Oxted - what do you know?!

[Doozie]

Hello,

Can anybody tell me about Oxted for our house hunt? I don't know the area at all!

Does it have a happening high street?
Friendly atmos?
Can anyone recommend the schools? We'd be looking at state schools.
What is the commute like to London? Is it standing all the way?

It looks like it should be easy to get onto the M25 which is a bonus!

Any info would be much appreciated!!

Thanks.

DH used to be very well acquainted with the train line through Oxted as we lived down line. Good news is that as the trains start at E Grinstead, so going in you get a seat, but obv coming back is less easy.

erm, depends on what yuo mean by happening. not really, imo. it is useful enough, but small scale. some nice restaurants.

yes, it is friendly.

schools - what age? I think the system is infant/junior/secondary. Limpsfield infants well thought of, i believe, as is Hurst Green (next village over). don't know about others (dd2 only 4, so no idea re: juniors either). Oxted school supposed to be good.

commute to London is good. 30 mins to London Bridge. frequent ish trains (2-4 an hour, depending on direct/change at east Croydon). yes, standing a lot of the time. first class is ok (just about), and the less busy commuter times.

yes, easy onto the M25.

I like it. it's nice enough. but a small town, with not an awful lot happening (but easy enough to pop up to London for theatre etc)

Downsway is the First school in Oxted, I think it has a pretty good name. St Mary's Middle school has a very good name, but is a church school, so you need to be a church member to even stand a chance of getting in- it's pretty over subscribed. I think that Holland middle school (Hurst Green) also has a good name.
There is quite a nice community feel, there are things like the Carnival, which is quite a big thing, all the schools tend to do floats. There's also the pram race. There are quite a lot of pubs in Old Oxted, some of them do lovely food.
The high street isn't bad, but it isn't exactly 'happening'!

'Happening' was a bit enthusiastic, but a high street with the essentials plus a few restaurants and interesting shops.

My children are 3 and 1 but I am thinking of the future as well - I don't want to move for a very long time!

Thanks for your replies it has been really helpful.

oh, it has the essentials:

Boots
shoe shop
sports shop
couple of clothes shops
children's clothes shop/school uniform/shoe shop
small cinema
Waitrose ()
couple fo coffee shops
couple of toy shops
restaurants

and lots of charity shops.

The charity shops are really good - i always go round with my step mum when I go 'home' for a visit!

Have some friends in Oxted. Not a happening place but still very nice without being exclusive and snobby. Lots of normal middle class families with parent/parents commuting to London and generally getting on with life.

Having grown up there, I can say that it is lovely for children, lots of countryside and some really nice parks.
A lot of people grow up there and don't really move away, I know families that have been there for 3 or 4 generations (she says,having moved tothe other end of the country! )

price-wise you get more house for your money in Hurst Green (more villagey on the outskirts, and one stop further down the train line so more chance of a seat in the mornings).

We've been happy with Oxted School, not so sure about infant schools, but generally people seem to like Limpsfield or Tandridge (both church schools). Both St Marys and Holland Junior have new head teachers so it will be interesting to see how their respective reputations change over the next couple of years.

I asked 13 yo DD if Oxted had a "happening" high street - she snorted in derision . It's not bad, lots of independent/small chain shops. Biggish Morrisons, new Waitrose, small (and expensive) Sainsburys and a Co-op. Library, small cinema, reasonable GP surgery, lots of coffee shops, some nice restaurants. Old Oxted for pubs though. Parking good (and still mainly free thankfully). Quite a community feel IMO.

My SILs rave about the charity shops, and insist on a whole day going roudn them when they come to stay with MIL - I never manage to find any bargains, but they always do .

Sounds idylic - and it has a Waitrose! My only reservation is Wikipedia lists Kerry Katona as a resident! [grim]

That may be grim but I meant ...

she might have left now. I never saw her all the time she was living here, and nor did DD1s friend who lived near her. You'd probably be quite safe .