Are there any "bad" areas in Winchester?

[BigEggLittleEgg]

Possibility of us moving there and we are going to stay for a few days and have a look round after Easter. Just wondering if there are any areas that are not worth looking at in terms of finding a house (ie full of scummy people ).

scummy - hmm, bit harsh maybe! I wouldn't chose to live in Badgers Farm/Stanmore/Olivers Battery, but the people are nice enough, I just don't like the area.

Winchester is LOVELY

Sorry, just put scummy to liven up my message a bit. Thanks for quick response, everyone has said it is such a lovely place. Only problem will be commute for DH to London, but quality of life will be soooo improved.

Avoid Highcliffe and Winnall - basically the council estates have been listed! But as council estates go, they are fine really - most council estates in larger cities are far worse. The other ones are Harestock and Weeke.

Olivers Battery and Badger Farm are okay if you like bog-standard modernish housing estates.

Oh, it's a peasy commute, I did it for years - well, the only downside is you NEVER get a bloody seat unless you are a) in first class, and b) standing RIGHT by the door when the train comes in (and I have been shoved aside by men more than once .

Oh, and that was at 6am!

But it doesn't take long, and it's worth it to live there. Have a look in Fulflood, lovely VIctorian houses and walkable to the station.

(wasn't offended by scummy , BTW - we don't HAVE that sort of person in Winchester anyway )

By the way, go to the Wykeham Arms for lunch if you can - it's near the Cathedral - FANTASTIC pub.

Thanks so much both of you, this is really helpful. Am looking on net at mo and lots in Fulflood that look nice. Thanks also for pub recommendation, will they mind DS in there? We LOVE a good pub.

Did not realise you were in Winchester Lapin. Am not stalking I promise, it was DH's idea to move...

Will not tell him about not getting a seat on train or he wont move there .

Sorry, another question. Is Stockbridge Road really busy, ie, if you live right on it will you hear lots of traffic at all hours?

Also, Hyde is walkable to the station and very nice.

I grew up there and left when I was 20 - couldn't afford to go back now though, even if we wanted to - the very niceness comes with a hefty price tag!

Stockbridge Road is one of the main roads into the town and reasonably busy.

the traffic won't be all hours though - Winchester is dead at night!

Ha ha - I grew up in Stanmore! Winchester's answer to the Baltimore projects...

Maybe so, fleacircus, but compared to some of the estates I've seen since, Stanmore is lovely!

Ah well we are in London at mo so very used to council estates etc. Thought Hyde looked nice, one property particulars described it as "ever popular" and I wondered if it was true, or if it was actually shite. Gosh I am ready to pack my bags and move now it sounds so nice.

See what you mean about it being expensive, only reason we can just afford it is because we have been in London forever so in comparison to where we are it is ever so slightly cheaper, and from the sounds of it, NICER. Closer to inlaws though .

Have a look at some of the villages too, there are some goooorgeous places not far out if your DH is willing to drive to the station.

fleacircus, where you part of the Stanmore Massive?!

Hmmm - if you are moving from London, your definition and Winchester's definition of an "area to avoid" will be very different.

We live in Highcliffe, in a Victorian house. Some of Highcliffe is a bit rough, the rest of it isn't. In modern Estate Agent speak it's sometimes referred to as "East of City". And it's a lovely community, within walking distance of town. My mother is the type to thin her lips at the thought of local authority housing down the road, but we've never had any trouble here.

Fulflood and Hyde are lovely, but IMHO, scarily over-priced. About 100k more expensive than round here for a comparable 1901 semi. If you're selling in London, that won't be a problem, but if you aren't, and it could be, don't knock anywhere until you've tried it. For us, the allegedly desirable Badger Farm just seemed to be a soul-less modern estate. Each to their own, and all that.

Joking about Stanmore, it's perfectly ok and my parents still live there. Didn't mean to confuse the issue!

op - no! Even the Council estates are posh - no abandoned cars here thank you.

Winchester is v nice, esp if you like 3 wheeled buggies, 4x4s people who talk in received English & Boden!

Like it really, but is getting more & more m-c as people move out and only people from London can afford to move in. No ethinc mix at all, and not much of a social one either.

On the plus side it is pretty, as is the countryside, you will not find any graffiti and you may see old ladies picking up the few bits of litter that there are!

Rather than asking us, coming to visit for a few days is a good idea. You will soon get a feel for it as it is v compact to walk around (v hilly though).

Wykeham Arms lovely characterful pub, but notfor kids & bit smoky. Try Willow Tree or Bishop on the Bridge (both on river) to sit outside if nice. People in Hyde like the King Alred pub (or similar name) it has v tasteful playground in garden.

Commute - in theorygood as only 1hr to Waterloo, in practice crowded.

ps - I have feeling that there are many MNrs here!!

Thanks you are all being really helpful, although welcome anyone else's input too...

When I first heard of Badger Farm it sounds such a great place just because of the cool name, realise now that it is not where we would want to be.

LittleLapin, would so much rather be in a neighbouring village, seem to be a bit more reasonable than outside city centre, and prettier, bigger gardens etc etc, but DH is adamant that he wants to be about 10 min walk from station max so as not to add to commute. Did suggest he could cycle to station but apparently that is not an option...

We have a three-wheeler, and the inlaws have a 4x4, so maybe we will fit right in. Promise we are nice and not nasty brash loud Londoners.

You want to watch out for the little old ladies down in Weeke though. They lurk around looking menacing if it's a few days after pension day and their money has run out.

No, it's all nice. There are a lot of nice areas within a walk of the station. Parking at the station during the week is a bit of a local issue so I'm sure your dh would rather be within walking distance.

just read your last post about dh wanting to be a walk from the station - definitely the best idea!

Dont worry, DS will scare any little old ladies off with his shouting!

Any other Winchester-ites just logged on??? Any other recommendations or words of warning. Thanks to everyone so far for LOTS of help (esp re: pubs, v important info).

There never has been any ethnic or social mix in Winchester - not really. There wasn't 25 years ago when I lived there. I think perhaps the only difference is the cost of housing has forced many locals out to neighbouring towns like Eastliegh.But it's always been incredibly well to do - my father was a bus driver, but most of my friends parents' were artichects, lawyers, teachers and doctors etc

Ieft, sick of the small-town-ness, we did toy with the idea of going back when we had children, but it was totally unaffordable for us by then.

I left, not Ieft

Hi Celery, thanks for the reply. Will we be shunned by locals for being Londoners? Arrggh, will have to don the hard-hat and flak jacket!

no you won't be shunned I'm sure.

pub-wise there are zillions of them - a ridiculous number of pubs per head. Great pubs in villages in all directions too.

Restaurants not so good even now tbh which is a surprise for such a well-to-do place. Hotel du Vin for posh nosh.