Shall we move to Haywards Heath or Bath?

[horriblehistory]

So... we have to leave London, but DH needs to be there a few times a week. We want to stay in the South. We have 5 (yes 5!) children under the age of six! We LOVE London - particularly central London and the galleries, museums, theatres, concert halls, libraries etc., and I want my children to have access to them too.

Anyone else who loves the same things - would you live in Haywards Heath with its amazing London connections, just 45 mins from Victoria and London Bridge and relatively cheap travel, but a place that doesn't itself provide any of the cultural amenities we love and want to provide for our children

OR

would you live in Bath, which provides more of the cultural amenities we would like for ourselves and to give our children (Bath Abbey, little museums, a good theatre, independent cinema, plus Bristol's amenities) BUT has a train service that would be, for us, prohibitively expensive for many visits for me or family visits to London (it really is that expensive, if anyone doesn't know!) and takes 45 mins longer (twice as long) into Paddington (so you then also need to catch bus to National Gallery etc.).

I'm torn. I would never have thought of living somewhere that wasn't a city and didn't have the cultural amenities - but it's so much closer/cheaper to get to London. On the other hand, with many small children, local life is important too - and I suppose Bath would win on that front. But it's London's attractions that really attract me, and I worry that Bath would seem too small very quickly, but then I wouldn't be able to access London either.

What do you think? Any thoughts/experience very gratefully received!

why not choose a town near to a larger cultural centre? if you lived in Oxfordshire near ( but not in ) Didcot, you would have easy access to London ( 45 mins to Paddington) and easy access to Oxford but with cheaper house prices e.g Witney, Banbury, Wallingford etc

1hr 30 is going to be a horrible commute for your DH, especially since it's likely he'll need to get somewhere after he arrives in Paddington.

If he had to be there "several times a month", I'd consider it. But "several times a week"? That'll be really very very unpleasant.

How about this? I think this house is fabulous and Hassocks is 10 minutes on the train from Brighton.

Hassocks has more of a village feel than Haywards Heath but is far nicer imo.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-32545443.html

Don't go to Haywards Heath.

For someone who is used to the attractions that London has to offer I think you will quickly tire of Baths limited amenities. How many times do you think you'd want to visit Bath Abbey for instance?
Taking Newbridge as your example, the walk from there junto Bath is pretty depressing along a busy, noisy, smelly, major arterial food, unless you take a long detour through Victoria Park.
People in B at don't rely on things that are "put on" for them, they tend to amuse themselves by walking in the country, cycling, parks etc.
To get 6 bedrooms in a good location in Bath, up you'd not get much change from a £1million

How about Canterbury?

It's more vibrant than most towns in Kent, good schools, good chunks of houses for your money, good train links into London, close to the coast esp Whitstable.

Op i would seriously consider some of the villages surrounding Cambridge, its an amazing city, easy to get to the station and 50 mins into London Kings X. Even if you go 10 to 15 miles out it literally takes 20 mins or so to get to cambridge so really not far. Your money will also stretch easily!

That's what I mean-Newbridge is quite far out esp for a commute to London. My inlaws just sold their 6bed family home (hardly any garden) on Bear Flat for 900k (full asking price) to cash buyers from London. Most properties are going for full whack, as they lost out on a few in bidding wars that went up to 25k over. It sounds like you could get somewhere better suited to what you're looking for in other areas.

For that budget you might just find something in Kingston/Surbiton (esp a 5 bed that hasn't had the loft converted yet but within budget enough to get it done). Far from edgy but good theatre etc.

Where does your DH commute into? I thought of Guildford in your situation.

Was going to pop in to advocate Bath but you aren't going to find anywhere nice with 6 beds for £830k....unless you want to live a big car drive away...which rather destroys the point because you will be a full time taxi driver once the kids get older and it will be a 'mare to get to London once you have driven and paid for parking.

FWIW you should research getting a Family & Friends railcard. We left it late to get to London this 1/2 term so i paid £13.95 from Bath for me an £4 for DD. For adult peak time travel we would recommend getting an advance single for the journey up and a ticket split at Didcot if you aren't sure what time you will leave London.

This is the cheapest 6 bed from which commting to the station would be realtively easy.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31998762.html

How much do you go out and about at the moment with the kids to attractions in London?...and how often do you see yourself coming back to town with the kids for culture - every half term/school holiday etc?

If you really love London I think that you may well be really disappointed with provincial cultural life I would look at SW London or Sth Bucks for greenery, space and quick access into town.

Only say this as we live in Gerrards Cross/Beaconsfield so only 22 mins on train to Marylebone and 30 mins by car in no traffic - when my 4 were younger we went into London most weekends as a family but as they have got older ie after 8 our weekend schedule is dictated by their busy and diverse activities ie sports fixtures, drama and other extra curricular stuff, parties, meeting up with their friends locally....all in different directions at different times - add on homework, housework etc and there now is really no weekend windows to get into town with them all but we do lots in the half terms together in town....mine are older now -- so from 13/14 they have been getting the train into town with mates...

We plan to move straight back in the minute ours depart....but at least now we can scoot in quick enough whenever we want.

"Don't go to Haywards Heath."

*Mintyy said what I wanted to say. Don't go to HH - you'll die a slow death there.

Bristol is a good idea. And what about Peacehaven, if commuting isn't an issue? Very close to Brighton and seems family friendly if a little charmless

I grew up in Balcombe, don't go there if you want culture! Haywards Heath is bloody awful don't go there either, Bath seems a really long way for a commute to London, agree with Shoreham or maybe Lewes although I think that would be quite expensive, or other villages within reach of London/Brighton rail line. Maybe North side of South Downs?

There are plenty of places in zone 4/5 London within your budget which are not in 'edgy' areas. I have been looking in Bromley (20 mins into Central London) and there are a number of 4-5 bed houses with 100 foot gardens available well within your budget.

We live in Bath. I'd recommend it. My dh travels to London 3-4 days a week and it takes 1.5 hours, a long time I know, but do bear in mind that the line from London to Bath is in the process of being electrified and will reduce travel times to 1 hour from 2016. There are lots of lovely houses in great areas in Bath for your budget too. The schools are also very good.

Surely your DH doesnt want to commute for 3 hours a day, more than once a week? You will never see him and he will never see his children.
I agree with the earlier poster who said as your children get to 8+ your preferences for a weekend dont really count anymore. There seems always to be sports fixtures, clubs, school events, parties etc. and with 5 (!!) you will always be fetching and carrying.... you may get a few free hours, but certainly not many entirely free days to travel into London. I really think you all need to be much nearer London so you can go in when you have say 3 spare hours.

Also, Bath is lovely, but it is in no way a substitute for London. The kids probably wont mind (as I say they'll be busy), but it sounds as if you'd miss it terribly.

Peacehaven soooooo much worse than HH. Awful depressed and depressing surburban sprawl with no beach so 'by the sea' completely pointless.

What’s wrong with Haywards Heath ? It’s lovely !

@tillyandmilly

What’s wrong with Haywards Heath ? It’s lovely !

Do you think the OP has figured it out in the SEVEN YEARS since this was posted?!

Why bump it @tillyandmilly?

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE

Why not - 😹

£830k max, and we want a big garden and 6 bedrooms,

Forget about Bath in that case.