Where to live in Somerset?

[GregorSamsa]

We're looking at the Taunton area, but could be flexible with location.

We want a house in a rural area, but with access to a reasonable-sized down and good secondary schools. I gather Weston is meant to be not very nice, but are there any other particular recommendations/places to avoid?

I've looked at Rightmove and can see that the area between the M5 and the coast is cheaper, and the area around Taunton is cheaper than eg. Frome. Budget is about £700k, so we're looking to get a balance between getting as much for our money as possible, without ending up somewhere that is cheap for a good reason, iyswim.

The Dyers Lane cottage is not rural I'm afraid, bang in the middle of redevelopment.
Trull is a good choice as is Kingston, both require a journey through to motorway though not arduous can be slow at certain times of the day.
Taunton is a fabulous place to live and lots of the outlying areas are great for families.
Schooling is well covered, I would say Heathfield the best so you need to be the Bridgwater side, but there you can be on the levels!

The seondary school would be castle. My children aren't secondary age yet, so haven't looked too much at catchment areas. When i was at school children got the bus in from villages further out of town so I assume that children can go to the town schools if thry live further out. There are some secondary schools further out I think.

I would say what you need to do is look into the schools in the area and try to arrange to visit those you are interested in. Then once you know if a) you like it and b) there is space , you can search for property in the areas that would get you in to that school.

Don't know about Castle, but Heathfield takes from lots of villages. Sorry don't know the detail on places.

Trull really is just on the outskirts of town and can get M5 noise. Taunton is getting 1000's of new houses in the next few years so do look at the plans for this - I think it's called something like Vision for Taunton, to identify the development areas.

Don't worry too much about "being on the Levels". You can be in the general area without being in the slightest danger of flooding. The North Curry and Curry Rivel ridges extend into the levels but are way, way above the flood area. North Curry and surrounding villages are worth a look. As mentioned above, Kingston is popular, but not that large so not many houses for sale and there is a premium on price.

There's this www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54835468.html

Bradford on Tone is just south of Taunton.

Just to add castle Cary has a good fast link to London 😀
We're on the edge of Yeovil. Imo it's the same as most towns - some good bits some less good but the surrounding villages are lovely; east or west Coker, odcombe, hardington mandeville, Montacute (my dds call it monstercute). I love being 45 minutes to Lyme Regis, an hour to bath and the same to Exeter. Sherborne is 15minutes away and lovely. Taunton is fine but I prefer the Dorset coast to the Somerset one so that brings us this way. Avoid Bridgwater at all costs.

Does anyone have any knowledge of Sexeys school in Bruton?

Taunton girl here. I love it.

Sexeys had a bit of a reputation when I was younger but I left school in 1999!

Reputation for what?!

Also, I still haven't quite understood how schools allocation works for kids who live in villages - do they have to go to the catchment school? So effectively you might not have a choice of school at all, in some locations? Do they get bus transport?

I only know about London admissions, which seems like another world.

Frome girl here !!! I love it ! A lot of the private schools around the wells/Bruton/ Downside Abby (but it'll cost you!) areas have good reps ! Good luck !! Very jealous

Sexey s school is a good school , equally so is Ansford school in castle cary. this area is really nice, castle cary has a train station so good links to London.

Private school is not in the masterplan.

But boarding at Sexeys could work I think? I'll have to find out about the likely availability of in-year places.

Sorry can't help with specifics on state schools or Sexey's but have a look here:

www.somerset.gov.uk/education-learning-and-schools/choosing-a-school/apply-to-transfer-schools/

Yes there are buses for the villages.

Michael gove's dc goes to Sexeys - make of that what you will.

Nooooooo!

His daughter definitely goes/went to Grey Coat Hospital in Victoria, I know someone whose child was a classmate.

Have they moved or something? I'm not moving all the way to Somerset to rub shoulders with Michael Gove and the appalling Sarah Vine. [paranoid]

Local paper was banned from reporting it about 2/3 years ago ish. I was close friends with the editor and worked in a nearby school so heard it from both angles.
Probably moved to private school now he's not education sec - cynical much?

Cynical but prob accuratW.

That must be recent though, as she was def at greycoats for 2014-15, she's the year above my dd. Maybe they moved out of London?

Oh god, another thing to worry about.

Another vote for Castle Cary (direct train to London (also Bristol and Bath); hood primary s d secondary schools). DM has lived there for the last 20 years (moved from London) and we have toyed with the idea of relocating many times.