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Original poster

Anyone live in the Malmesbury/ Cirencester area - thinking of relocating?

29 replies

nearlythree · 13/03/2007 09:33

It's an area I know well from holidays and visiting family, but what is it like to live there? Are the schools good? What about the hospitals? Is it a good place to bring up dcs?

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monkeymonkeymoomoo · 13/03/2007 09:37

I don't live in Cirencester now but have lived near there and my sis lived there for a while. It has a lovely quality of life, expensive though.

Original poster
nearlythree · 13/03/2007 09:57

Thanks. I live in an ridiculously pricey area now, in fact it would be cheaper for us to live there. It seems like an idyllic place for dcs but I wondered whether the boring stuff like hospitals and schools were as good as where we are now - really they are the only things that make living where we do now worthwhile.

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RanToTheHills · 13/03/2007 10:05

live vaguely nrish and both are lovwely. Malmesbury would be my preference, not sure about schoolosbut probably good.

Original poster
nearlythree · 13/03/2007 10:07

Thank you. We'd want a village location, in fact have seen a house I like in that area.

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exbury · 13/03/2007 10:10

Just make sure you stay south/west of Circencester - anywhere North of Circencester you risk hitting Swindon LEA, which is a disaster area..

Furball · 13/03/2007 10:17

exbury swindon is south of cirencester - north of cirencester is still gloucestershire

exbury · 13/03/2007 10:21

OK so my geography sucks - I actually realised just after I posted that but hoped no-one would notice.

My point stands. Steer clear of Swindon schools if you can. No offence to anyone working in them or with DC in them, but the management (LEA level) is basically incompetent and inspite of being a fairly prosperous town the schools lurch from one crisis to the next, and we moved rather than have to put DC in them.

rarrie · 13/03/2007 19:02

Although exbury, the 'A' level college there is fantastic - top 10% in the country! Usually on the Good College guide, but this tends to get missed out by the media because they only like to portray Swindon as having failing schools!

Agreed though that lower down, Swindon schools are rubbish - and we are currently doing exactly the same as you - moving out of Swindon so my 3yr old DD does not have to go to school in Swindon.

As for the OP - Cirencester has some fab schools, I would happily send my children to either of the two secondary schools in Ciren. Malmesbury school is not quite as good. Chippenham (a bit further a field) has also got some fab schools. We're currently looking at moving to Lechlade, which has got a lovely primary school and feeds into Farmors Secondary - good but takes quite a few students from Swindon.
HTH

Original poster
nearlythree · 13/03/2007 20:07

Thanks, rarrie, that is v. helpful. My cousin's dcs went to Malmesbury School and she is on the support staff there - but they are grown now and obviously she isn't entirely neutral on the subject! Interesting that Cirencester schools are better. My dd1 is in Reception and dd2 is at pre-school - baby ds is 9 mo - presumably the village primaries in the area are good?

So what about local healthcare? Sorry to keep on about this but last yr we did need lots of hospital care and dd2 was admitted twice. Hopefully not going to happen again but you never know.

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Furball · 14/03/2007 06:56

nearest hospitals to cirencester

although I have a feeling but don't quote me that if you need a large hospital you'll need to go to either Cheltenham or Gloucester. I'm not sure how big stroud hospital is

deaconblue · 14/03/2007 09:23

My inlaws live there and dh grew up there. It's very pretty, lovely walks and fresh air. Lots of nice nearby villages for pub lunches. big WAITROSE! He went to Deer PArk secondary school, was very happy there and did well. I think it gets good results. My Uncle is considering moving to Malmesbury for schools so they must be good.

Original poster
nearlythree · 14/03/2007 09:25

Thanks for that link, furball, that is really useful. Shoppingbags, thank you - nice to know there is a Waitrose as that's where I do most of my shopping!

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Surfermum · 14/03/2007 09:31

I lived in Ciren for about 10 years and loved it. I don't know anything about the schools but I used the hospital there. Both my xp and I had minor surgery there, there's an A&E (well, there was when I wa there) - it's where Prince Charles was treated when he fell off his horse and broke his arm.

