Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

Relocating to Worcester/Birmingham area

74 replies

goosin31 · 14/06/2023 12:22

Hello,

We (DH, 2 year old boy, dog and cats) are relocating from Hampshire to anywhere within a 1 hour commute of Birmingham airport. We need to commit to a property ASAP with another baby on the way early November. It is very difficult noting being able to come and spend time in the areas being 2 1/2 hours away (around work and having the toddler and dog in tow).

Can anyone advise on the 'best areas' - we have a budget of around 750k and want to live somewhere which has the best of both a rural feel and things going like a market town.

We have look at Droitwich and whilst we liked it when we drove through it nobody has recommended it yet as a place to live - so we are having doubts.
Also it doesn't seem to have brilliant schools - but seems to have plenty of things going on for toddlers. Is Bromsgrove a nice area? Which are the nice areas in Worcester? Better/worse than Droitwich? We don't want to live too rural (I don't want to have to push a pram down lanes) or too built up (need green spaces to walk the dog).

Of course I don't want to cause offence to anyone living in areas which may be mentioned I would really like some advice on where to live in that 1hour radius from Birmingham airport (My family live in south Wales so being South/SW of the city is a plus) and which areas to avoid. We want somewhere which has atleast a few shops etc, nursery's, and really good schools. We have DH's commute to the airport to consider and I am a secondary school teacher.

Thanks in advance for any help.

OP posts:
Mexicocalling · 14/06/2023 21:36

Droitwich is dreadful - the high street is just plain depressing, no nice restaurants, and just an increasing sprawl of massive new build housing estates. There are some nice first schools and a decent middle school but high school is questionable.
Bromsgrove is too trafficky, and again not a particularly nice town, although it’s well connected for Birmingham.
Worcester has far more going on and claines /bevere/barbourne are all very nice areas of the city. Stratford on Avon is lovely - a much nicer town. Henley, and Alcester are also well worth a look.
On paper it’s surprising, but actually Malvern is accessible to b’ham airport within an hour now that they’ve built the new link road from junction 7. It has a nice high street and a great theatre. The schools are good and you’d find a lovely house for your budget. Also handy for getting to SW wales!

Original poster
goosin31 · 14/06/2023 21:36

@zurala thank you for your reply. Can I ask what it is you hated about it? We have only spent a very small amount of time around the area so we really don’t know it. I guess my only impression of there being things to do is perhaps around toddler groups. Can you tell me anything about the schools in Droit? Whilst my little one is a long way off high school I am a secondary school teacher would be good to know. Also can you recommend any nice parts of Worcester? You have helped us rule out Bromsgrove. Thanks again for your help.

OP posts:
kathryn77 · 14/06/2023 21:41

Try Hagley or surrounding areas (clent Belbroughton Etc)

About an hour max commute to airport and south of Birmingham.

A large village, 2 high schools (Catholic and regular) and a large primary school. The surrounding villages have smaller primary schools. Village has several small shops(coop etc) , cafes, hair dressers, parks, chemist etc and lovely walks for dogs. It's a ten min drive to a proper supermarket.

Village high school is renown for good results.
There is several nurseries, playgroups and toddler groups, very active cubs and scouts and guides groups, football clubs for kids in the village, dance etc.

Littlefish · 14/06/2023 21:57

kathryn77 · 14/06/2023 21:41

Try Hagley or surrounding areas (clent Belbroughton Etc)

About an hour max commute to airport and south of Birmingham.

A large village, 2 high schools (Catholic and regular) and a large primary school. The surrounding villages have smaller primary schools. Village has several small shops(coop etc) , cafes, hair dressers, parks, chemist etc and lovely walks for dogs. It's a ten min drive to a proper supermarket.

Village high school is renown for good results.
There is several nurseries, playgroups and toddler groups, very active cubs and scouts and guides groups, football clubs for kids in the village, dance etc.

I absolutely agree with this!

kerstina · 14/06/2023 22:17

Bournville is where I would recommend.

fetchacloth · 14/06/2023 22:24

I live in Solihull and can really recommend it. For your budget you should be able to get a decent sized family home.
Also, you're only about 5 miles away from the airport.
Birmingham City Centre is a 40 to 60 minute commute by car but alternatively a 20 minute train ride away from Solihull Station.
Solihull has a farmer's market once a month and a very good shopping mall. There are also pop up street markets at various times of the year.
Stay over for a weekend to get the feel of the place.😊

justplantedbulbs · 14/06/2023 22:26

Blackwell / barnt green is great. Blackwell has lots of summer festivals on & fantastic first school

Clevs · 14/06/2023 22:39

WR3 in Worcester is well regarded - Claines/Northwick/Fernhill Heath/Bevere with plenty of good primary schools. It's north Worcester too so you wouldn't have to navigate city centre traffic to get to the motorway. Birmingham airport would be easily accessible in under an hour.

There's green spaces but also housing estates so a good mix.

JazzyBBG · 14/06/2023 22:40

I wouldn't discount Bromsgrove it's a nice town and a great location for you plus South Bromsgrove High School is quite sought after. I much prefer a Bromsgrove to Droitwich personally.

Also as has been mentioned the Hagley area - Hagley/Clent/Belbroughton/Romsley all lovely villages with great motorway access but pricier primarily due to the school catchment - Haybridge.

