A move to dorset or not advice please.

[lotti37]

Hello

I really need some advice please my head is spinning and can't decide. My husband wants us to move to dorset for a better quality of life . We live in the midlands and I have done all my life. We have 3 children 2 in primary school 7 and 9 and a 2 year old. We go on holidays to dorset and love it but all my family and friends and my husbands job are here in the midlands . Everything is very local here- kids are in the same school and very happy here. The secondary schools are not so great here. There is 1 outstanding schools and some good schools . I know in dorset there are lots of good schools.

I know my husband says he does not want to be here for the next 15 years whilst eldest 2 are at school.

His job is here but he has said he would work from home 2 days a week and then be in the midlands for 2 nights working here.

I am really struggling to decide as dorset is beautiful but more expensive and schools probably further away ( current school is a 5 min walk) . I know they have a 3 tier school system as well so boys would be a different schools probably . I don't know which areas are nice but not too expensive ? Which schools are good . My husband talks about Poole grammer but I know it's very hard to get into .

Really wanted any advice from people that have done it or live down there or anyone who has moved away from their home town . We need to make a quick decision as my eldest is 9 and would want to start before he start secondary schools here .Thank you much

Dorset is stunningly gorgeous and I would love to live there again. It has some really good schools (private and state). Thomas Hardye's in Dorchester and the gryphon in Sherborne are two that spring to mind.

However, it has the widest gulf between salaries and property other than Knightsbridge. Ie properties are very expensive and there is a dearth of well paying jobs. Which I know won't affect you now, but what if your DH decides the commute is too much. Speaking of which, Dorset is poorly served by transport, esp getting north to the midlands. You can get to The north and east of the county by fast road, but then it's single carriage way most of the way from Poole/Yeovil.

It's also tough for kids when they grow older- if they are high fliers, they are going to have to fly far from the nest - no returning home after uni.

I think there are better rural areas to live to be honest! Hampshire, South Gloucestershire, North Wiltshire, North Somerset, Worcestershire.

Dorset is a big county. Are you thinking Dorset coast (?Bridport) or rural inland? Tell us more & we can advise.

not all schools in Dorset follow the 3 tier system and house prices vary hugely - which areas are you considering?

Must it be an all or nothing? It sounds as if its going to be harder for you, while hubby still gets to see his friends and family during the week. No way of buying something in Dorset so you can spend more time there? a caravan or lodge on a park?

It's such a hard decision . I am from the midlands so all my friends and family are here. my husband is from the West Country so we would not know anyone in Dorset. I like the idea of a 2nd home down there .i think he misses the coast and wants a speed boat . He was thinking maybe Wimborne area or blandford forum Bournemouth direction seems nice . He talks about Poole grammer school but this is catchment area school I think. Think he just wants a change of scenery . Any advice thank you

Hi Lotie I replied on your other thread

Poole Grammar is not necessarily catchment, there are a few bits from local villages that catch the train in.

Sorry boys

If its just a change of scenery, how about coast nearer Birmingham. I love Dorset, but you really will be isolated. What is it, 3 hours from Birmingham? On awful little roads. In all likliehood you wouldnt be back often and if you were ill or there was an emergency DH wouldnt be able to pop back for the night.

I live in bournemouth having moved down from the midlands 20 years ago. It is about a 3 hour trip to Birmingham but not on awful little roads.

Bournemouth doesn't have a three tier system but some parts of poole do I believe.

Would your family share the task of visiting? my family are a 5 1/2 hour trip away and don't pull their weight re visiting to say the least and I worry about our parents being so far away as they get older.

I love dorset but it has at times out a lot of pressure on us having no family near by or being prepared to visited. My husband has worked away a lot as well, I have learnt to be very self sufficient.