It's not that far to get to Cheltenham if you need to. I used to work there and could get there in 20-30 mins, and it's a really easy drive.

I found it very quiet and at times got frustrated as things weren't on my doorstep (eg B&Q or M&S) there but it really wasn't far to get anywhere - north to Cheltenham and Gloucester, south to Swindon, east to Oxford and west to Bath/Bristol. The only thing I really, really missed was the sea.

ruty · 14/03/2007 10:16

ooh go on nearlythree move to Cirencester! We go there sometimes at the weekend - there is a beautiful big stately park [as you probably know] and we like the town and countryside. I know very little about the schools and hospitals tho. I tried to persuade dh to move there last year as i looked on primelocation and the houses were so much cheaper than oxford, and you can get a nice old town house for the price of a flat here. But it was too far for him to commute. and there is no train station. But best of luck with it. [hope your dcs are all flu free!]

Original poster
nearlythree · 14/03/2007 10:21

Thanks, surfermum, it sounds more and more promising - and having royals near by who need A&E would help I imagine! We don't live near the sea anyway, but I would love to be closer to Devon and Cornwall for holidays - it's too much of a trek from here with lo's.

ruty, I'm up for it, just need to make sure dh is too, I don't want to force him to move. So far we are all flu free! (The proximity of Cheltenham is a major plus for dh btw he's glued to the Festival this week!)

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ruty · 14/03/2007 10:36

We went to the Greenbelt festival last summer in Cheltenham - very pricy but really enjoyed it. [dh's boss came down with a fever of 40 degrees yesterday night after dh had spent all afternoon with him - dh is now banished to the spare room. ]

Original poster
nearlythree · 14/03/2007 11:05

I've fancied Greenbelt in the past - not sure it'd be my bag now though. Used to love going racing there before the dcs.

Oh no about dh's boss - hope he stays bug free!

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RedTartanLass · 14/03/2007 11:23

Nearlythree - I love Cirencester the local hospital is brill, where else would you find Horse and Hound and Country Living magazines in A&E My aunt stood on a small piece of glass once on a SUnday, and the A&E called in the X-ray guy to do an X-ray!! Amazing!!

Cheltenham Hospital is absolutely brill as well.

Wonderful place to re-locate, schools are out this world.
1.5 hours to West End of London (went last Friday to see show)
1.5 hours to Birmingham

15 mins to Swindon Outlet Centre , althoug most people from Cirencester would shop in Cheltenham!

ruty · 14/03/2007 12:36

i was surprised that i didn't get a strong 'christian' vibe from Greenbelt, certainly not a happy clappy one - it seemed for me more about fairtrade and stuff -some quite good music[ before i went i had hideous visions of 'christian rock bands' but luckily it wasn't like that all. maybe it just went over my head! [cirencester has a great 'Fat Face' as well going for it - get ds clothes from there when i can afford it.]

Original poster
nearlythree · 14/03/2007 12:54

Thank you redtartanlass - it sounds better and better. Am def. going to make the effort to view the house I like - haven't got ours on the market but it won't take long to sell. Glad the hospitals are good - so important to us. (Swindon Outlet Centre is wonderful - and Bicester not far either oh, I can't wait!)

ruty - I'd gathered that about Greenbelt, lots of Fairtrade stuff and music.

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ruty · 14/03/2007 13:17

[can i meet`up with you at Bicester village if you move up nearlythree - need an excuse to go!]

Original poster
nearlythree · 14/03/2007 13:51

Oh definitely - not that I need an excuse!

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deaconblue · 14/03/2007 15:24

ooh and most of the houses are in Cotswold stone which is so beautiful. There's some rule that even new places have to be built in it so even Tesco is in lovely stone

ruty · 14/03/2007 17:13

cirencester has a Waitrose. Oxford doesn't.

RedTartanLass · 14/03/2007 18:34

my dh saw Liz Hurley in the Waitrose in Ciren last year and my ds1 saw Prince Harry and chums in McD's in Ciren as well. Ages ago! In a very big backed out Range rover.