Moving to High Wycombe

[LondonSuperTrooper]

We may be potentially moving to the High Wycombe area. I need to be close to the M40 as both DH & I will be commuting to London & Surrey.

Can anyone recommend the nice areas and/or the areas to avoid? I will need to be in the catchment for good primaries & grammars.

Thank you.

Depends on the budget but I would go for Marlow myself.

If you search MN on this subject you'll find loads of responses as this is frequently asked.

Depends on budget & (I'm sorry to say it & I don't want to offend anyone) how safe you want to feel at night.

Even by moving just 2 miles out you're lookkng at a slight price increase & there's a reason for that.

Did you want village or town, country or 'busy'? I know the area very well as I spent 20 years there.

Hi Nanny,

Thanks for your reply. I would like a safe area please as I have two young children. I prefer a more rural location. Do you have any recommendations please?

What is your budget? and do you also want to be in catchment for good upper schools?

Budget is around £650k.

I'm hoping that he'll get into a grammar school but yes it'd be good to have a back up just in case.

I live in chesham which is about 30 mins from high wycombe. Wycombe itself is not the most salubrious place to live but the smaller towns and villages are lovely. Suggest you look at prestwood, amersham, outskirts of wycombe such as hazlemere and penn. All areas of bucks have access to grammar schools but dont forget the downside of grammar schools is secondary schools if your children dont get high enough marks in the 11+.

Do rightmove searches on the area you are interested in and speak to local estate agents when you see a house you like. They will be able to help you with local information. You can get school catchment details from the bucks county council website.

650 is a good budget but depending on the area you choose will get you a large detached (3500sq ft) in a not-so-great area or a small detached (2000 sq ft) in a mid-range area.

I completely ditto bilbo. Prestwood, Hazlemere, Penn, Tylers Green, the Kingshills, Hughenden, West Wycombe, Woburn Green, Downley are all 'acceptable' (for want of a better word) They all have a 'rural home counties' feel with fields, playing areas, village halls and footpaths.

I personally would avoid Cressex & the centre of HW.

Googlemaps & streetview will be beneficial for you.

Thank you both for your replies & list of villages. Unfortunately only west Wycombe & Downley are near the M40. The rest, lovely as they are will be too far for my daily commute.

Downley has 2 very good schools, people move there to get into them. I believe there is a Downley website.

Could tou get on the M40 at Beaconsfield or does it have to be HW?

My concern for you is that Downley to the M40 at Handy Cross in rush hour can take about 30mins (3-4 mile car journey)

Lane End, Cad More End & Srokenchurch may be more viable regarding the time apent in the car getting to that junction of the motorway.

Ugh my spelling
Sorry - rushing - phone about to die.

Stokenchurch
Cadmore End

I agree with Nanny, getting from Downley to the M40 can be a real pain in rush hour which is a shame as Downley village is very nice.
Lane End is a nice place but i'm not sure if the local primary school is that great.
Stokenchurch has has a good primary school but you are next to J5 of the M40 so longer commute time for you.
Marlow Bottom might be worth looking at.
Grammar school wise, with the new test there seems to be a lot more children who are Grammar level in primary school ending up having to go to upper schools so you have to seriously think about catchment for those. Although all schools can go up and down, Cressex school seems to be the one that is always avoided.

Agree that Marlow Bottom is worth looking at, as is Stokenchurch. Beaconsfield is very close to the motorway but you wouldn't get much for £650k. Penn is worth a look. Loudwater looks very handy for the m40 but you can only get onto the northbound carriageway from there.

Hi I agree Loudwater is fantastic for m40 access. Seren, there is southbound access from Loudwater, i.e. You can drive from Loudwater to London (junction 3). You cannot get onto the m40 northbound at this junction i.e. To Oxford - you need to go to junction 2 or 4 to drive north. But this isn't an issue for your commute OP. Good primary school too.

Ah, my mistake. Thanks Driving.

Depends which way you have to go on the M40!
What do you expect/need for your 650k budget?

Ignore me, just saw London bound!

I would focus your search on the east side of Wycombe. The West Wycombe side puts you in the position of having to deal with Handy Cross every day which is often not much fun...

Flackwell Heath? Wooburn Green, Bourne End etc would all be great for commuting to London.

Beaconsfield is nicer than HW in my opinion (having lived in both). Just off J2 of M40.

High Wycombe is getting more and more popular as a commuter belt area as people are getting priced out of London. It's a really good place to live. Quick access to London but you can still afford a house with a garden! The people are nice. The schools are good. Nice cafes and shops are opening. I live in sands which has a nice country feel and a pretty view of the hills. So peaceful!

All this talk of safety is crazy, to anyone movie from London high Wycombe feels like a sanctuary. I think it's only those who have grown up in HW who don't know how good they have it! I moved from London and I absolutely love HW.