Moving: Burnham-on-sea or Exeter?

[stephanieandpiper]

I'm currently living in a small studio flat in Exeter city centre but will so be able to buy a home somewhere and am considering where to go. I have a remote job, and have a dog, so good daily walks and nearby fun long walks would be great. I don't drive so I rely on public transport and would like to be able to get to Bristol easily to see my family.

I have been considering staying in Exeter, perhaps a suburb within walking distance, although I dread the students (college and university) who take over the whole city every September-March.

I'm very introverted, and possibly asexual, so don't really need a dating scene, but I would like to visit a library, a supermarket and a cute dog friendly cafe occasionally. I am very quiet and would like to avoid crowded or loud areas.

I've also been considering Burnham-on-sea or Weston super mare?

Has anyone any tips or insider knowledge about the place? For ease, I've listed my requirements in bullets below:

• Quiet
• Near a trainline to get to Bristol
• Easy to manage without a car.
• Affordable home with a garden
• Good dog walks nearby
• Oh, and I love the beach- so dog-friendly beaches are a must!

Burnham has no train station and a very, very poor bus service. I wouldn't live there without a car.

Oh no! I thought there was Highbridge and Burnham train station. Is that not operational, or is it too far?

Do not move to Burnham On Sea, it's an absolute dive.

There's nowhere nice to eat, no nice shops, you'd have to travel to a different town / Bristol for any of that. The beach is horrid - there's sand, but you can't get near the water unless the tide is right in because of the mud and sinking sand. You wouldn't be able to let the dogs off lead even if you aren't interested in being able to access the water yourself. The water is the colour of gravy. There's no train station, it would be easier to do Exeter to Bristol.

Honestly, stay in Exeter and make use of the south Devon beaches.

Crediton maybe if you want to be a bit off the beaten track but with a train station? You can get on the Okehampton to Exeter line there and then change for Bristol.

We live in Exeter in the centre and we can't wait to move out the city hopefully next year when some very kindly gifted inheritance lands our way. It's not the students that bother me (we actually live behind a student block and I rarely notice them except a lot of Chinese outside smoking but certainly no noise issues). My biggest gripe is how the council run the city and the very apparent drink and drugs problems from the couple of homeless shelters in town. Went off on a tangent there but we are seeking to moving to a smaller town or village in Teignbridge perhaps Chudleigh or Buckfastleigh. Would love to move to Bovey but think it'll be out of our price range. No train station at any of them though.

The station is at Highbridge. It's about an hour's walk from burnham.

Weston-super-Mare has great train and bus links to Bristol, a fantastic beach and parks for dog-walking and if you live around Milton, you can get to the front or to Worle by foot/bus. Or the top roads around the front. The air is fantastic.

The town is extremely run down, the salt air makes anything metal rust very quickly, and there is a lot of poverty, need, and bad health in the town. The A&E at the hospital closes at 10pm every night. Job prospects once you are educated to A-level or above are scarce, but you have a remote job already.

What about moving east of Exeter? Okehampton has a railway station and although not on the coast, it's got Dartmoor and lots of rivers. It Teignmouth /Exmouth?

Meant to add in West/east!

Exmouth? Has a beach and a train station to Exeter (and beyond),

I liked it a lot when we spent a few days there.

Go for Exeter. There's F all in Burnham, and the beaches there, Brean & WSM are shite, you'll be better off going to Devon!

Just to add that the GWR service at weekends is horribly unreliable and really compromises your ability to pop over to Bristol for the day. Attached is the service timetable for this afternoon, which made getting home fun. Could you afford a flat on the outskirts of Bristol itself? Otherwise I'd probably stay in Exeter

Would Taunton be an option? Loads of nice places to walk dogs, nice dog friendly cafes, good transport links...

Seconding / thirding the vote for Exmouth