Stamford / Market Deeping, S Lincs

[imabeautifulfennelcalledjoan]

There's a chance we may need to move to the Peterborough area for work. We wouldn't want to live in the city itself. We live in a gorgeous Herts market town at the moment and want to find something similar. Stamford looks perfect but pricey! We also like the look of The Deepings. Primary schools are important. Anyone know these two towns / areas? Thank you!

There are some bits of Grantham that are very nice and as more and more people move out of London it is getting more culturally diverse.

Belton House is amazing, the adventure playground and the indoor play cafe are both favourites of ours. The train takes an hour to get into Kings cross and about 20 minutes to Peterborough. Stamford isn't far to go from Grantham and neither is Lincoln.

I love Lincoln. We have been to the Xmas market a few times and I love the feel of it. Think it is a bit stuck out on its own geographically though. The thought of being in Grantham within touching distance of Yorkshire does excite me. We definitely need a big road trip around Lincolnshire asap. The main thing for us is getting financially secure by lowering our mortgage and finding somewhere with good schools. Those are the priorities. Hitchin ticks so many boxes for us (except for affordable housing! ) that it's going to be hard to find somewhere to match up. But I'm hoping that a bigger house and being closer to family will make up for that.

Do you live in Grantham MrsPnut? Which areas are nice?

I live near Lincoln, in one of the Cliff villages but I worked in Grantham for a while and my parents live in Welwyn Garden city so we trundle up and down regularly.

Grantham has grammar schools and as far as I am aware the primaries are also good.

If you like coffee shops and restaurants that are child friendly look at Springfields. It is an outlet place but has lovely gardens that are free. At the back is a sensory garden and little motorised boat lake that children can play with.Ducks are everywhere and it is an excellent place for them to run a bit of energy off. Also Baytree at Christmas time has a lovely Grotto. It really is fabulous for little ones.

Other ideas that are helpful with small children-
There is an arts centre that has all sorts of creative workshops too.

Next to Baytree there is a ball pit play place (and a taser place for when they are older). In town there is an bowling alley and indoor swimming pool.

There is also a water taxi that takes you from town into Springfields which my children loved.
There is an aviary and children playground in the grounds of Ayscoughfee which is a also a free museum with events for children.
Before I forget there is also a lovely independent bookshop in the town called Bookmark with a cafe.

The children's park at Surfleet is wonderful too and the Mermaid pub at Surfleet is excellent.

Dyke pub outside of Bourne is worth a visit.

When we moved up we were looking for a house in either Bourne or Spalding as my DH was working in one of the Grammar schools. We asked around and we were advised to avoid the new build housing estates at Bourne (one of the school governors with connections) and that Spalding had more to offer a young family. Having lived there for a decade I would say that is true.

Grantham is a fine as long as you live in one of the outlying villages but that comes with it's own restrictions.

Anyway-good luck with everything 🙂

Thank you. I'll put Spalding on the list too!

Thank you. I think we'd need to be near ish the station. Is that area not so nice? I'll have a look at the villages though. I'd be really happy for the DC to go to grammar schools. I went to one.

Interesting crevice, my father is a governor at a Lincolnshire grammar school, maybe you know him.

Grantham to Peterborough can be a long commute if the A1 isn't flowing. I would say that whilst the Grantham grammar schools were very good, Granthan itself is very far removed from Hitchin. It's more like Stevenage! (not new town but id still say closer to Stev than Hitchin especially the town centre)

Oh nooo! That's not good.

I'm so gutted to leave Hitchin. Sob.

Can you extend?! I guess it's too far to Pets and your family.

We had a quote for kitchen extension and loft conversion. It was nearly £100k so that was the final straw really!

Baston is close to spalding, Peterborough, Stamford and Belton House at Grantham isn't too far. Bourne grammar school is just up the road and Deeping school the other way also very good.

Oh my God, don't put Spalding on your list! It is dire
So are Boston and Sleaford. And Lincolnshire coast is bleak, flat, windy and muddy.

Grantham I'd say has gone downhill in the last five years, even Marks&Spencer's closed their shop down...if you are not bothered by seeing lots of people in sportswear with shaven heads and missing front teeth(and often non English speakers), then Grantham will be OK for you, esp since it's big and has some affluent and pretty areas.
Belton house is great, but the entry for the family visit just for the grounds would be is £16 or so, you'll be better off purchasing National Trust membership if you don't have it already(Burghley park is free with free parking)

Grantham is still far better than anywhere on the Fens (Spalding, Sleaford etc. Bourne is just borderline, so it's less fen-y)

Thanks for all the comments. I can see that Lincolnshire is quite divisive...

Off to have a look around Oakham and Stamford later this week. We are feeling quite excited.

SIL Is from Newark and has warned is off several places, including Grantham.

Could you commute by train from Newark OP?

Why not Newark?

Commutable to London. Near your sister. Great train links. Very close to nottingham for bigger city shopping. Newark town itself is ok. Has a waitrose.

X post!

I wondered that as we always like it when we visit but think it's a bit far to commute to Peterborough by car. Have realised Grantham is out for that reason anyway.

Will put it on the list again though as it's really nice!

Could your Dh not commute from newark by train to Peterborough?