Ashtead/Epsom/Hinchley Wood/Thames Ditton - any insider info you can give me?

[Falcon1]

We're looking to move. We want a 4-bed family home, decent commute to London, a leafy area with lots of green space, catchment to good schools and within walking distance to shops. Moon on a stick basically.

We're considering the above areas mainly because the secondary schools are good, they're not too far from where we are at the moment and they seem to tick a lot of boxes. Can anyone tell me about what it's like to live in any of these areas?

Ashtead - concerned that it might be a bit dull with not great shops? Would we spend our life in the car?
Epsom - does it have a good community feel?
Hinchley Wood - is the road noise from the Kingston bypass really bad?
Thames Ditton - is there much in the way of green space? Is flight noise an issue?

Yes, I know we need to go an look at all these areas ourselves and we have started to. Just want to get insider info from people who actually live there.

Thanks!

I grew up in ashtead and all my family still live there. Its such a lovely place with a great community. I cant really tell you about schools as i now live in dorking (ashtead was to expensive for us) but go there regularly to see family and it still has the same great atmosphere plus its very close to Epsom. It has loads of green areas and places to walk as well as a park thats recently been done up. I think im just bias as i grew up there but it really is a lovely area i hope to get back to one day.

Thanks Stingray - I've been to Ashtead and it does seem lovely - so leafy! It's definitely in contention. Just worried I might find it too quiet. Plus I've only just learnt to drive and I I like being able to walk to most places. Did you find that you were in the car a lot when you were there?

I only learnt to drive last year (34) i used to walk to epsom and get the train further a field.

We never had a car when we lived in Epsom didn't need to

Rosebery catchment is small and likely to shrink further given the large number of primary aged DC and there's a very high housing premium nearby. Ditto housing close to the most popular primaries.

Also a housing premium for places within walking distance of town. No free/cheap parking near the station.

Ashtead trains are far fewer and slower.

Epsom town centre is drab and dulls IMO. But has OK shops.

I would personally not want to live in thames ditton due to paranoia about flight noise and flood risks!

The M25 is audible from ashtead. Epsom downs / tadworth greener but not good for commuting.

Good knowledge Surreyblah, thanks. Can I ask where you live and if you recommend it? Open to all ideas at the moment!

I agree that Rosebery will shrink but if you pick the area correctly you should be alright (the one I showed should for example be ok) and the Secondary school issues are ones which effect all areas (particularly those around London). Epsom has suffered as well from primary school issues but extra classes has sorted that and picking the right area.

Housing premium is correct Epsom is good for flats and houses +750,000 it has very little in the middle that I would go for hence why that middle tend to go north into Stoneleigh or south into Ashtead. If your budget is under 750 I definitely would look away from Epsom. The pricing is ridiculous but is an overall issue with anything that is commuter distance away from London.

Epsom suits someone who has the budget to buy in the college/woodcote areas, doesnt drive much and wants green space and town. Both myself and 3strikes prefer having moved out of Epsom as we prefer not living in the town and in a smaller community away but if you are a townie it definitely suit

I disagree with Epsom feeling townie . It depends where in Epsom you live. There is a good community feel where I live (college area ).

I drive a lot for work, but also walk in to town and get the train a lot. So its good for both drivers and non drivers.

I think the best of both worlds thing is what makes Epsom so great. I often drive to Ashtead to shop as it's more villagey shopping which I like. Epsom town centre is much more 'urban ' feeling than it was 10 years ago, but once out of the town it's very peaceful and leafy. There are parts where you feel like you live in the country but are still only 15 minutes from town.

You also always (apart from the 8.18!) get a seat on the train in the morning.

Hooliodancer the college area is lovely we lived there when we had our maisonette and if we could have afforded it would have bought a house there that and woodcote and perhaps Stamford green are the areas I would buy (not so much Stamford green I never took to it although others love it) but you do need the budget (hence the house I love) if you don't I think it better to move into Ashtead/Stoneleigh (the downs is lovely but you need a car and is not great train line) then moving to the area near Sainsbury's

We are getting better with restaurants as well that's what let us down in the Kirsty and Phil programme

Restaurants and take aways are dire IMO! Virtually all chains.

