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!

Glad you liked Oakham OP, we've lived there for a few months (moved up from SE) and love it 😀 All the primary schools are pretty good. Some are over subscribed but think it just depends on the year. My children go to Brook Hill which was my first choice - we really love it even though we live on the other side of town. But think you'll probably need to take a look round to get a feel for all the schools. Catmose Primary seems to also have a good name. People kept telling me it wasn't possible to get a bad school in Oakham, the council & schools were really helpful.
We very nearly bought in Barleythorpe, but found a property we liked more in the end. Lots of new developments going on - Spinney Hill looks good Imo although £££. If I could afford it I'd love to live on Stamford Road.
Enjoy your trip to Stamford - it's lovely and we tend to go that way once a month or so for the extra shops etc(MIL lives over that way), but I never wanted to move there funnily enough. I've been told there are roads to avoid living in, but can't remember which ones, sorry!

Hi zebra, thanks for coming back and telling me more about Oakham. And also for mentioning it on here in the first place. We did really love it when we visited.

I like the look of Brook Hill. They do forest school there don't they? My DD would love that! We've found a bone property almost on top of the school but DH prefers the new builds. Bit of a dilemma. I've also now read that there may be a new schol for the Barleythorpe estate although not until 2017. All food for thought altho we need to move fast to get DD into reception for September

*bone property?! I meant good I think!

I've heard the council gave the go ahead for a new school but someone said its apparently been put off whilst they're investing in the new sixth form provision. I know at least one of the schools is growing next year - Brook Hill increased their intake last year. I applied for my Reception child from our London address and got a place, pretty lucky I think but you never know...
I suggest phoning Rutland Council - they do all Reception allocations and the lady there was very helpful. It was pretty stressful - not an ideal time to move, so I really feel for you!
Quite a few of the children from Barleythorpe come to Brook Hill - everywhere is pretty close so it's only a 5 minute drive and you'd be the right side of the railway 😀 Although I do envy those mums who only live a few doors away from school!

Joan

I'm surprised there is no picture of the view out of the front windows of that property you linked to, I remember that up the road the other side of the street has no houses on and there were flowering fields and trees in the distance, you could see far into the countryside! It's a really nice peaceful location but still five minutes on the bike to Tesco and town centre. Unless there is a plan to build on those fields? They were definitely private farmland in our time there....

Your DH likes newbuilds? I've been to some in Oakham, and in my experience the terraced ones were absolutely claustrophobically small, incredibly narrow, usually three storied's, but with small kids you inevitably spend all your daytime on one level, which is tiny when it's your entire living space.... Or I've been to a couple of half a million £ newbuilt houses where Londoners moved to, the houses were massive, you could play football in the lounge, but they were so close together, apart from being overlooked out of every single window and on every side in your teeny-weeny garden, you practically had to get into your opposite neighbours' driveway to be able to reverse out of your own driveway! I thought it was madness, though the houses (the big ones anyway) seemed to be finished well.

Coldfeet

In terms of schools and choosing between Oakham and Stamford, after we moved to Stamford, my DS had to go by train to Stamford every day, because he only had one year left and was in the middle of his GCSE's, but my DD changed schools and went to Casterton College (it's actually Rutland authority, but we live this side of Stamford closest to CC anyway). Casterton at the time was an Outstanding Ofsted school! (and now it requires improvement apparently). However a lot of my daughter's classmates applied for 6th form to Bourne Grammar school and got in.

In terms Leicester being nearest city - that was one noticeable drawback for me after moving to Stamford, nearest city is Peterborough, which I really really don't like. I tried to drive to Leicester a couple of times, but it was just ridiculously far away compared to Peterborough, and Peterborough has all the shopping I need anyway, so it was difficult to justify. However in terms of universities, Peterborough has none and Leicester has two.
While Rutland is nearly 100% white (for the Catmose College's production of 'Hair' the role of a black boy who sings about being black and singled out and misunderstood had to be performed by a white boy, there was no one of enthic minority at the whole big secondary school - at the time anyway), Leicester has schools where there are no white pupils, it's more diverse than London. Some people don't like it, but in any case it is a proper city and far more vibrant than Peterborough.

If you think about getting a job in Leicester, take a look at Uppingham, it's even smaller but it's charming, has good schools and closer to Leicester. However it has no train station. But only 6 miles to Oakham and its train station if you need to.

nodowntime I feel similarly about new builds. I felt a bit hemmed in when we drove around the estate. But the thought of everything being shiny and new is very appealing!

