Small towns and villages near Southampton

[AlohaMama]

We're planning on moving to the Southampton area. Either dh will be working at an office at the quayside, or will be self employed working from home (but would need to get on the train to London fairly regularly for meetings). I'll be not working to start off, but then likely employers for me would be in Southampton, Winchester, or Botley, or working from home. We'd prefer to live somewhere more rural, where we can go on walks, get to the coast, etc. but without being totally isolated. Also we'd prefer a small town/large village that has at least a few shops or a supermarket although I realise we could go to Southampton for shopping. We have 1 ds (2yrs) and 1 dd (due June) so schools will come into play in a few years time. Having done a bit of research online (currently living abroad so I can't really drive round these places yet) I've been looking at places like Dibden Purlieu/Hythe, Romsey, Bursledon, Warsash. Does anyone know anything about these places? Are they nice to live, have a good sense of community etc? And is there anywhere else I should be considering that's similar distance from Southampton? Thanks for any help!

I would also vote for Alresford. Perrins school is fantastic. I wish we lived there!!

Have you considered the Isle of Wight if you live between Cowes and Ryde you are close to both the Fast cats. Cowes to Southampton and Ryde to Portsmouth and train to London. Beautiful Island with Beautiful beaches.

Lonecat
great to holiday, MUCH less good if you want a good education for your kids.
OP I would never suggest moving to the Island unless you know exactly how you will make it work.

vj32
very interesting data the North Baddesley / Rownhams issue is entirely down to the threatened catchment boundary change linked to the purple school. Abbotswood has shaken up all the admissions round here.
The trouble with that "distance" guff is that schools like Mountbatten have "in catchment" houses that are over 8 miles from the school and yet much nearer houses are not in catchment.

I'm not sure about the Isle of Wight, just seems like another step to travel anywhere but I'm liking the sound of villages close to the New Forest. We'll be moving back to England this summer so will start investigating our options then.

Thanks for all the info on schools, not something I'd put much thought into so far so good to know!

Aloha
silly thought : will you be doing private or state?
Just that if you are doing private then the Waterside is a splendid place to live : easy acces to the Forest, Southampton, the London train line etc etc
OR
if your kids are boarding age, then the villages in the north of the forest are great
if you have chauffeuring age kids, bus routes are good
Wellow, Bramshaw, Canada Common, Plaitford

this is a wonderful part of the world. I love living here but different bits work for different people

North of the M27 is best, access to parts of new forest well of the tourist route of lyndhurst, lymington etc.

Today I saw a baby donk, a baby Shetland, a calf & a herd of piglets!!! I love the forest!!!

Romsey is lovely, schools are good & romsey school has quite a big catchment area. Stockbridge is lovely & close to Winchester though no supermarket.

(((baby donkeys)))
but they do have a tendency to set off the car alarm headbutting my bumpers!

Talkinpeace, we'll be doing state. Oldest is only 2 though and youngest not yet born, so not a consideration just yet, though of course if we do buy we're hoping to be around for a few years unless jobs/circumstances change etc.

Eve that's exactly why I like the idea of living in/near the forest. Herds of piglets !! Looking forward to taking lots of nice walks with the kids.

I'll forgive a baby donk anything, they are so gorgeous!!!

Though big donks not so cute when I was poo picking fields in the dark in winter when 1 right beside the fence called! Thought for a second was the flippin hound of the flippin Baskervilles!!

They got to know when I fed my horses & put out hay & about 7 of them would appear braying for hay. Cost me a fortune in exta hay as couldn't refuse those big eyes.

Herd of piglets is not correct is it? Litter?

Warsash lovely.... So are Hamble, Lee-on-Solent, Stubbington, Whiteley (woeful school situation, but planning given for new one in Sept 13 - all other local schools good), Locks Heath, Swanwick, Burridge, Sarisbury, Botley.... All the wee villages round here. I live here and wouldn't move for anything! Southampton, Gatwick and Bournemouth airports really close, the New Forest, Dorset, South Downs and Shipwrights Way on our doorstep. Ferries to France and Spain, London on 70min from
Southampton Parkway station, Winchester, Chichester and Salisbury in striking distance. Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Dockyard, Paulton's Park (home of Peppa Pig World!) why live anywhere else?!!!

Talkinpeace - we are looking for a house to buy within walking distance of a decent primary school, which isn't proving very easy as we don't have £££ to spend. Think we are going to try and get into the Halterworth catchment. Kind of desperate lower middle class thing to do, but hence all the research. I think the Abbottswood development is awful - caused major major disruption for us (currently a 2 mile diversion to get to our house that has been doing for 3 months) and they are so densely packed... I think the proposed Whitenap development will have more impact on school boundaries though as it will stop all the Southampton kids getting into Mountbatten - which will probably be a very good thing for Southampton schools.

So, to the OP, if you are looking at an area make sure you look at what big developments are planned locally, as many of the cute little towns and villages may not be very cute and rural much longer. Around here (Romsey) at least it seems they can just put up a thousand or so houses where ever they like!

vj32
I live in the catchment of the Purple school : I know your pain!
Abbotswood is indeed dire : they are not having the roads adopted which is why they are too narrow, badly laid out and lack of parking.

Have you looked at Nursling? The estate is all within walking distance of the school and the number 4 bus route - or Upton Crescent - north of the M27 is safer from catchment changes for Mountbatten