Moving to Dorset area

[Rainbowlou1]

hello
My dh and I have decided to up sticks and move to the coast-after holidaying every year in Dorset (usually lulworth) we have fallen in love with the area and hoping to rent there from next year (once my dad has finished her gcse's).
We will be going down a lot before we make any firm decisions but I would love some input regarding places to look at that may be suitable for 7yr old and 16 yr old..I work in a primary school and hoping to get similar work there..we prefer smaller rural villages and would love to be as close to the sea as possible..obviously I won't get everything ticked off my list but please throw some names of places at me so I can be fully armed with extra info when we visit.
Thank you!

Obviously my daughter doing her gcse's not my dad!

Need some info to narrow down the choices.
Is your 16yo going to college?

Are senior schools a big issue, or will you move again in 6 years?
Budget? House type
As close to the sea as possible may mean living in a less 'desirable' area, is that OK?
or do you mean a 20 min car drive from the sea is OK?
a sandy beach?

I can't offer any advice but just to say how much I envy you, we also go to that area most years and have dreams of moving down there. Good luck with your move :).

Sunnyshores we will be renting to begin with so budget is max £1000 pm
Sandy beach not necessarily and I don't mind a short car journey there.
My daughter will be 16 next March so she is currently making decisions about college/6th form etc

Cambridgeblue since making this decision so many people are saying the same thing to me-dorset will be overcrowded soon!

I think the college and/or the course maybe critical to where you live. If it wasnt then pretty much the whole of Dorset is open to you!

Do you have a preference for the Jurassic coast (past Weymouth), or the other side? The Jurassic is quieter and property cheaper. Bridport is lovely, personally the villages nearer the coasts this side are too quiet out of season.

I prefer smaller towns (so not Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, or for other reasons, Swanage, Portland, Wareham)

I would choose a town and then look for a village nearby - youll be spoilt for choice.

Sherbourne and Shaftsbury (both maybe too far from the sea?)
Dorchester (great schools), Wimborne (maybe the area is too busy), Bridport (town not to pretty, but prob my favourite villages around here).

Very envious, its my childhood home but cant even think about retirement yet!

Dorset, although not a huge county, spans quite a large area so it's difficult to narrow it down for you!

You have Poole/Bournemouth area, although you may struggle to get something within your budget unless you go to a slightly less desirable area.
Then there's Swanage area, but this can be quite "cut off" from the rest of the county.
Then there's Wareham, Wool, Lulworth areas. Lovely but I have no idea what schools are like. Nearest college is Weymouth I believe.

Then you have Weymouth, Portland, Dorchester areas. I think you would get somewhere for your budget there.

Then the other side of Weymouth, Bridport etc. some beautiful beaches there but a long way away from the other side of Dorset really.

Then more inland, Sherborne, Shaftesbury and villages. Some beautiful villages around there, THe Gryphon school in Sherborne is very good (I went there so perhaps I'm biased!) but your further away from the coast. Takes me about 30 mins to get to nearest beach.

Thank you for your help!we are going down for a couple of days soon to get a feel for the areas and then going for half term in October!
Lots to think about xx

The Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester is absolutely fantastic, plenty of catchment areas near the sea (abbotsbury is very pretty for example). A bit further in land but the piddle valley school is one of the best primary schools in the country

And the piddle valley is so pretty!

This is all great thank you so much x