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Original poster

Newark, Grantham, Lincolnshire, Notts and Rutland - advice please?

59 replies

rosieposey · 12/04/2015 20:56

We are considering Newark and the surrounding areas - it has to be there or Grantham really as DH needs to get into London on most days.

Rutland is gorgeous, we drove through there a couple of times last week on a bit of a fact finding mission and i looked at a couple of houses in the Oakham area. It is more expensive than lincs or notts but i suppose there is a reason for that? (not sure?)

I thought that Newark would be good because of the fairly fast rail link into London - is Grantham or Newark nicer? which is bigger and has more facilities ( nice restaurants, shops, cinema ect)?

I live in Devon currently and don't know anything about these areas, it looks nice and there seem to be some really nice villages plus the houses are affordable, much more so than where we were thinking of previously.

There is so much to think about - school ( state ) and how much there is to do - don't get me wrong i am not talking about big city life as i currently live in a village about 18 miles from Exeter and i can get my fix there a couple of times a month if i want to but i don't want to be too isolated and a bigger village would be preferable with a good primary really.

Oh i just don't know where to start but i really would be so grateful if anyone that lives in the area can tell me where to avoid and where is really nice to live - preferably no more than a 15/20 min drive into Newark train station.

We are looking at an area we know nothing about and i really need some help and advice!

OP posts:
MrsPnut · 13/04/2015 06:41

What about Leadenham? www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-45857051.html/svr/3117;jsessionid=7BB2D933A031513274B5366815A69C1F It is a nice village and is near enough to William Robertson school in Welbourn as well as having buses to the grammar schools in sleaford.

Northernlurker · 13/04/2015 08:06

The grammar schools are in Lincolnshire and are generally accessed by means of passing the 11+. In my day Wink there were buses. A lot of kids came from Long Bennington/Foston etc.

Given the age of your dc though I agree that's not an immediate priority. I wouldn't worry about private school for your son as long as he is able to pass the 11+ as needed. The Kings School in Grantham is very good. The girls grammar has been a bit more variable but some of us known out ok Wink

Northernlurker · 13/04/2015 08:07

Also I note that foston house has been on rightmove since last July so surely ripe for an offer!

Original poster
rosieposey · 13/04/2015 08:33

MrsPnut i saw that house and loved it but it think the garden might be a bit meh - no grass or not much to speak of really and when we buy the house has to be done iyswim? As we won't have any funds to spend on it including landscaping the garden, it is lovely though.

Northern i think we are going to try and live nearer to Newark because going by the opinion on this thread its a bit nicer - that Foston house is lovely and the right price so i suppose we just have to find one we really like and go for it. I really like this one www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-45983542.html but it might be a bit pricey unless we can get it down a wee bit, its also on the main road going through Collingham so it needs checking out properly i think.

Our place has been on 3 weeks and its a lovely cottage but it is right on the main road too, i really hope it doesn't hang about too long as we are eager to get moved so that DH can be with us again during the week.

If we did live in Notts can you still apply to get into grammar schools in Lincs? I had no idea before i started looking in this general area that there were so many grammar schools still in existence!

OP posts:
MrsPnut · 13/04/2015 09:12

The grammar schools in Lincolnshire are in Sleaford and Grantham for the areas you are looking at. Lincoln does not have any grammar schools but Priory LSST has an allocation of places at each of 50 primary schools across Lincoln and the surrounding villages. I think the nearest to Newark would be Eagle or Navenby.

wormshuffled · 13/04/2015 11:23

This reply has been withdrawn

We've withdrawn this post at the OP's request.

butmumineedit · 13/04/2015 17:32

I would just throw Bourne into the mix, lovely small town 15-20 mins drive to Peterborough where plenty of trains to London, 20 min drive to Stamford, good schools in Bourne

SignoraStronza · 13/04/2015 17:48

The places that Snowberry has mentioned are nice I believe. They also have the advantage of being in the catchment for Tuxford Academy, which is quite well regarded and preferable to the Newark secondaries at the moment.
I would also advise against the A46 as a regular commute.

Floundering · 13/04/2015 22:01

Who'd have thought there were so many Local MN-ers! Grin

MrsPnut I know that house, pass it most days, it's right opposite a nice park & play area & a 2 minute totter to the primary school, farm shop & pub in different directions!!!

Original poster
rosieposey · 13/04/2015 22:30

I am glad there are some local MN'ers - it really helps when you haven't a clue about an area to get some insider knowledge.

