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Original poster

Moving to Warrington area.. Advice please!

68 replies

alexd83 · 08/08/2013 18:19

DH has got a job in St Helens so we are looking at moving to the Warrington area. We live in Bury at the moment. My job is field-based so I just need to be close to the M6.

Areas I've read about and driven through and like the sound/look of are Stockton Heath, Appleton, Culcheth. Am I right in thinking these are nice?

Can anyone tell me about Latchford? Have noticed it's very close to Stockton Heath/Grappenhall but property is much cheaper. Is this because it's a bad area? DD is nearly 3 so we want to be in catchment for good primary schools.

Also is Grappenhall nice? Haven't explored it yet but seems slightly less pricey than SH.

Any advice much appreciated! Thanks :)

OP posts:
Sixtiesqueen · 08/08/2013 22:25

Why is it for glass of wine? I'm confused

iloveaglassofwine · 08/08/2013 22:25

It is lovely, i have fond memories of walking her dog for miles through fields, past the reservoir. Happy days. Less fond memories of trying to get served in the Cat & Lion whilst underaged Blush

Sixtiesqueen · 08/08/2013 22:27

If to walk the other way it's actually much better. We have lived here for 15 years and only just really discovered 'the dingle' - an experience which has been elevated by discovered of the associated 'dingle farm tea room'

Sixtiesqueen · 08/08/2013 22:28

Mind you I've lived in warrington for 40 years and there's bits of it I still don't know. Just read that back. I am old.

iloveaglassofwine · 08/08/2013 22:39

Dingle Farm tea room? Where is this, pray tell? Sounds right up my street Grin. Ditto, lived roundabout for 34 years. Often feel embarrassed that i haven't really been anywhere but it just happened that way.

Sixtiesqueen · 08/08/2013 22:43

I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you.

Do you know the dingle? It's bisected by dingle lane. The farm is on the bend just before the road dips over the old bridge. So you go for a pot of tea and cake (all home made I might add) and then you walk five minutes down to the bridge and turn left into the dingle wood and go for a walk and paddle in the steam.

Tell nobody.

iloveaglassofwine · 08/08/2013 22:46

I've made a note in case the thread disappears. DCs will be frequenting this joint this weekend (with me). Thanks for that. Homemade cake, perfect.

Sixtiesqueen · 08/08/2013 22:46

No you turn right. See, brain addled. Actually you can turn left and its a perfectly nice walk but turning right is the better path

iloveaglassofwine · 08/08/2013 22:53

On google maps....

MrsBottesini · 08/08/2013 22:54

ooh. Also suggest looking at Culcheth, stockton heath and Appleton if you have the budget. After that maybe Sankey (loads of new houses) and chapel fields. all near gemini retail park (Ikea!!) and jct 8 of m62. Has anyone suggested Burtonwood too?

Rowlers · 08/08/2013 22:57

Can't really advise now as don't live there anymore. Grew up in Grappenhall, on one of the roads mentioned earlier in thread. Happy memories. Grappenhall village, Stockton Heath etc all walkable. I presume there are still a few shops in Latchford? I remember when Sainsbury's opened. It revolutionised shopping and eating for us!!

Sixtiesqueen · 08/08/2013 22:57

(Cakes are great, they were doing a chocolate and beet root one last time I was there. I admire this tea room because they opened without planning permission, the cheeky buggers!)

Burtonwood.....I'm not sure what's there in terms of facilities. Always strikes me as out in the sticks a bit. Handy for St Helens but not same sort of area that OP was originally considering. It does have a school though I think.

DIddled · 08/08/2013 22:59

Just something to bear in mind- at the Mcr end of Warrington, the Trafford grammars are a possibility, though to be fair I think there may be some good high schools in Warrington.

Rowlers · 08/08/2013 22:59

Grappenhall also v handy for M6 ...

DIddled · 08/08/2013 23:01

I would say avoid the area around Gemini as it seems houses but not much else. There is also a not very nice estate round there (Orford?) and I am council estate born so not a snob!!!

