Hertfordshire vs Devon

[HONEYBUG]

Hi, we moved to Hitchin about 2.5 years ago. Had no regrets of our choice, Hitchin is a lovely town, very child friendly, good schools, park etc. proximity to London etc.( mind you travelling to London with kids can be a bit pricey), all fine and well until my husband has an opportunity to move to another shop with better salary but the job is in Newton Abbot, Devon. I have been trying to find any information about living in Devon, couldn't find much information. It seems, Exeter, Exmouth, Teighmouth very good, looked at Torquay as it reminds me of my country, Turkey but read very bad reviews about living in Torquay, poverty, drugs, grim, run down but Newton Abbot sounds nice too however we are still thinking is it going to be a good move for us with our 9 year old daughter, is Devon nice place to bring up children? Or would living in Herts give our child more opportunities. Ay advice welcome !! Many thanks

I only know Devon because in-laws live there, so can't comment on schools etc. What you do need to consider when looking at areas to live is the length of time to get from one place to another. If you look at, say, Hitchin and Welwyn on a map, and then compare Newton Abbot with a place on the map the same distance away, it will probably take you twice as long. The road system just isn't as good.

I think Devon is beautiful, and I love visiting. I think I would find it difficult to live there personally, but that is because I really like being close to a major city. Exeter does have things to offer culture-wise, but its not the same as being near London. If you prioritise beautiful countryside and beaches, though, then Devon is a much better bet than Herts.

The drugs/bored teens thing happens anywhere and everywhere. Devon and Hertfordshire will both have their fair share.

One thing that is VERY different in Devon is the weather. It rains much more than it does in the East, and you need to be prepared for it. We have had some seriously wet weeks down there, which can be a bit miserable. Otoh, winters are usually better.

Thanks ever so much for your message. That's exactly what makes me think! Having London on our doorstep might offer more for our daughter than being away from it. I know she is only 9, but years go by very quickly, we are very happy in Hitchin can't fault the place, sometimes it feels a bit limited though transport around villages by bus is not great, born and bred in a city like Istanbul myself, living in Hitchin is quiet rural to me, but again it is close to London. My husband says the quality of life in Devon would be much better. I didn't realise it's raining more than here for some reason I thought down there would be sunnier and warmer?? and I checked on right move we pay 850£ for 2 bedroom terraced house here with a tiny garden, around Devon, we could rent 3 bedroom house with larger gardens. Oh it's so difficult, at the end of the day we want to make the best decision for our daughter! So difficult...

Ooh, interesting! We also live in Hitchin and love it but we've been talking about a move somewhere further away from London too (but Yorkshire rather than Devon) so I will be watching this with interest.
This town is fab but it's getting expensive isn't it? We've probably been priced out of getting a bigger house when we need one, which is why we are considering a move up north.

Newton Abbot is lovely. It's on the main dual carriageway link to Exeter (20mins away) and Plymouth is similar. It's outside of the tourist trap of Torbay (Paignton, Torquay, Brixham) but they're a 15 minute trip (except on Saturdays in summer hols when you need to plan travel carefully). Newton Abbot is close to Dartmoor a beautiful part of the world. It is a small town with a reasonable range of everyday shops,usual clubs and activities for the kids, schools are good, and your children can walk/ cycle to secondary safely - this was a big plus for me. If we returned to South Devon, Newton Abbot would be our home of choice.