My husband and in laws are from Epsom so I've spent a lot of time there. I think it's lovely, good shops, easy to get a train to London, nice surrounding countryside and I the people are friendly too. We live in Manchester now but if we were going to live anywhere else it would be Epsom, it seems great for families.

Well, we've just come back from visiting Epsom. We went to the College area, woodcote and Stanford green. Really liked the latter - nice houses and very near the town centre.

The shops and restaurants aren't amazing but there's enough for all the essentials. And they can only get better right?

Quartz - you mentioned that weren't keen on the Stamford green area - would you mind telling me why? Is there something I should be aware of? I liked how near to the centre it is - college area is just that bit further away. Thank you!

Not sure really. I think we looked at one in college area (which we bought) and one in Stamford green. I preferred the flat, the walk into town and station (they are pretty much the same distance just to different ends) and the conservation area aspect limited things we wanted to do (a satellite for sky sports, this was 2005). I have good friends in Stamford green and they like every it. All areas you need to look carefully at schools and which one you want, both areas can have school blackspots though the extra class at st martins did ease this.

The main drawback with Stamford Green IMO is traffic if you need to get to or from the other side of town, or to ashtead, by car.

I've recently left Thames Ditton.

Plus:

It's walking distance to Bushy Park and Hampton Court Palace/Home Park.

Can walk along the river to Kingston.

Kingston is close

Lots of pubs/restaurants.

Colets sports club.

Tiny Boots but handy as can collect online orders from there.

The infants and junior school are good but small intake.

A couple of playgrounds and greens to play.

Vera Fletcher Hall regularly holds concerts/plays.

Always felt very safe and it's very twee.

Negatives:

Trains only come twice and hour. Even though it's the second stop there's no guarantee you'd get a seat. It's a slow train into London, around 40 minutes I think but you could get off at Surbiton and catch the fast train.

I noticed the plane noise increase during the summer. I believe the Heathrow expansion will affect Thames Ditton but don't quote me on that(!)

Bus service is dire (I believe it may no longer be running or be even further reduced)

I found it a bit cliquey. I didn't do NCT when pregnant and it was hard to make friends.

High Street is pretty in sight but not the most useful of shops. There is now a Co op in Weston green which is basically Thames Ditton otherwise nearest decent shopTesco metro is in Molesey or Waitrose and Sainsburys in Surbiton.

Hinchley Wood is the most sought after senior school but there is no guarantee you'd get a place. If you wanted to send your dcs there you'd be better off moving to Hinchley Wood and sending dcs to HW primary.

In some respects I miss living there, it would be a nice place for my dc to grow up in however if I could afford to buy in Thames Ditton I would be able to afford Surbiton and I would choose the latter as it has more amenities Starbucks and train service into London (and south) is much better.

True Surreyblah you can get stuck in the one way system. I also preferred the college area due to walking distance to the downs

Forgot about that with epsom my partner works there and has to travel from dorling to epsom everyday he always says how bad the traffic is and how of it wasnt for his motorbike he would have to leave alot earlier to get to work.

Thanks TDmoocher - you've just confirmed my fears about Thames Ditton. I thought it seemed a bit twee - not really me at all. Not having useful shops within walking distance would also be really annoying I think.

Quartz and Surreyblah - thanks for the info. Will definitely consider the college area too - just not as much on the market there at the moment. Hopefully that will change.

I live in epsom, within walking distance to the high street. I'm of the opinion the high street is a bit rubbish - wilko, charity shops, tk Maxx etc. There's barely any independent little shops (like there is in Ashstead or Ewell). Having said that, Waitrose, big boots, WH Smith are great. We are looking to move as we're not that keen on the town (previously lived in Surbiton)

(Having said all of that, if you could fit into my three bed that's for sale then Epsom is awesome and you should def move here 😉)

there are some lovely independent shops on Upper High Street. Far too many hairdressors and beauticians though (Worcester Park and Stoneleigh suffer the same fate!)

They are turning the centre of Epsom back into a 2 way system - short term pain for long term gain, one has to hope...!

They're only turning a tiny part back into two way (south street)