Relocation to Suffolk/Norfolk

[Shellbell38]

Hi there my husband and I have been considering a move to the coast for a very long time! We have always wanted to be nearer to the sea and enjoy a slower pace of life and the countryside. We were nearly moving down to Cornwall (Roseland peninsula) last year until my husband’s flexible working options changed. He now has to be in Milton Keynes once a week so needs to have a 2.5 hour commute maxium back once a week. We have three children aged 5,9,11 who love sport. They all play football and my daughter does trampolining so ideally need to be near somewhere that offers facilities for their hobbies. We want to be near to the coast (30 mins away) with a large town/city fairly near (about 30-40 mins away) so that the children have things to do as they get older. We also want some good schools. Could I get some honest opinions about where would be a good place to relocate or if people think it is not a good idea! Have heard the road network is dreadful for example? It says on Google maps 2.5 hours is realistic for commute from many places but is it in reality? We are currently in a village community just outside of Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire. TIA, Michelle

Also wondered if there are any young families in here who could comment on the community feel for children and families around say Woodbridge/Framlingham/Halesworth? We have done a small amount of research and these areas seem nice on paper! Also, is Ipswich or Norwich nicer? We have around 600k to spend on a property and I’m a primary school teacher so would need to find a new job 😊

We were going to do similar but decided to stay put in the end. Things that put me off was a severe lack of NHS dentists, the schools being disappointing and when fuel went up the commute became completely unaffordable. I have a soft spot for the area though so we may revisit the notion once the kids are grown.

Norwich is nicer than Ipswich (I live in Ipswich).

The roads are pretty bad but you get used to them. I think 2.5hrs to Milton Keynes would be just about realistic but doing it at rush hour might be rough.

Framingham, Debenham and Woodbridge are all nice and have good schools. The schools are better in Suffolk than Norfolk in general but you'd need to check individual Ofsted reports as there are plenty of mediocre schools around.

As previous poster said Norwich is nicer than Ipswich. Woodbridge and surrounding areas are very nice. Take your pick really! Look for dentists and doctors you can get into and for schools ofc. Very rural roads in places but I guess you know that.

You do get used to the roads though - we lost a couple of wing mirrors in our first year or so here but haven't lost any for a decade now - I think we made the error of assuming roads were wider than they are when we first arrived.

I didn't think the dentist problem was that much worse than the rest of the country. The GP set up is better than average I think (can only speak for Suffolk).

Definitely worth a decent trip here (preferably in winter as well as summer, so you can appreciate the mud...).

Norfolk is lovely. We can get to the broads, beach in 40 mins, train to London and you can live rurally or in the city

Also lots for children hobby wise!

Woodbridge area nice, the best thing about Ipswich is the road out. Nice places in Norfolk but may be a struggle to get to MK in 2 1/2 hours given the traffic on the A11 and A14.

Thanks so much for all of the advice! Going to take a trip next weekend to take a closer look at areas such as Woodbridge but also check out Norwich.

Can u recommend any areas in particular? Good to know there are things for the children to do.

this message was aimed at Sleepyhoglet. I have not been on this forum for long so not good at using it lol

There are lots of nice small towns around Ipswich, like Woodbridge. Ipswich is great for shopping and leisure and there are some great historical buildings, Tudor especially. But, overall I think it's a bit of a dump and I used to live there.

We have brought our children up in Norwich. It’s been fab. Because of its relative remoteness as a city, it has lots of facilities. You can easily get to Milton Keynes in 2.5 hours - one of my DC is at Uni in Oxford - and we go through MK on the way.

600k won't get you anything in Woodbridge but head out towards Snape or right into the countryside and you should get something decent but I think being close to a town is important in Suffolk, with children, as you will be isolated.

We have the same budget and have decided against the move for this reason.

If you move to Norfolk and you want your children to play sport at a good level I'd stay localish to Norwich. The sports facilities in the rest of the county (for higher level atheletes) aren't amazing and you'd have to travel to Norwich anyway. The UEA has great sporting facilities that lots of clubs use.

If you live very rurally you can be cut off by the snow during bad storms in the winter and the Internet and mobile connection is still iffy in some places.

If you are likely to need regular access to hospitals there are three in the county, Queen Elizabeth in King's Lynn, Norfolk and Norwich in Norwich and the James Paget in Gorleston.

I don't know much about Kings Lynn but Gorleston is a residential town right on the coast between Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth, it does not have the social problems and isn't rundown like either of the other two bigger towns. My parents moved there from London 20 years ago its a nice place to live, not far from Norwich (35 mins), walking distance to a large sandy beach. It isn't quaint like Southwold and older Norfolk villages but £600k would get you a lot for your money in Gorleston or the surrounding villages like Fritton, Belton, Bradwell, Haddiscoe and up to Beccles.

Beccles is a smaller quainter village slightly more inland but with a strong sporting centre, good rugby, foot ball and cricket teams as well as Brownie, scout and cadet groups, it also has a lovely lido and river for canoe and kayaking etc.

Schools in Norfolk are all comprehensive there are no grammar schools although there are a few private school

The are some very nice areas around Kings Lynn. It has a train station that heads through to London via Ely/Cambridge. It’s also about a 2 hr drive to MK. Very close to the Norfolk coast too - around 30 min max. We live in a Village 30 min South of KL and have easy access to everything, activities etc. Primary schools all very good that I know of - secondary schools improving - the 2 that are nearest to us have recently achieved “good” with Ofsted and have worked hard to reach that. My youngest is about to start at Downham Market Academy. Whilst I wasn’t too keen to start with, I think she’ll be happy there.

• sorry that should say “my eldest”. My youngest is still in primary school - one that I would choose time and time again if I had to. It’s amazing.

We will have to get a map out and circle places everybody has suggested. Thanks so much 😊

Come to Norwich, OP, it’s awesome.

Areas of Norwich or of Norfolk?

I would take a look at Wymondham. Not too expensive house price wise and a nice little town with leisure centre, Waitrose, Aldi and library etc. 15 mins of so drive to Norwich and buses for the children when older. Hethersett academy and wymondham high both great and Wymondham college outstanding and offers boarding but is state

Norwich itself is good but more expensive- the south side of norwich is considered nicer. Eaton is lovely but expensive. Definitely worth coming to stay and checking out the area. I lived in the south west for a very long time and considered relocating and I also grew up in rural wales but have been Norfolk over a decade and have children now and wouldn't move away. I think my children get the best of both in that they live in a city but we go out to the Countryside all the time. We go for fish and chips on the beach after school in the summer, we hire canoes, we swim in mill ponds etc without batting an eyelid. You can make a great lifestyle here and I can't imagine staying here and retiring here

Also we have the NDR now. The roads really aren't that bad! I get stressed driving other places. I find it less rural here than devon and wales

How far does your OH drive now, OP? Are you sure 5 hours drive once a week is fine?

Just to note that Beccles isn’t a village, it’s a town, and it’s in Suffolk (just). It’s a good recommendation otherwise but I think that you would struggle to get to MK in 2 hours. I grew up there and would love to return to live but the poor train links put us off.