Stourbridge also worth a look for great schools but further off the motorway.

caringcarer · 14/06/2023 22:42

OP if you want no longer than an hour commute to Birmingham airport you ought to know it takes me an hour and a half every morning and evening to travel just 39 miles along M42/M6. The roads are like hell on earth made worse by lanes closed due to HS2. The roadworks are due to take another 2 years too. I think you'd find Solihull is lovely. It's much closer to the airport, only 1 junction away on M 42. 1 junction at rush hour would take about 10-15 minutes. It is about 4-5 miles. Solihull has very good schools. I used to work.in one of them for 13 years. They have shops, good leisure facilities and a high street. Property prices are quite high but you should be able to get a decent sized family home on your budget. You can also drive into Birmingham city centre in under 20 mins but again think 45 minutes in rush hour. There are a few nicer areas in Birmingham but your DH would spend a lot of time sitting in traffic getting to the airport. You should come and visit Solihull. I don't think your DH could drive from Droitwich to Birmingham airport in under an hour in rush hour. I know I have gone on about it a lot but until you have tried to drive through it you can't possibly get it.

BananaSpanner · 14/06/2023 22:46

Solihull, Knowle, Dorridge, Hampton in Arden, Balsall Common, Hockley Heath. All nice areas, particularly Knowle.

Retrievemysanity · 14/06/2023 22:51

Halesowen is a good mix of countryside on your doorstep (including clent hills) yet not too far from Brum, easy access to M5 and a couple of good secondaries (Earls and Windsor). You’d get more for your money there than places like Hagley too.

Cornflakesaredabomb · 14/06/2023 23:20

If the airport is the work centre why on earth are you looking at droitwich and bromsgrove of all places? So many nicer places that are also nearer than they are.

Bromsgrove is so run down and Redditch isn’t any better. Schools are quite hit and miss. The drive round the M42 from bromsgrove or Alvechurch/Barnt Green is so often really busy or blocked and it’s not just rush hour.

As per above posters I’d say for easy access to the airport AND lovely places to live and great schools start looking in and around Solihull. Solihull centre itself is nice with lovely houses or look in the villages surrounding such as Knowle, Hampton in Arden, Balsall common, Dorridge, Hockley Heath- (but watch this as Arden is a fabulous secondary that many areas feed to but HH does not even though it’s pretty near).

Slightly further out from the airport but still lovely is Hatton, Beausale and then Warwick.

hauntedvagina · 15/06/2023 08:40

Echoing many others, with your budget I'd look at Solihull. Specifically Knowle or Dorridge. Secondary schools to aim for would be Arden, Tudor Grange or Alderbrook. It's worth noting there are no grammar schools in Solihull but a lot of excellent secondaries.

Soundbathfan · 15/06/2023 08:54

Droitwich is dreadfully dull. Worcester isn't much better but depends where you live and what you like. It's a good place for kids.
South Brum is where its at. You could buy a good house in Moseley for that money!

Soundbathfan · 15/06/2023 08:54

Waystation · 14/06/2023 19:43

Try looking at Barnt Green, easier commute to Birmingham (has a train station and a nice village feel) - lots of lovely walks but near the motorway network. Really nice place to live.

Also agree with this

DreadlocksMadeMeHappy · 15/06/2023 09:02

In agreement that droitwich is a questionable choice.

I drive from south Birmingham to Coventry (so past the airport every day). It takes 20 mins to the airport at 6:30 am, but twice that in traffic, and more sometimes!

I'd be looking at Solihull. Hampton-in-Arden, knowle, those kind of places with your budget.

South Birmingham is lovely, but not remotely rural.

Original poster
goosin31 · 15/06/2023 09:11

Thank you all for your your incredibly helpful information. I wish I had made this post weeks ago! You have all been so helpful with your advice, hopefully we can get up to Solihull this weekend and have a good look around that and the surrounding areas 😀

OP posts:
caringcarer · 15/06/2023 09:16

BananaSpanner · 14/06/2023 22:46

Solihull, Knowle, Dorridge, Hampton in Arden, Balsall Common, Hockley Heath. All nice areas, particularly Knowle.

Agreed. Good schools too.

Original poster
goosin31 · 19/06/2023 21:06

@fetchacloth @BananaSpanner @hauntedvagina thank you for the Solihull suggestion. We managed to get up there and view 8 houses on the weekend.
My impressions of the area are that they are some lovely houses, great schools and it does have a nice feel about it and people were very nice.

My concerns are how little green spaces there seem to be (almost everything on a map is either school grounds or a golf course) I want to be able to access small parks/green spaces where I can let the dog off the lead safely and what there is for kids to do? there don’t seem to be many recreational areas to kick a ball around or many play areas or convenience shops dotted around within an easy walk of any of the houses we saw. Should I be expecting to drive everywhere? I currently live 5mins walk from a village high street and park so I’m used to these things being a short walk and I’m just surprised that an area as big as Solihull doesn’t seem to have more of these little pockets of green/play areas and convenience shops.

OP posts:
hauntedvagina · 19/06/2023 21:12

First question would be where about in Solihull did you view the houses as we have a lot of green space here.

Cornflakesaredabomb · 19/06/2023 21:26

Did you look at the villages mentioned? Knowle and Dorridge both have a high street with cafes and shops and large parks with recreation facilities. Dorridge and HH are near Packwood and there is a large national trust as well as lots of public green areas.

Lots of the surrounding villages to Solihull are also right on the canal system (two canals intersect so loads of miles of canal) which are great places to walk the dog and also join lots of rural footpaths.

Cornflakesaredabomb · 19/06/2023 21:27

The centre of Solihull has a massive park- Brueton/Malvern with a lake, wooded areas, tennis, play area and a cafe and joins to a large less maintained wilder area.