretty reliable. My brother and sister went to Oxted County and it was an excellent school (love to send mine there if we lived closer).

Oxted has a big supermarket (Morrisons, but a nice one), although it's within reach of an Ocado delivery I believe
There's a tiny, but rather nice cinema.
Library, Tandridge Leisure Centre (pool with waves and serious swimming bit plus gym), a little theater and some nice pubs and restaurants all within walking distance, but it still has a 'villagey' feel.

dinny · 28/08/2006 21:49

ooh, wonder if it's same village I'm in, Serenity. what letter does it begin with?

ps Saino's coming to Oxted, hurray!

serenity · 28/08/2006 22:17

begins with a T, dinny

Is this the start of an exciting new game?

dinny · 29/08/2006 09:54

yours ends with ....idge...?

yes, how exciting, lol.

serenity · 29/08/2006 10:19

ohh no, ends in '...ield'

I used to live in Tatsfield (Twilight Zone of the Surrey/Kent Borders) up near Biggin Hill.

Original poster
3catstoo · 30/08/2006 08:49

I looked up Oxted on rightmove but there wasn't much in our pricerange. It did look nice though when I increades the max limit.

About Reigate - there is a house on Cockshot Hill for sale. It looks lovely and is in our price range. Just wandered if anyone knows that road (I know it's a busy road as we drove by on Sunday). Is it a good area. It's close to Woodhatch on the map.

Also wanted to find out about classes for children in both Reigate and Haywards Heath. Swimming, Tennis and Jo Jingles music classes.
Swimming is the most important one.

Dh is saying that I'll miss all the local stuff for children once we've moved. We are really close to Whipsnade Wild Animal Park and an open farm that is fab for all children. Plus the NT grounds that the children cycle around.
I treid to tell DH that there would be other stuff to do but he's not convinced.
DH does not cope well with change. I think he's getting cold feet. However I'm looking forward to making new friends and exploring new places.
I think you just have to think of it as an advenyure - to keep sane!

OP posts:
LIZS · 30/08/2006 09:01

Cockshot Hill isn't a bad area, not sure which schools that is closest too though, but that road is so busy (A217). At peak times traffic tails back along it and into the High street, especially if there are problems on M23/M25, but at least you'd have a direct route to Tesco at Gatwick and be close to the park ! Swimming is available at the Doynings leisure centre on A25 towards Redhill town centre or the pool in Horley (about 10 minutes south of Reigate) and there is an Aquababies held somewhere locally too iirc. Jo Jingles is all around the area, one based in Reigate, and indoor soft play also at Doynings. Tennis clubs in both Redhill and Reigate, not sure exactly what is on offer for juniors but know some of ds' class (aged 8 ish)) do it. There are several farm parks and open spaces in the area , including the North Downs, although not quite Whipsnade !

hth