New Forest area - Lymington/Brockenhurst/Milton on Sea etc etc - no idea!

[whereishome]

Hi there,

We have to uproot in about five weeks time. I think we have homed in on the above area, but have no idea where to start. We want to live somewhere not too remote with easy access to a good town and some shops we can walk to. But it is schools I have no idea where to start with Is anyone able to help? I am looking for a really great, happy primary school (or infant/juniors) with an excellent reputation. We can go anywhere really and I am prepared to sit and wait on a waiting list as I know the best schools are probably going to be full. Also, can anyone recommend any good private schools in the area too?

Thank you so much for any help anyone is able to give me : ))))

Anyone?

I am in Ringwood and can highly recommend it. It is a lovely market town with excellent shops, some nice bars/restaurants, easy access to both Bournemouth and Southampton. The infant and junior schools in the area all have good Ofsted reports - look at Poulner Infant & Juniors and Ringwood CoE Infants and Ringwood Juniors. We have Moyles Court private school just up the road but don't know how good it is.

I am in New Milton, and although I don't love the town itself, the general area is a dream to live in. We have the forest, the sea, and easy access to Southampton and Bournemouth - what more could you ask for?! If we could sell our house, I would move to Lymington in a heartbeat. Great little town, nice shops, places to eat - much more alive than other towns in the area. Brockenhurst is nice but small, and apparently a little impenetrable, socially. Although I suppose that depends on who you are!

Lots of small schools, most seem good as far as I know. Can't recommend a specific one, although I love the one my DD goes to I realise it's not for everyone, for various reasons. Private, I have heard good things about both Ballard and Durlston Court.

Actually, I have heard great things about the C of E primary in Milford on Sea.

Good luck, and honestly, you will love it. I wouldn't live anywhere else, the New Forest is so special.

frankly the Forest and surrounding is offensively overendowed with good state and private schools
And decent A roads
a few too many grockles in the summer : but HEY! its fab round here.
Find a house you like (other than on the waterside) and chances are there will be good schools nearby
and shops ; and restaurants ; and gyms ; and walking ; and sailing
(not that I'm biased mind)

Thank you! Off to bed feeling excited that I have chosen a good place to perhaps settle in. All sounds very positive and you have given me some great starter points! Thank you. Will update this thread as I make progress so someone else might benefit : )

Lucky you, I lived in Ringwood (well a small village just between Ringwood and Christchurch) and I loved it - so did everyone else who used to come and stay - all the time!!! I was there a long time, working in Lynhurst, until I moved upt'north because of DH. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Lymington is lovely, but gets extremely busy during the summer and it is a long way down through the forest to get to it, it you get stuck in the holiday traffic, it is a nightmare!

Brockenhurst is very, very small, not much there and again right in the forest, but it is beautiful. New Milton, is slightly easier to get to, and may be a bit cheaper, but further down.

Ringwood is very accessible and has good access everywhere, there is a good little town, yet the beach is just a short drive. It doesn't get too touristy.

Don't forget Fordingbridge, north of the forest. Again, could be slightly cheaper, good access to the forest and to Salisbury, which is a brilliant town.

For my money I would go Ringwood area.

im probably moving to this area too - any knowledge of primary schools in Christchurch? Thanks

Nomoreharibo, I think Bransgore Primary School has a good reputation.

We're in Landford which is a small village on the edge of the forest, it has a shop/pubs/garage etc and is pretty much equal distance from salisbury, Romsey and Southampton for shopping (all 15ish mins away). My children attend the local primary www.thenewforestschool.wilts.sch.uk/ which is fantastic and we're in the catchment area for excellent grammar schools and a couple of really well thought of secondaries.
The New Forest is a lovely area and you can't go far wrong TBH, any of the above mentioned places would be fab. Fordingbridge is a lovely small town with a gorgeous park. Not sure of other schools though.

Hi everyone,

A million apologies for not responding to your very helpful posts. Had a crazy week this end but that is another story and just something else to keep life even more interesting : / Anyway, thank you for taking the time to post. My husband will be needing relatively easy access to an airport and will also need to sometimes travel to London. So I guess Lymington and Brockenhurst are a bit too far into the forest. Will look at all your helpful suggestions, particularly Fordingbridge, Ringwood, Milford on Sea and Landford. Lindsey077, I was particularly interested in your mentioning about being in access of Grammar School territory. My son is very academic and we did consider Kent because of the Grammar school option. However, I have four children and didn't think I could handle the pressure of trying to get them all in - which would be probably unrealistic. But it would be great to have it as an option for those who had a chance of passing.

Could anyone help me to locate the areas which would give us this option. Would it just be Landford? Or would Ringwood and other areas mentioned leave this option open. I really must get back to work on this and locate the various places on a map. Anyway, thank you so much for taking the time to post : ))

Airport : Bournemouth or Southampton
Schools : Hampshire is Comps and 6th form colleges - but the results are rather impressive, Wiltshire has a couple of grammars as does Bournemouth
Travel : the Forest is lovely but it fills up with grockles in the summer
DO NOT try to be in a hurry on a Friday in the summer hols
Train : the fast line goes Waterloo, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton, Brockenhurst, Bournemouth Weymouth.
Landford / Plaitford / Canada Common - VERY easy access to motorway, dire for train
Brock is best of many worlds - including cream teas

I LOVE it round here.

Romsey just on edge of forest very accessible to Winchester & Southampton for trains & less impacted by holiday traffic on A36/A31 than Ringwood etc. Good schools but nt grammar.

For a good grammar look at Salsbury & maybe Fordingbridge which is within reach.