I am still loving that one in Collingham - its next to a Fire Station though as i had a good look on street view, the road in front doesn't bother me but i have no idea if they use sirens from the minute they leave the station?

I had a look at stuff to do in Lincoln and it seems fairly well served - nice to see John Lewis is only a little distance away in Nottingham too Grin

OP posts:
SKYTVADDICT · 13/04/2015 22:36

I'm in Sleaford. I think Newark is nicer than Grantham. My dd has friends who come to her grammar school (in sleaford) from collingham and I think the boys grammar is the same.

TSSDNCOP · 13/04/2015 22:51

What about Stamford? VG Indie school.

For those of you in the area check out The Fox and Hounds in Castle Bytham. It's possible an MNers BIL might be found behind the bar. Nice chap Wink

Original poster
rosieposey · 13/04/2015 22:56

I had a look at Stamford, very nice but a little pricey and i am after some space in our next house!

OP posts:
MrsPnut · 14/04/2015 06:21

My friend lives in castle bytham. I rather like the fox and hounds!

I sort of know the Leadenham house too, although my village is much closer to Lincoln.
Lincoln has got quite a bit going on, the collection is our. Out favourite place ever.

VivaLeBeaver · 14/04/2015 06:54

Collingham has a lot going on. Yoga, Zumba bookclub, stuff like that. It's in the catchment for the Tuxford secondary which is meant to be a lot better than newark schools. Your other options are the grammars at Grantham and Sleaford but I have no idea on buses. Some kids will train from newark to grantham for school.

Newark has quite a big permanent travellers camp. You might want to make sure any houses you look at don't back onto that?

Original poster
rosieposey · 14/04/2015 07:49

Thanks for the advice on Newark VIVA - i will bear that in mind although the likelihood is that we won't be actually living in Newark but one of the surrounding villages.

I think Newark is only about 20 mile from Lincoln so was hoping there was plenty of stuff to explore.

OP posts:
TSSDNCOP · 14/04/2015 08:05
TheFairyCaravan · 14/04/2015 08:17

We live in Rutland. It's beautiful. I wouldn't live in Grantham if I was paid to, tbh.

Stamford is lovely too.

MrsPnut · 14/04/2015 16:08

Newark is less than 20 miles to Lincoln, although with the way the roadworks are in Lincoln atm you can do the A46 stretch to Newark in the same amount of time as it takes just to get out of Lincoln.

ChubbyKitty · 14/04/2015 16:19

I have lived in Newark for 21 years(I'm 23). It's actually quite nice here, although viva is right there is a large traveller community, but mostly they don't cause much trouble(so I've experienced anyway).

I'm also happy to be pm'd for local knowledge, if needs be!Smile

LetticeKnollys · 14/04/2015 16:38

I am from Newark (well, Balderton), and like everywhere it has its bad bits but overall I think it's quite nice.

The local secondaries always seemed to have a bad reputation, but there are very good school bus links to some nice Lincs schools (loads of kids go to William Robertson, that's where I went, and if you're interested in grammar schools then Kesteven Girls and Kings have school buses running from Newark too.

Grantham is an abomination, don't do it.

ChubbyKitty I am the same age, maybe we know each other. Grin

LetticeKnollys · 14/04/2015 16:41

What I said about the bus links applies to the surrounding villages as well as Newark, by the way.

Original poster
rosieposey · 14/04/2015 17:35

I loved Rutland too - it was very pretty but there is literally one house in our price range that we like ( period ect ) I will have a look though as it is close to Oakham and Oakham seems nice.

ChubbyKitty - what do you do for a nightlife? I am thinking about DD who is 22 - do you have to go further afield like Lincoln or Nottingham?

I am really grateful for all of the advice - it seems like Grantham is best for schools and train services and Newark for everything else.

I have lived in both Guildford and Swindon which both had traveller communities and it was fine - I know you can't get everything that you want all in one place anyway but it really helps to know what you all think of where you live and where is considered nice ect.

I used to live in Swindon before beautiful Devon and that is a bit shit here and there but like everywhere (even nearby Tiverton where i live now) places have their good bits and bad bits - i just need to know where they are Grin

OP posts:
ChubbyKitty · 14/04/2015 17:44

Well we've currently only got one club, but there's some nice bars that stay open into the early hours so it's not so bad. I don't go out much anymore since the other club shut down though as the remaining one is very pricey!

ChubbyKitty · 14/04/2015 17:46

Lincoln is a good night out, big choice of places to go, and I went out in Nottingham once, it's a bit far for me. I have also been out in Grantham and that's not too bad.