New Shropshire search - thoughts on Wem anyone?

[YohoAhoy]

Have been following lexp72's thread on Shrewsbury/Ludlow with interest, as we're also looking to relocate to the the same area.

We were originally looking around Ludlow/Tenbury/Cleobury Mortimer, but thanks to the fab information on the other thread we're also looking further up, and spotted Wem, which looks promising. Does anyone have any knowledge of it? (Or Tenbury/Cleobury/similar).

Our criteria are easy (walking) access to decent primary/secondary schools, shops etc. Happy to drive a bit for main shopping.

Currently we're extremely rural, so the villages we're looking at look like bustling metropolises!

Many thanks :)

bump

i did teaching practice at Wem secondary school and really liked it there. Didnt spend any time in the town - too busy working!

Thanks pooter - school info always useful. How long ago were you there?

Hmm, well, there's the thing - i suppose it was about 8yrs ago - so a little out of date!

Well, things I've read about the school sound good, so still a positive :)

Have you thought about Oswestry? You get quite a bit for your money there compared to South Shrops.

A friend of mine with DCs lives in a village near Wem. All I know about it is that she's happy there, and we loved it when we visited.

I hope more posters who've been there more than once come along soon!

Thanks lowrib - all positives are good, as all we're going on at the moment is internet research!

Will also now check out Oswestry, Scurry, thanks.Is it nice?

Oswestry is a typical market town. It has reasonable shopping and a couple of supermarkets. It has one very large secondary which has a good reputation. The rural surrounding villages are lovely.

the local secondary

Funnily enough I was just looking at the school website before I came back to the thread. :)

Looked on rightmove and there are some interesting houses. I think market towns (Wem, Tenbury etc) definitely look ideal for us, so I will add Oswestry to our list. Thankyou.

I couldn't not post, as I'm originally from Wem and it feels so odd to see people talking about it on mumsnet. We also lived a few miles away in Prees for a few years.

I'm afraid that it's so many years since I've lived there I can't comment on what it's like now. But I'll be smiling all day at the thought of it getting a mention .

Ellesmere is not far from Oswestry and is lovely - lake, canal, nice, if small, town centre - and the secondary school has a good reputation.

Yeah.. and Shropshire time

Many thanks for all comments :)

Had to laugh at 'Shropshire time/miles'. Sounds very similar to where we are in North Devon, where distances and travel times are certainly, um, flexible.....

We had a mini trip to Ludlow in half term, and looked at Cleobury & Tenbury and certainly liked that area. We'll definitely have a good scout round nearer the time (we're trying to sell at the moment, ho-hum).

It's just nice to have a few areas to aim at.

So Oswestry, Wem and Ellesmere definitely on the list.

Glad you got a bit of a 'Wem-glow' midtowner :)

SkeletonFlowers - what we noticed, even on such a brief trip, was that there are quite a few small market towns/big villages with schools, shops restaurants & pubs, which would all be within walking distance.

We don't really have that here. It's a good 20 minute drive minimum for school/shopping, and more like 40 to 90 minutes for a decent range of shops.

The idea of being somewhere we could nip out to a local shop or cafe on foot is heaven. And then 10-20 minute drive to a bigger town. Bliss!

And apart from being a lovely part of the world, it also appeals because it's not as rainy!

I lived in Wem from 1976 until I left home in 1988. So I am very much out of date and it might be nicer now, but it wasn't that much cop then. My parents still live nearby, I think they told me the swimming pool has recently closed down and the shops aren't great. Arsonists took out the Town Hall about ten years ago which gives you another hint.

Frankly, if it was me, I would rather live closer to Shrewsbury which is a nice town with a lot going on, better rail/bus access etc. Wem is about a 1/2 hr drive away.

Thanks Spero - useful to have opposing view. :)

Can I also suggest Much Wenlock or Church Stretton - both nice (small)towns, both close to bigger towns, both have very good schools. Stretton is excellent for outdoorsy stuff; Wenlock has great secondhand bookshops. Depends what you like, really.

spero, sounds like we might be about the same age , but I left before 1976.

None of my primary school friends have stayed in Shropshire - we are scattered far and wide, and catch up via our parents. My parents were visiting recently (they are the age where they seem to be going to either golden wedding anniversaries or funerals fairly regularly) and they said it hadn't changed at all.

I've no idea about the town itself, but the butcher in Much Wenlock makes the BEST pork pies in the entire world.

I was born and brought up in Shropshire (Clive) and went to school in Wem in the early 1980's It was not the best of schools beleive me and the town itself a bit of a dump to be honest. Other towns around are much nicer.

Shrewsbury is much nicer!

Gosh sorry not early 1980's I went to secondary school in Wem from 1990 -1995 (before we moved)