Market towns north and west of London

[DadAndy]

This seems to have been asked before, but I'll ask again to see if anyone has anything to add! :)

We're looking to move out of London to somewhere north and/or west, but still within an hour (more or less) of the City

Family are north west and east midlands so we need to be that side to encourage babysitting visitors :)

We have 1 DS and DW has another DS on the way, so we're looking 4 beds, with a budget of around £400k

We've seen stuff around Bedford -
Biddenham?
Villages to the south like Flitwick or Westoning?,
And Leighton Buzzard, and south as far as Berkhamsted, Northchurch?

Somewhere we can put down roots, and DSs can have plenty of playmates

Thanks in advance
Andy

This is an interesting one

It's period and possibly big. Looks like it would need a fair amount of renovating. It's bang in centre of town though, and practically in a school playground!

Katisha is that one really where the map says it is? it's maybe a minute walk from my house and I don't recognise it at all

DadAndy I'm also in Leighton, close to the town center. I can't improve on Katisha's advice :) the Plantation road area is about the poshest area.

As for schools, Dovery Down lower school (off Heath Road)is very highly regarded. Most of the lower schools are pretty good though :) Middle schools are all fairly similar too.

ah I've worked out where it is! ds is in the preschool next door

Yes you'd never know it was there if you didn't know it was there!

thanks a lot guys

you've been very helpful! :)

We moved to north beds in January from London, I can only recommend it. Lots of lovely villages, great schools, fast train to londeon in 40mins. Bedford is a bit of a dump itself but the villages are great. People are down to earth and there is areal sense of community. House prices are reasonable too

Hitchin should definitely be in the running! Access North and South by road (A1(M)) is excellent, Luton airport is 15 minutes away (but the flight path is south of the town), links by rail to KingsX are pretty good but the town itself is really good.

Walk around the old market square or the pedestrian lanes around the church or beside the river on any weekday late morning and the preparatory smells of coffee and lunch are wonderful.

Wander around the market square or the markets (oddly enough, no longer located in the original cobbled market square but 50 metres away in a purpose area featuring covered stall areas) on Tuesdays, Friday or Saturdays and relax at any number of coffee shops (inside or outside) or just rest on a seat in the market square.

Hitchin has a number of good restaurants, pubs, adequate car parks, Waitrose, M&S food, Sainsbury's & Netto, a quaint shopping arcade, two local theatres, a (small) department store and many footpaths to discover. On the outskirts of the town is a nature reserve.

There's so much more! Annual music festival, occasional funfairs on the green and its very own Hitchin Town Football Club.

House prices aren't too bad, either, if you're thinking of buying. And, as this is MumsNet, I should mention schools; there are several primary schools, there is a private school on the edge of the town and another just south of the town, there are three state secondary schools - one mixed, one boys only and one for girls only.

Yay, Hitchin!

Can I put in a suggestion of Letchworth Garden City? Next door to Hitchin and you get substantially more house (and garden) for your money. Plus the train to London is much quicker as Letchworth is the last stop on the Cambridge Flier before it gets to Kings Cross so just 25 mins.

I grew up in Letchworth and moved back a few years ago to raise my own family in the town. A lovely place.

Linslade

choice of ofsted grade 1 everything lower schools.

all of linslade is within 15 mins walk of station.

Older property- Rock Lane (many have little gardens as they have been built on). Stoke Rd, Rothschild Rd, Bragenham Lane. The Limes.

Newer (70s) decent houses Chestnut Hill, Chestnut Rise (winning catchment combination of Southcott, Leighton Middle, Cedars)

You can walk into town easily. Get to MK for shops in 20 mins- fast London train in 30 mins.

No hassle getting your kids in decent schools. Family friendly- everything you would want- you should get something decent for your budget.

would add that we also lived in hitchin in a previous life.

much more expensive- people go a bit mad in year 5 when they realise there are no guarantees re schools at secondary level- this may have improved a bit over recent years.

also found that it was either tiny 2 ups 2 downs or enormous wonderful houses you could only dream of. everything in between was on 70s estates.

Hi LetchworthEm ... I like Letchworth too. It has more wide open spaces and a wider selection of different shops from Hitchin (Morrisons, Sainsbury's superstore, DIY stores, etc.) and yes, the houses are better value but ... it's not what you'd call a market town, is it?

Had another thought - what about Ampthill in Beds? Haven't been there in about 20 years but it used to be pleasant.

Dad Andy - am another LB'er.
Plantation Road is lovely but feeds into Vandyke for upper school, which is the less good of the 2 upper schools in town (38% A-C GCSE compared with Cedars 62%: www.guardian.co.uk/education/table/2010/jan/13/central-bedfordshire-2009-gcse-a-level-league-tables
Here is the link for catchment areas in LB/Linslade: www.bedford.gov.uk/education_and_learning/schools_and_colleges/school_admissions/leighton_buzzard_and_linslade.aspx#N
The best combo would be Greenleas or Southcott for lower, Linslade for middle and Cedars for upper.
Pulford, the C of E lower school is also excellent and doesn't have a catchment area but you have little chance of a place there is don't attend church regularly or already have a child there as is very over subscribed.

We had a weekend in LB and it was really nice. The canal was lovely and some nice houses. If we ever needed to downsize the mortgage I would consider it.

Harpenden if you look in Southdown you can get more for your money. There are also some villages outside Harpenden including Kimpton, Wheathampstead and Markyate where you get more for your money.

Hitchin is also lovely. Though you have to be careful where you live. There is also Letchworth which is a garden city and got some nice houses etc.