Possible move. Where would you live if you had to commute to Reading?

[dizzyday07]

There is a chance that DH's job will be relocated to Reading (on Uni campus I think).

We don't know the area at all as the farthest south we've lived in Chinnor, Oxon. so have no idea where to look for a house!

We have a DD who will be Yr 3 in Sept. and DH is willing to travel up to 45mins to work.

We could stretch up to 500k for the right property, and a new build is an option as we could PX our current property.

Where would you live?

Newbury is a great place for a family - good primary and secondaries, and everything you need pretty much within walking distance. 15 minutes to Reading on a fast train, or 25 on a chugger. About 25 minutes by car, although traffic can be bad.

Upper Bucklebury :)

Pangbourne, Twyford, Henley - but yes, there might be traffic on the bridge esp in the summer. Wargrave is not that far away either.

Wokingham is nice. My sister lives in Sandhurst which is also very nice, I'm afraid I don't know about their distance from the university though.

Dh used to work in Reading. 45 minutes on a good day. he used to go through Ascot and Bracknell or through Binfield. Lovely lovely houses. Beyond our pricerange. We go to Reading for Costoc alot now. It is not somewhere I would chose to live.

I think I'm going to have to sell my soul to the devil as I've just found this!!!

Know position well is next door to Cheam on A339 it is a very difficult road between 7.45am and 8.30am and then again in the evening. But there lots of other nice places in North Hants.

The new job has been confirmed today so now it's all systems go to try and get moved for September and DD moving schools!

My friends who work there lived in Hartley Wintney (sp) and now Mortimer.

Another recommendation for Wokingham - wish we still lived there! Traffic could be pretty bad going in and out, but that's probably the same for most places in that area. Direct train service to Reading as well.

Well, we loved living in Caversham - could hear cows from the back garden, had muntjacs there too, but less than 10 min cycle to the train station.

No one has mentioned Wallingford, which is lovely. Only downsides are no train station, and commute to Reading Uni means getting across Reading which is no fun even on a bike.

Wokingham is nice. Earley has some lovely bits. Emmer Green nice, but like Caversham/Wallingford is on north of river.

The village of Turville is not too far, its where the vicar of Dibley was filmed and it is beautiful... Otherwise Ascot is fantastic, Winkfield Warfield etc nice area good schools and handy trainstations. Windsor is a very nice town, motorway access is just a few jct down the M4 and you are at Reading in approx 20mins. Windsor has not only lovely areas to live, you also have a compact beautiful town centre build around windsor castle, all the shops you need, a MASSIVE Tesco in Slough 5mins away, and Legoland on your doorstep. You can reach the M4 or M25 in a few minutes and 15 mins to heathrow. Can you tell I love living there? :) Lots to do for kids and Savill gardens is fantastic for walking/scooting/cycling. On a nice sunny day you cycle up the long walk, turn around and see the breathtaking view of the castle and london, it is absolutly fab. (Have I sold it to you yet?)

We really liked Sonning Common and Wallingford. Hartley Wintney is lovely. Wokingham town is nice but we didn't like the residential areas much (sorry, Wokingham!).

Reading is not a pit! It is lovely in places. I've lived here for 9 years and it grows on you. If you're at the university I would consider mostly places where you don't have to drive through the town centre, as the traffic is horrid. From your description, I'd say Mortimer / Bucklebury areas would suit you very well, or Wokingham if you don't mind somewhere a little larger. Hurst is beautiful and very villagey, as is Sonning, and Charvil. If you're thinking Reading then I would seriously consider exactly where the catchment areas are - most Reading secondaries are dire TBH, apart from Maiden Erleigh. I love the Pangbourne / Goring area but the commute through Reading would not be friendly.

Reading is not too bad, really, but it's definitely not a village!

How about Hurst? (near Twyford) or Sonning/Charvil - this school if you are looking for independents - but I would guess 500K wouldn't get you much round there...

just had a look - I withdraw that - there are some really nice houses for that sort of money.

there are some distinctly unlovely bits of Wokingham, BTW, but there are also some really nice bits, like this

Thanks once again for the additional suggestions - we are going for a look around at the weekend.

In all honesty, we hadn't really considered going East, but we will keep our eyes open.

Saying that, has anyone and views on Newbury? The east side as that seems quite a good road into Reading.

I don't know why you'd decide to be so far away from reading when there are nice places nearby. Petrol costs are surely enough to put off a long commute? You might like to try local boards as well if anyone commutes from Newbury to Reading.

I like Newbury. It's not too big, and there's lots to do (well, I suppose not compared to a city!). Pretty bits by the canal, easy to get to other places. Traffic can be a 'mare tho!

The traffic around that area, and especially Reading, make me wonder why you are looking anywhere further than 5 miles from the university. The cost of and time taken to commute are going to be horrendous.

You can take bikes on the trains on the Didcot to Reading local line so I would be looking at Cholsey / Goring/ Pangbourne line and aiming to cycle from the station to the uni.

When I was doing the trip from about 10 mins further on from Goring (by car) I used to leave at about 7.40 and arrive at 8.15am - which was early for a 9am start. However, better than leaving at 7.50 and getting there at 9.30.

I can understand all your confusion about why DH is prepared to commute. He would rather spend an hour in the car than 10 mins on a train or a bike!

At the moment - knowing no better - we are coming from the mindset that Reading is a large, featureless urban connurbation, which is something neither of us want to live in. But we have been given advice on this thread about "nice" parts of the town and we will check these out.

As we want to ideally be moved before DD moves up into Yr 3 in Sept. we have been looking at part exchanging for a new build. The only one we have found that we like in Reading hasn't even had the foundations poured yet, so they won't be ready in time! Others we have seen are either over towards Newbury or a bit further up at Didcot

The massive power station at Didcot put us off a bit

I lived in a village about three miles from Didcot - and as you could only see the power station from the bathroom window, it wasn't much of an issue.

Can't see it from Goring though - and there are some for sale signs up here and there (visited last week)

Having worked near Didcot I would much rather live in Reading! And as for featureless conurbation I give you: Christchurch Meadows, Forbury Gardens, pre-12th C Abbey ruins. Have you actually been to Reading? It sounds like you need a good drive around to get a feel of the place.