Sixtiesqueen · 08/08/2013 23:03

Grappenhall village is great. We lived there briefly. Great sense of community, especially at that community centre, the bell house club! Five minutes from the M6. When OP gives up her budget I will paste links to houses! I love a good house hunt.

starsandunicorns · 08/08/2013 23:05

Thanks diddled I live there

Sixtiesqueen · 08/08/2013 23:07

Yes but stars, like you said, you didn't get to choose where you live.

starsandunicorns · 08/08/2013 23:14

Its not that bad though honest and yes we needed counicl housing like I said most people back away when I mention it may need to upgrade and say padgate

Sixtiesqueen · 08/08/2013 23:19

stick with Orford, the people there are lovely actually Smile I grew up nearby in an even worse area.

It's just that the OP is looking to buy a house and she wants to know what the best areas of Warrington are. I don't think anyone would list 'orford.' That's not a personal attack on you or where you live, it's just a fact.

Anyway, back to the thread....cake, yes.

Original poster
alexd83 · 09/08/2013 08:57

Wow! Thanks all for your advice, fantastic!

We will be renting to start with, budget is £800-850pcm and we'll need a 3 bed house. We've lived in terraces for years and DH is determined to get something with a driveway and hopefully garage! I just really want a proper garden (as opposed to a yard).

My proximity to M6 is mainly for travelling south - I have a lot of meetings in Birmingham and London, which is why I am less keen on moving to NW Warrington as it means an extra journey on the M62 in order to access the M6.

Also we are originally Southerners (from Reading) and our family is all based down south so any miles we can shave off a journey down to see them would be ideal.

I'm keen on South Warrington for the countryside around it - I'd love to live somewhere "villagey" with a couple of basic shops, am very happy to jump in the car to get to bigger shops. Stockton Heath looks lovely, but expensive, and if I'm honest I don't know if we'd really use all the restaurants/bars on the doorstep.

Culcheth does look lovely - but, I've done some research into nurseries and there seems to be only one in Culcheth (which closes at 5.30 - no good for me!) and the nearby ones in Birchwood are very expensive. Whereas I've found a few in Thelwall, Latchford and Stretton that are more reasonably priced.

Thanks again for all your advice! Much appreciated :)

Alex

OP posts:
GemmaTeller · 09/08/2013 09:21

Willow Pool garden centre and tea room has to be seen to be believed, they've even got weeping angel statues like the ones in Dr Who ( I went for the first time last year, where the hell do they get all that stuff from?)

iloveaglassofwine · 09/08/2013 09:30

Re: nurseries. There are 3 lovely ones i looked round - Stretton Day nursery, The old vicarage nursery and one in Hatton, i forget it's name. All had a waiting list though but things might have changed since then. There's one in Grappenhall called The Quays and another in Thelwall that i would avoid. There is Cheshire Day nursery in Latchford too which i have heard good things about.

You also could consider Woolston for houses. Close to M6 and you get more for your money. Not exactly the rural dream though.

Good Luck!

Original poster
alexd83 · 09/08/2013 14:23

iloveaglassofwine - is that Little Wonders in Thelwall that you would avoid? And is The Quays no good either? Thanks

OP posts:
Sixtiesqueen · 09/08/2013 15:45

My kids both used to attend Stretton Day nursery. It's an amazingly well run place, there's virtually no staff turnover and some of the staff are older ladies, it's not staffed by young girls. I know people who have sent their children to The Old Vicarage in Appleton Thorn and been pleased with it.

Funnily enough I lived in Reading for four years because I did my degree at Reading University. We had our first ever property there (on Alexandra Road, near the Royal Berks).

For your budget I'm not sure you would get much in Appleton/Stretton for the rental you are going to pay; though if you pay that much in a mortgage you probably will. Acton Avenue in Appleton might suit you because it's literally on the edge of farmland, a third of a mile from the motorway and good solid semi detached houses in a long cul-de-sac. For your rental budget I'd go for Grappenhall village.