What's it like to live in Copthorne near Gatwick?

[youpeskykids]

Me, DH, DS1 (4) and DS2 (1) currently live in Bromley, but I have a possible opportunity for a great job but based in Gatwick.

For a while we've been wanting to move outside of the M25, and with this opportunity we are considering moving to Horley or Copthorne, nr Gatwick.

What's it like to live there - ok, so apart from the noise of the planes - houses, schools, places to avoid, or nicer places to live?

Any frank feedback welcome!

Horley is a dump - mostly aircrew and b&bs. Copthorne is nice, but not a lot going on there for kids - they have to get the bus to East Grinstead for secondary school.

Copthorne is quite noisy with planes.

We lived in EG for 7 years, and it was a nice place, good schools, lots of facilities, and out of the flight path.

I worked in Crawley, and its easy to cut across to Gatwick from EG. Fantastic nursery in Lingfield on a farm that DS went to for 11 months till we moved.

Not sure of your budget or travelling requirements, but have you considered a little further out - Reigate, Horsham, Haywards Heath?

Hi - as I'll be needing to drop DS1 off at school and DS2 at nursery before I get to work, I don't really want a long journey to work.

Budget is about £365,000. Any other nice areas? Am looking semi rural, bit of countryside?

Difficult one.

Are you doing 9-5, as Gatwick can get pretty congested during rush hour.

Rural and green, you would need to be further out (might be worth thinking about breakfast clubs or childminder to do drop offs).

I've heard Horley secondary school is not great.

Not green and not rural is a new estate called Maidenbower on the edge of Crawley, (right by junction 10a on/off M23). They have two primaries there and a secondary.

I'll have a think ..........

Ummm probably doing 9.30am to 5.30pm - Dh can pick kids up at end of day, I need to do drop off. Don't really want to be travelling more than 45 mins

Countryside and rural near Gatwick is Charlwood, not much there though and under the flight path, for this area the secondary may be Horley again.

I can recommend plenty of lovely semi-rural places but they are all further out!

Even if you lived close by in Horley, if you are starting at 9am, I think it would be tight to drop off at a primary, get to Gatwick and get parked in staff parking, and then get to your location of work. Best do a couple of trials in rush hour traffic before deciding on location.

There is a Fastway bus service around Crawley/Horley to Gatwick which means buses can use dedicated lanes and whizz through the traffic, this could be an option.

How semi-rural do you want? ie on edge of town, in village with only a shop and pub, in village with nothing(!), walking distance of secondary schools or bus? Any particular facilities you would like? Are you thinking of a long-term move where secondary education is a factor (are you considering private education at secondary)? Is the job based at Gatwick or on the industrial estate nearby?

All options and ideas welcome!

Just want to get back to a semi rural way of life, better/bigger house for our money with a decent garden for the kids.

Am worried sick about bringing my boys up here as I think it will only get worse and not better - over bank holiday, for example, 5 people stabbed, 2 in critical condition, in a FAMILY PUB!!! For us that was just the straw that broke the camels back. Which co-incided with new job possibility.

Am not daft enough to think that tragedy doesn't happen elsewhere and I know I can't wrap my kids up in cotton wool, but we want a better life.

I have friends in Crawley Down and it is lovely yet still an easy journey to Gatwick. Rural ish but lovely.

Reigate could possibly be do-able, using the A217 and A23.

Horley town centre is dire (although they do have a Waitrose!), some parts of Horley and Smallfield are OK (but with Horley Secondary as mentioned before).

Possibly Pound Hill/Worth & Maidenbower (Crawley) very convenient, on edge of town, not rural though.

Further out and more rural, Turners Hill, Balcombe.

Don't know much about Copthorne & Crawley Down.

Do ring and check primary school capacity, assuming your child is due to start in September, as a lot of schools are oversubscribed.

Crawley Down or East Grinstead.

No to Horley. Def no to Crawley itself.