Tell Me about Bristol

[HerRoyalNotness]

Please.

Just checking out a potential move. It would be an MOD project, not sure yet if based at abbey wood or elsewhere.

I would have 2 DC year 3 and reception with me, looking for nice areas with good schools and wrap around care. I'm totally guessing my salary, but most likely something between 45-50k per year. May consider an au pair if affordable. Not sure how much to set aside to rent with, looking for 3 bed at this stage.

I guess I'll scrub Bristol off the list

So are you looking to rent? Rents have really risen in the past year or two. What sort of vibe are you looking for? Bristol is quite diverse in terms of housing stock/areas. You are looking at a minimum of £1k for a 3 bed, a lot more in a more upmarket area. Do you know how much you could afford a month? Once you have your budget, it is easier to narrow down the search.

What disappointed said really - Bristol is a city with many different areas, some very posh and expensive, others not so much. Lots of modern housing, loads of streets of Victorian and Edwardian terraces. It depends what you're after and how close to work you want to be - Abbey Wood is in north Bristol, close to the motorways and Parkway station (main line to London) but personally I'm not keen on that area - you are right next to UWE too. Bristol traffic is quite often dire and buses are a bone of contention but you could live close to a train station elsewhere and commute to Abbey Wood station. I don't have kids so no opinion on that side of things I'm afraid.

I've been in Bristol 4.5 years now and absolutely love it - it's a great city with loads going on, good transport links and close to the countryside - no intention of going elsewhere any time soon!

Gah! I would rent initially. I was looking at properties renting at 600-750 but they were dire. I guess I just want an area with good schools for the DC. They're smart kids and doing great where they are now, I don't want to disadvantage them any more than they will be if we have to move.

MOD doesnt usually pay that well, they'll own your soul for £50kpa and you may spend alot of time at work!

ABW has really bad traffic in the mornings so ideally you'd want to live quite close, or get in by train (station is 5 min walk from buildings). I dont know which area has good schools though, so cant advise where.

Bristol is lovely but parts can be very expensive. Three beds in my area sell for around £400-£600k! Not sure of rents, but I know my friend rented her small three bed house in a less good area for £900/month.

With a lower budget and wanting good schools you might be better looking on the outskirts. The other council areas (South Glos, BANES) tend to have better schools.

I know a friend's brother who worked at Abbeywood lived in Yate, I have another friend living there who is really happy with it and the schools etc.

We are in South Glos. Commute to Abbey Wood is made difficult by the traffic. Love where we are. Good schools. Easy into Bristol but more rural feel.

Bristol is an amazing place to live, I've been here 10 years and love it!!

There's quite a few new build areas up by the MOD. Try looking at Cheswick Village or Stoke Park (Cheswick Village is lovely, with a lovely new primary school).

Lockleaze is also nearby but much cheaper. Has a poor reputation, but I really like it!

Happy to answer any further question/discuss schools etc (I have a DS soon to start in Reception and have also taught in various schools in and around the city.)

Central Bristol. 26k per annum. Student house. Rent shared between five. It's a nice student house. Bedroom each plus kitchen/living area. 2/3 baths. Functional rather than glam. Does that put it in perspective?

I would look round the small towns and villages south of Bristol on the rail line out towards weston super mare. Nailsea&backwell etc have much better schools than central bristol and there's a direct train line going through temple meads and up to Filton.

Personally I would avoid Lockleaze, Horfield, Hartcliffe, Knowle West. Abbeywood is horrendous for traffic. I considered a redeployment but declined!

Thanks so much for the info! Good idea to check the villages around, I'd probably rather not be in the city.

Thankfully not an MOD worker, I'm looking for something possibly with the contractor that has been brought in to manage their stock. I used to work for them.

Life is kind of up in the air, but it sounds like Bristol is a good option for me out of all the others I'm looking at.

Thanks again, gives me good info to have a detailed look.

Are there any websites for school rankings? Is it ofsted or do you have to look at the individual school pages to find the info?

HerRoyalNotNess - sensible choice! DP is an IT contractor and works back there regularly.

If you look at a house on Rightmove there is a tab that says schools checker. It then lists schools by distance and gives their ofsted rating.

www2.bristol.gov.uk/SchoolFinder?Task=name&SchoolId=-2
This is the councils list of schools in Bristol itself.

