Which would you choose? Hertford, Bishop's Stortford or Hichin?

[Rahdera]

Thinking of moving to one of these places, but do not know anything about them other than what I've read online. Have visited them all once too, but they all seemed fairly similar to me. What can you tell me about them? Things that we rate/need;
Schools good - both primary and secondary
Pleasant countryside nearby
Stuff going on like a cinema, swimming pool, active clubs, yoga etc- a bit of a community feel
Stuff for teenagers to do
Somewhere with a heart and not just a commuter town
Liberal feel
Decent pub
Fairly painless commute to city
Prefer period property
Which one, if any, do you think would be the best?
TIA!

Bear in mind that bishops stortford is very close to stansted airport.
Planes are quite low over the town.

my family lived in Stortford for a few years and whenever i went to visit it felt quite soulless but it has good transport and local amenities . the airport express trains are quite fast into Tottenham Hale and Liverpool Street but often full of tourists/suitcases etc. my DP pay a fortune for season tickets and then get angry when there are so many cancellations and breakdowns. especially bad in winter when the overhead cables freeze. The town centre has got a Waitrose and a Sainsbury for food, an OK sized M&S and the usual chain shops plus loads of charity shops. There's a couple of older pubs but mostly newish bars and restaurants. The Lemon Tree is nice! Schooling I don't know too well although there is an international school that does the IB as well as a girls and a mixed secondary. the girls school does well for sciences i heard. if you want to get a feel for the community and what goes on try to read the local paper, the Herts&Essex Observer.

thanks very much - am veering away from BS I think. Any thoughts on Hertford versus Hitchin?

I grew up in Hitchin- it's miles better than Hertford. Lots going on there now. I think they're building a cinema.

About 20mins into kings cross too.

very interesting - thanks!

I live on the Hertford East train line. It is beyond shite. From the people I know that go out in Hertford I would agree with the TOWIE vibe. Hitchin has a lovely town centre and I believe the secondary schools are good. Trains into London are good and a lot faster than the Essex ones.

I live in Hitchin and would say it was preferable to Hertford. However there is no cinema. We tend to go to the indie in Letchworth. Schools OK but both single sex secondaries are very over subscribed. Mixed secondary is OK not great. My D's goes to the mixed school and dd the girls school. Both are reasonably satisfied!

I work in London and transport links are very good.

Liberal area? On the face of it? Yes. In reality? No. Conservative majority. MP is Peter Lilley.

Is it a naice area? Yes.

I'm torn

Bishops S has better schools
Hitchin is a nicer place to live

Not a fan of Hertford

Hitchin had three cinemas at one point- they pulled the last one (the Regal on Bancroft) down when I was a child. It was an amazing Art Deco building.

Sorry to get sidetracked

Close friend lives in BS - they moved there for the schools, which are undeniably good. It does feel a bit soulless imo - lots of newish large estates that mean you have to drive everywhere. (My friend lives on one, and it's definitely the kind of place where people are out polishing their cars on a Sunday! ) Fair range of amenities though, and she says the commute into London is OK. She doesn't find aircraft noise an issue.

Hertford is pleasant enough - lots of greenery and nice mix of housing - but agree that it does feel a bit TOWIE in parts - definitely not liberal/Guardian reading if that's what you're after. Hitchin probably has the best town centre and the nicest atmosphere imo, and would definitely be the most liberal/alternative of the three options (not that that's saying much - 'liberal Hertfordshire' can be a bit of an oxymoron!) It does seem to have more of a community vibe, though, with more independent shops etc than the others.

I lived in bs for over ten years, recently moved because I personally found it lacking in soul. However it has a lot going for it.

Planes and m11 noise (which can be louder than planes) depends what side of town you're on. If you on the west side you won't notice either. Schooling is excellent. Even 'poorest' schools would be consider excellent in another town. However, main problem I had was the feel it's just a commuter suburb full of transient commuters or airport workers. There are plenty of stunning villages around it if you fancy driving to st.

Good luck deciding :)

I can only speak of Hertford, although I have visited BS and I liked the town centre - yes, a bit close to the airport, but handy for holidays and a fast rail link into town.