Does your husband intend to get a job in dorset it will be very tiring commuting to the midlands every week

sounds like an adventure ! I moved to Dorset nearly 20 years ago ! I still see my family - about 3 hours drive ! it's a beautiful place to live ! go rural for smaller schools or coastal for the larger schools, you get more home for your money the further you are from Poole and Bournemouth ! Dorchester is great - fab schools ! and the small village schools (3 tier ) feed into the one large senior school in Dorchester , Thomas Hardy school - it has fantastic reviews !! maybe your husband could find work in Dorset to end the commute ?! good luck to you all with any decisions you make ! :-)

Hi I'm new on here...so hello everybody! We have been debating a long time about moving away from London and we love Dorset- especially Swanage! I have two children one starting secondary school in September & 1 that would be going into year 4 of primary school. We have holidayed many times in swanage and I was just wondering what it is like for children there to grow up & job wise for us. Any help would be much appreciated. I like Wareham but have only been when going to the Sainsbury's there. 😀 thanks.

DH worked in Dorchester when I first met him. The area was not to my taste although yes Hardye's is a fantastic school. The lack of diversity really got to me. Thinking about it now and DHs 'Christian' landlord is enough to bring out the hives. Later I met some very rich families from west Dorset who seemed to spend most of their week in London. I think it's a marmite sort of place; people who love it really love it but I would want to feel a holiday place could work week in and week out too.

Hi I'm also thinking of relocating with partner and 4 children aged 8,7,5,5.
Looking for a better quality of life.
Thinking of Southbourne, Christchurch area.
Ideally making the move within the year.
Any advice about schools, employment, pros and cons gratefully received. 😃
Work wise partner electrician and myself paediatric nurse (looking for part time employment) for myself
TIA

Hi I’m also new to mumsnet and would like to say hello to everyone. We have made the big decision as a family to move to Dorset and the plan right now is to put our house on the market with the hope that we will move by the summer of 2018, although no real rush, the main thing is that the long thought out decision is made, and we are excited! We are a family of 5, husband retired, I’m taking early retirement next year , ( but likely to do some independent part time work) 2 daughters in their 20’s and a grandson of 18 mths. We really would like to be near a large town so that our girls are not too cut off and can get out and about, and wanted to know if the towns between Poole and Bournmouth would be a good choice for us. Researching areas of Westbourne, Branksome, Parkstone, Ashley Cross, noticed that house prices here are quite expensive in comparison to being in town of Bournmouth. Any advice and guidance will be much appreciated for nice areas with good amenities for baby, nursery, 1st school, etc... Thank you

I lived in Poole for 3 years in my twenties and loved it. Just being close to beautiful landscape and beaches was wonderful. I made a lot of good friends too. Good luck!

Thank you Topnotes. It’s really important for us to be within easy reach of a town which appeals to all and witheasy access to beaches and places of interest. We are all so excited in a new life in Dorset.

Friends, family, happiness......

Parts of Dorset are lovely. You can visit and enjoy.

So you're from the Midlands and don't want to leave it, yet he's the one who'd be spending two days a week there, while you're stuck in Dorset on your own. I don't think it's fair to isolate you from your family with young kids.

Can you not move to the countryside nearer where you are? Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire...

It's about 2.5 hours drive from me in SW. London to Blandford Forum, for reference.

It is beautiful and we have been tempted, but didn't go for it for the reasons above.

Gah, Shen - start your own thread instead of resurrecting and old one.

Sorry NinonDeLenclos, no offence To anyone, just joined and not quite sure how to navigate around mumsnet yet or use the threads. I have read the terms only for joining, and will try and do better in the future.

Very beautiful but very conservative, white old fashioned values.
Lovely for holiday, can be bit snobbish and quiet.

No worries. If you have a question to ask, start a thread and people will answer. But if you post at the end of an old thread, everyone will reply to the original starter post.

I know this is a really old thread but I was wondering if anyone made the leap to Dorset? My partner has just been offered a job in Poole. We are looking at Swanage to live as I don't drive and it seems like somewhere with all the amenities quite central plus I prefer the scale of a smaller place than Poole. Does anyone know what it is like to live there? With small children?

We currently live in Stroud which we love - artsy, lefty, loads for kids to do. Anyone know of Swanage shares any of these features? Also, is it bonkers for my partner to commute to Poole from there? It was 35 minutes when he did it the other day but that was during the day in the off season!

We have to make the decision soon ish and I'm panicking a bit!

(I did start a new thread but no one replied - sorry if this is a big faux pas!