Or here you can search by the LEA.
www.schoolswebdirectory.co.uk/leasearch.php?lea=Bristol

Trains stopping at ABW (Filton) station:
from South Wales (no local stops)
from Bristol Parkway (Yate, Parkway, Templemeads)
from Weston-super-Mare (Bedminster, Parson St, Nailsea & Backwell, Yatton)
from Westbury (Stapleton Rd, Lawrence Hill)

Have a look around Oldland Common, Longwell Green, Keynsham. All on the eastern edge of Bristol, good road links, you need to check latest info on schools. Traffic does get busy on the A4174 ring road.

You could also look at Yate, which is closer to Abbey Wood but traffic will still be the same. I know you said it might not be Abbey Wood.

With regards rent however, for a 3 bed you are looking at at least £800 pcm. Rents have really gone up in the Bristol area.

You could also look at Bath & NE Somerset. Schools are excellent. Bath itself is more expensive but have a look at Peasedown St John, Paulton, Midsomer Norton. It is a much further commute though and there will be traffic bottlenecks. I guess it all depends on where you are based.

Bristol/Bath area is a great place to live. Lots going on and as other have said, many different areas.

South glos rather then Bristol.

Bradley Stoke is a nice area near there otherwise get somewhere on the train line like yate. Apart from I grew up in yate and the senior schools were shit. Not sure if they're any better now. 3 bed house in yate will be around £700/1000 pm

Parts of Patchway are ok and cheap to rent but older whereas Bradley is newer.

If your budget can stretch Coombe dingle and surrounding areas are really nice. Just don't get southmead or Filton which are near to abbywood.

Bristol isn't just about "Bristol". you need to look at BS20. I'm serious. Portishead is great, one junction up on the motorway, or a quick £1 toll over the suspension bridge. We have a BEAUTIFUL Marina, are on the coast, have the best performing secondary school in the Bristol postcode and modern, new primaries. Housing wise; you can rent a marina view new build or an old Victorian/Edwardian for half the central Bristol prices. Although technically we are a town, Portishead started out as a coastal village and has maintained that feeling, an amazing small community spirit. I lived in Clifton, Bristol for many, many years and making the move to Portishead was the best decision I ever made. Honest. Plus, our train station is due to open soon, which will link directly to Bristol and therefore increase housing prices. Just google image Portishead Marina, Portishead High St etc to see how beautiful it is here. And when you do move here, l'll buy you a coffee and show you round!!

I meant Bristol is one junction up! We're slightly south on the coast!!

littledunnock. That sounds just perfect!! And if it happens I will definitely message you.

Haven't heard a peep back about a job yet sadly. Am searching in other places too and have heard nothing. Not yet getting desperate, but in a few months I suspect I will be.

Thanks all for the good info again!

The only problem with Portishead is getting into and out of it at rush hour. There are no trains any more (there keeps being "we'll re-open the line" murmurings but nothing happens). From just gone 4 pm the queue to leave the M5 at J19 is right back to J18 (Avonmouth) and doesn't clear until well past 6 pm (I haven't sat in it myself, I go down to Weston-super-Mare at J21) but it looks like it'd actually be quicker to go down to Clevedon at J20 and back up the northbound side!

If I needed to be at Abbeywood on a regular basis, I'd look at Stoke Gifford (there are some lovely almost rural bits, including one where a friend of mine has a lovely cottage with a time-warp so you get annoyed phone calls from home wondering where you are and all you've done is have tea and natter ), Harry Stoke, Little Stoke or possibly across the M32 to Hambrook or Frenchay way. I'd definitely be looking in South Gloucestershire (Local Authority area, part of the carve-up of Avon, rather than the southerly bit of Gloucestershire, IYSWIM) rather than North Somerset, BANES or Bristol itself.

I think Gordano School is actually the fifth best performing school in the wider Bristol area, based on 5 GCSEs A*-C including English and maths, after Bristol Cathedral school, Redland green, Colston's Girls' and Wellsway.

Colstan girls has a 100% a to c gcse pass rate so if those three are above it they have to be doing pretty well.

However there are some really really shit schools in Bristol.