Re Hertford - Not sure I agree about the TOWIE vibe, although it has one of the few nightclubs in the area so people come in from 'over the border' on Saturday evenings!

On the other hand, during the day it has a positive vibe I think - lots of independent shops and a weekly market, excellent schools - it is the historic county town. There is a good mixture of housing and it is a friendly place. There is a theatre/cinema, but only one screen, so Stevenage is the nearest place for multi screens, bowling etc. There are lots of places to eat and drink.

The villages around such as the Hadhams, Hertingforbury etc are uber 'posh', but it depends what you are looking for really - probably the only way is to look around and try to get a feel for what is right for you.

There are two rail links - Hertford East and Hertford North which take about 40-50 mins into the city, so there is a fall back position if there are problems on one of the lines. It does feel frustratingly slow sometimes though, as it is much quicker into town from Stevenage which is further out.

And yes, it is all solidly Tory, if that is a problem.

Brilliant - thanks so much. Looks like hitchin may win out. I currently live in soulless commuter and do not want this again!!!! Where do dandelions wearing guardian readers go I wonder after London? All does seem quite Tory everywhere. Boo. Anyway, also considering St A, but also aware of how blooming expensive it is.

Dandelions!!! Sandal wearing

Not drunk honest

Where do sandal-wearing guardian readers go after London?

Brighton if course

Hitchin all the way. I just moved here form Hackney and it sound like we had v similar requirements.
Commute into Kings X a doddle, really frequent trains, can usually get a seat on the 8.01 (although massive bump might have somethin to do with that). Takes 25-35 mins, horrendously expensive, but reasonably reliable - unlike train line into Liverpool st which SUCKS!

Has its own character - mixed population, bits are ye olde, a decent high street, lots of good pubs, a theatre, a decent comedy club, lots of places to eat. No cinema, but Letchworth is 5 mins on the train and the cinema there is lush. Lots of great walks / cycle rides

Can get a three bed in town for £320-340k, rental for same about £1k pm.

Havent regretted the move for a second!

I should have said I agree with the consensus. We considered the same towns and we've just moved to Hitchin. If you need to think about schools, I would look at the south side of town, where a 3-bed goes for £375-400k and you can rent the same for £1200-1500. You would get a bit more for your money in BS and a bit less in Hertford (only considering areas in catchment for good schools). BS may have better schools, but the admissions system there is a bit more of a gamble from what I can work out. Hitchin Girls and Boys are highly regarded. There's also Kingshott if you're looking at independent.

Lived in Hitchin and surrounds for 30 years- DCs went to Boys and Girls schools and onto Russell Group unis.

Your budget? have you looked at Right Move?

Def not Guardian country- more Telegraph and Times with a touch of Guardian and Indy.

There is a great Waitrose. Coffee shops galore. Cafes.

Housing prices have rocketed recently. Houses sell in days. Parking at station is a nightmare unless you arrive very early. Public car parks are used as overflow I think.

South side is more upmarket. Outlying villages worth a look- Ickleford, Offley, Pirton - but you add on another 15 min drive to station for last 2- more at peak times.

I like both Hitchin and Hertford live in Hertford. Be aware that you will pay more to commute from Hitchin so check out the ticket price difference. Both towns are quite similar in feel I think but Hertford has plenty going on. Re. The Towie vibe, it depends where you go in Hertford (and Hitchin) - there are plenty of more traditional pubs, places to eat etc. All schools are good abd there is a good community feel espeif you have kids. There are also loads of festivals, days out, events etc for children. No cinema but Hertford theatre has lots of screenings and comedy with some big names for such a small venue. Lots of green space here (Hartham Common) with lovely river walks and cycle rides, a swimming pool etc so plenty going on.

Be aware that in the outlying villages (of Hitchin) secondary school allocation is a major issue. Children used to be able to get into the boys and girls schools but now pressure on places from the growing population of Hitchin town itself means that is far from certain. Some children are being given places in Luton schools (out of area,being Beds, but comparable in distance).

fab thanks everyone. this is great! Looks like Hitchin top draw. I think I need to go look round Hitchin again.