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Original poster

Wells, Somerset

19 replies

foreversearching · 04/09/2012 14:30

We're thinking about a possible move there.

Whenever we've been there we've really enjoyed it, lovely feel, nice shops, great market and the schools seem to be really good.

Does anybody know it well? Is it a good place to bring up children? What is there for teenagers to do etc. (we have 3 very young DCs but we're looking for a forever move this time.....!!)

Would really appreciate any advice from anyone who knows the area Smile

OP posts:
IAmOptimusPrime · 04/09/2012 21:02

I really like Wells. It can get quite busy in the centre at the weekend. I live in Bath so only tend to visit. I'd put a post on the local board to see if anyone else can help.

pinkredandpurple · 04/09/2012 21:06

there is a 45 min bus to Bristol (for teenagers) goes to the central station through nice countryside!

LeChatRouge · 04/09/2012 21:21

I know Wells well!

What would you like to know?

It's changing a lot at the moment, Starbucks and Waterstones arrived a few years ago and that has set off a wave of coffee shops and cute boutiques. Also, some nice sewing/knitting/crafty shops that do courses. Big Tescos. Really nice weekly market with a focus on local deli type food stuff.

Quite touristy, the cathedral attracts a lot of visitors, as do the old buildings and the Bishops Palace. Nice playground and parks for little ones. Pub scene is ok, quite popular as Wells is surrounded by lots of smaller Somerset villages and people tend to congregate in Wells of a Sat night. One shocking nightclub, but as pink says Bath and Bristol are a bus ride away for shopping and nightlife.

Nice array of house types from Victorian to modern. Leisure centre with pool. Lots of places locally that are nice to visit, Weston Super Mare nearest beach is not far, but Lyme Regis is SO much nicer, about 1 hr 15 mins south.

pinkredandpurple · 04/09/2012 22:09

'shocking nightclub' Grin I wonder what that's like!
btw LeChat are the shops you mention away from High st? I went to Wells once (by that bus) but didn't have time to look around as was stuck forever in a nice Vintage china/trinket shop! so I'm going again as a tourist to look at the Palace. Tesco is very big and nice, central too. Oh and very nice Veggie cafe/restaurant near High st - really imaginative food and not too expensive.

Original poster
foreversearching · 05/09/2012 09:33

Thank you so much everyone Smile

Wells sounds just like we thought it was which is good!!
We're out in West Somerset at the moment and feel abit remote! (we've always craved remoteness but lack of facilities for the Dcs worries us (now and when they're teenagers!) We lived on the outskirts of Bath a few years ago and loved it there but that was pre-DC and it would be too far for DH to commute to work.

Great to hear about the big Tesco, 1hr 15 to Lyme Regis sounds great too!
We wandered around the Palace, Cathedral and market last time we were there and everywhere had such a nice feel to it, kindof like Bath but on a much smaller scale. Also found a fantastic craft shop that I could've spent hours in if Dh and Dcs hadnt been waiting outside!! The shocking nightclub sounds lovely! We had one of those in the small town I grew up in, twas fab before I realised there was a World outside my town!! Wink

Does anyone know anything about schools in the area? The Ofsted reports look great and results etc but i'd love some first hand knowledge. Also any recommended villages to look at or areas of Wells to live in?

OP posts:
kitsmummy · 05/09/2012 10:17

I live 3 miles out of Wells! We moved here from Bristol 18 months ago and I absolutely love it. The high street is great (although for mainstream clothes shops, Fat Face is the only offering) but loads of quirky shops, a great market. The kids in town always seem nice, generally it's a great place to live.

IMO the pubs/restaurants are the only thing lacking in Wells. They're ok, they're just not amazing, particularly considering how nice a place Wells is. But of course we're in the middle of countryside so there are lots of great country pubs around.

Wedmore in particular has a couple of amazing gastropubs/restaurants and there is the best pub ever in Godney (which is on the levels).

Wells Blue is the senior school and is thought of as a good school. I think the primaries are decent too. If you were the Wedmore side of Wells then Kings of Wessex is outstanding.

There are good cubs/beavers groups for kids and for teenagers I'm not sure but I'll guess there are things available for them too. Basically we can see that whilst Wells is not at all "edgy" like the area we were in in Bristol, it's so much nicer and safer than where we were and the kids will benefit that way.

HomeSearcher · 05/09/2012 11:33

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Original poster
foreversearching · 05/09/2012 16:52

All sounds fab, thanks. Lovely to hear so many positive things about Wells. I know so many people who live within 1/2 hour-1 hours drive and yet have never been there! We love it and love though!

kitsmummy - Great to hear that you feel its safe for kids too. We really love Wedmore. Which direction do you live in from Wells? Can you recommend any nice villages?