Re Brook Road. I've checked out streetview and have seen the view from that house. It's amazing and reminds me of the house where I grew up in Yorkshire. I love how close it is to the school too!

Leicester actually wasn't the nearest city for Oakham, it's probably still slightly closer to Peterborough but was about the same by train, and a little further away by car(more challenging drive though, esp. if going the back way!).

Are you sure your DC would consider uni in the nearest city when the time comes? My DC was completely incredulous when I suggested Leicester, because uni is apparently is about going away )), and experiencing completely new environment, and growing up=not being so close to mum and dad :)

Also Cambridge is within easy reach from Stamford , by train or it's an easy drive, two straight flat A roads all the way.

Hhmm....feeling a bit wobbly at the thought of moving now. It's such bad timing with DD starting school in September. Also worrying that Oakham may feel a bit remote. Added to that , the properties we can afford (have realised our top budget is probably £230k) aren't necessarily worth moving for.

I love the houses I'm seeing in Newark but DH isn't sure about that area at all.

Dilemma!

Oh dear op, is staying where you are an option?

I know there is a big new build estate (prob good 20 min walk from town) in Stamford, which may have some properties in that bracket. It's called Stamford manor I think.

Fwiw I have two friends recently moved to Newark due to the fact they can get much bigger houses for their money, but really don't know much about it!

The houses in Newark are sooo lovely. But SIL, who lives near there, told DH that it's not very welcoming to incomers, especially southerners. I'm a northerner but he is from Essex....

I'm also being indecisive because I'm still a bit hormonal, having only had DS in October.

We can't stay where we are because three beds around here are now close to £400k. Some at £375 which need work. We just can't afford it. It's a difficult situation! Feeling a bit all over the place.

Do your friends like Newark? .I think it seems perfect except for the secondary school situation.

My mum could travel on the train to Newark in an hour and a half. Oakham would take much longer. I am finding it hard with two kids without any family nearby. I am worried that Oakham will leave me more isolated. I'm fact, I know that it will!

Newark is fine, it's plenty friendly enough.

Thank you. I assumed it was but this has just stuck in DH's mind even though every time we've visited, we've loved it there.

He's also worried about secondary education but as ours are three years and four months, I'm not overly stressing. We just need to focus on a good primary for now.

The houses I've seen there look perfect for us. Also the train links are fantastic. And it looks lovely and buzzing.

I haven't noticed Newark being unwelcoming. I don't live there but live in a village about 20 minutes from Newark and it is absolutely fine.
There have been a lot of people moving up from the south because a commute to kings cross is only 1hr 15m but I've never heard of any tension. My OH works with some people that live in the town.

There are other villages around Newark that you can use to attend events and groups, you aren't tied there forever.

Thank you. This is really reassuring. We could afford the house of our dreams in Newark. In Oakham we'd be stretching ourselves.

I have read the Tolney Lane area is a problem in Newark. Just read this on another thread. Does anyone have experience of this?

Tolney lane is one area- don't worry about it! Newark is lovely.

Can you tell I'm a bit stressed at the moment?!😂

Pass the gin please, someone....

I think the tolney lane residents keep the,selves to themselves. As long as you're not backing onto it you'll be fine.

Newark town centre is great, especially the market on a saturday and the transport links are amazing. Actually my daughter lived in Newark for a few months (before she split up with her boyfriend) They lived near B&Q and the area was quite quiet. I shall ask her when she appears from her bedroom. :o

Ha! I'd appreciate that, MrsPnut. So is the general consensus that it's a nice place to raise kids?

And any lovely areas within a mile of Newark North gate? Any to avoid?

London Road looks gorgeous and I've seen a lovely property on Wellington Road very close to the station.

Balderton and New Balderton are really nice, I think they are very family friendly.
Wellington Road is the other side of the railway lines from where DD lived, they were on Tudor Close.

Fab. Thanks for the pointers. DH has agreed to go up and have a look. I'm hoping that we'll be dazzled by the bright lights of Newark and that this is the answer to all our problems!

We live near London Road and love it. There is a big traveller community in Newark but I have never found this to be any kind of problem (have seen people previously on MN saying that they wouldn't live in Newark because of the travellers and am frankly surprised people could be so overtly prejudiced). There are so many incomers of all sorts now - commuters, Eastern Europeans etc - that it's much more mixed than it was 15-20 years ago, when the majority of families had been here for generations and it was a bit insular. Lovely to be able to walk into town, great road and rail links. Nottingham just a hop away for big city stuff - and the train service in that direction is much improved now. Secondary schools in town itself are still not great, but there are good options not too far away in every direction.