OP posts:
LeChatRouge · 05/09/2012 17:26

pink if you walk from the bus station towards the High St, there are some crafty shops on your right, also one at the bottom of the High St called Millie Moon offering courses.

kits our paths may have crossed as the best pub ever in Godney is my favourite!

There are a variety of schools, both private and state for all ages. Am not really that familiar with the schools, I'll let someone else chime in.....

I would probably choose Wells over a village, but that's just me personally. My boys are all teenagers who drive now, but I can imagine a vast amount of ferrying them around would have taken place if we lived in a satellite village.

You are welcome to PM me any houses you like the look of and I'll try and give you a reccy about the area they are in.

Sunnyshores · 30/09/2012 17:59

Hi All
We're moving next year. We need to be no more than 20 minutes from Glastonbury and are also thinking that Wells would be ideal for us (some life and coffee shops!), but we'd like a country house (period, some land) so a nearby village would be ideal. Not worried about schools for 11/6 yr old as that is sorted, not too bothered about shops/pub in village, but would want more than just a collection of a few houses.

Wedmore is on my list, any other suggestions please?

IvanaHumpalot · 30/09/2012 20:00

PinkRed would the veggie place be The Good Earth?

Even my carnivore DH thinks it's the best veggie food he's had.

kitsmummy · 30/09/2012 20:29

Hi, forever I live on the Wells to Wedmore road actually, roughly equidistant from both.

Nice villages along that road are Yarley, Henton, Bleadney, Worth, Theale (these are your main villages between Wells and Wedmore). All pretty. There is a pub in Panborough too - haven't been in there but I suspect it's a bit swirly carpets in there! Most of the villages mentioned don't have a pub/shop, but on the parallel road there is Easton and Westbury sub mendip, both would have pubs/shop and are nice villages.

Out on the levels there is a village called Godney (the village with the Best Pub Ever), which is amazing - totally isolated, v close to Glastonbury, great for dog walking as not main roads etc, but I appreciate that it being out on the levels and rather isolated would not be to everyone's taste. All of these villages would have nice big houses with land.

chat if you ever see someone in there with kids and a pug, it could well be me Smile

Sunnyshores · 04/10/2012 11:09

Kitsmummy - thanks v. much, off there this weekend, so now have some direction!

RedRoses · 12/01/2014 15:27

Just seen this - Have you tried the new Greek resturant in Wells? Had a meal there last night and it was amazing.

lammkin · 03/04/2014 01:19

Hi, I'm reading this and i know its a few years old now but i'm thinking about moving to wells this year and wondered if anyone had any updated info on the area. I've got a 18 month old so is it a good place for little ones? Are there toddler groups etc and are they any good? Any info would be super helpful!

Lilleymoo12 · 10/04/2014 16:29

Hi I have lived in wells all my life I have two teenagers boy 13 and girl 15 and I can honestly say that there is absolutely nothing here for them to do my daughter went to youth club back lend of last year and there was just her and her two friends there she gave it a few weeks but it was just too boring . Unless you are retired and you need to spend your days in the 60 odd coffee shops and only want to dress in new look clothes and trawl charity shops / phone shops or get new glasses then wells is amazingly boring and the place for you , but on the upside the cathedral is beautiful but that is about it for wells they do not invest in the teenagers in wells they are he'll bent on making it a retirement city !!! Hope that helps !!! ??

ormirian · 10/04/2014 16:34

Well if I was going to sacrifice West Somerset for a bit more going on I'd want a bit more going on than is going in Wells IYSWIM. It's very pretty, really delightful, perfect if you are a bit older, without a doubt but not as pretty as Exmoor so why not go the whole hog and go for a 'proper' town.

I was brought up near there and even though I was quite a quiet geeky child even I thought it was a bit dull.

Sunnyshores · 10/04/2014 19:01

We did move to the area last September, we're in rented at the moment aswe had to take what was available, we're 15 mins from Wedmore and then on to Wells.
Anyway, we are now looking to make the move permanent and I still want to live in the Wedmore area. I'm not convinced living in Wells itself would be ideal with teenagers, I still like it but I think Bristol will be much more appealing. With younger children (schools permitting) I think it would be lovely.
Still havent got out to Godney, but everyone raves about it.

movefromthecountry · 17/08/2014 21:46

St Cuthberts in Wells discriminate against children with disabilities. Great for the great and good in Wells who can't quite afford the expensive private school but don't want their nice, norrmal children to be exposed to disability.

Or utterly repellant. I think it's supposed to be a Christian school.

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