Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Frome and surrounds

51 replies

Ineedthesunshine · 29/04/2017 15:12

Hi all, HELP - we need to move within 30 mins of Bath for schooling and TBH Ive eventually realised central Bath is just way, way too expensive for us. So I have started looking at Frome and Beckington even Bradford on Avon on rightmove and it is more reasonable and a school bus runs from there. Also DH needs to go to London 2/3 days a week so can't be too far from Westbury I guess.

Please could I have some honest opinions about the towns as I have never even ventured to that neck of the wood (we live in the pretty north Cotswolds in a vibrant market town). Smile

OP posts:
elisa2502 · 30/04/2017 12:37

Acoid Keynsham. Similarly OddDown, Twerton, Southdown, Whiteway and Foxhill.

eggsandpegs · 30/04/2017 13:13

I'd say it's an hour round trip in the car from boa to kes senior, more at rush hour. The public bus goes nearby though, which is a big bark in its favour. I reckon you could find somewhere at your budget in bath though, might just take a little while. Combe down, claverton, freshford, winsley, norton st Philip and Hinton charterhouse are all good options, plus obviously bathampton.

Friends love frome but it's too far on a boring drive and has a distinct vibe that you'd either love or hate... it's quite a different vibe to kes so going to go with hate. I love corsham and but then your stuck getting in on the London road or over the toll bridge.

eggsandpegs · 30/04/2017 13:14

Bark in its favour?! I mean plus!

fresh · 30/04/2017 13:26

this is in walking distance of KES if you fancy a doer-upper. It's been on for a while so you could offer on it, and as it's not Georgian it's not listed. We've just converted something very similar into to a contemporary house in Bath.

Original poster
Ineedthesunshine · 30/04/2017 13:51

Thanks - yes I saw the buses and that's what first made me think of Frome. Re the house, it has no real garden from what I see and I think we are looking of something with a proper back garden but it is handy!

OP posts:
fresh · 30/04/2017 14:07

this? reasonable back garden and a games room, and link detached. Also close to KES.

We moved from Bradford on Avon to Bath last year, and downsized by 25% to do it. I can't tell you how much better it is being in Bath rather than driving in from BoA. Although there's a pretty good train service from BoA to Bath, I'd still rather be here even if we have less space.

I don't know your kids, obviously, but if they're senior school age you might find that their interest in a large back garden pales in comparison with walking into Bath with their mates...Grin

fresh · 30/04/2017 14:26

Actually it's a shame you weren't looking last year....I could have sold you our house in BoA! Five beds, good size back garden, Bath side of town, and well under budget.

Also sorry, I think that last one I linked to is semi- rather than link-detached. Still.

PM me if you want to know more about BoA though, if you're keen on it I can help with where to avoid in the town.

MrsEricBana · 30/04/2017 15:51

Everything eggs and fresh said is spot on. My friend used to rent that 2nd house - she has 3 kids at KES and it was fab!
So the dilemma is in town (fantastically convenient and a total godsend once they are say 13+ in terms of independence plus near the main line station) v more space if out of town.
Forget Box, Corsham, Biddestone, Batheaston, Bathford, Kingsdown as although not far, horrendous traffic wise. More space but still doable are Winsley and Turleigh (great pair of villages with strong community), Bradford on Avon, Bathampton, Freshford.
Close in, near KES and not courtyard garden = the roads off Bathwick Hill below Cleveland Walk (post war houses that people buy and do contemporary fixes on to great effect), Claverton Down, Combe Down or, v handy for town station and school but maybe harder to find what you want, Widcombe.
Don't want to out myself but KES is fantastic in all respects and I think you and your dc will love it - pm me if you want to ask anything.

Original poster
Ineedthesunshine · 30/04/2017 16:08

ooh MRsEricBana do I detect a KES mum? Grin Good to hear it is a good school. I see that 2nd house has been on for a while - is it not v nice. Not sure I'd ever persuade DH to go for a semi. I'll google Bathwick Hill as not sure where that is.

OP posts:
MrsEricBana · 30/04/2017 16:11

Perhaps Wink
Bathwick Hill v naice indeed but very expensive. Look at roads below Cleveland Walk, St Anne's Way, Sham Castle Lane etc

eggsandpegs · 30/04/2017 17:24

If I could love anywhere in bath it would be Sydney buildings or horseshoe walk (just off bathwick hill).

On the doorstep of the city with smallcombe vale behind. Great views and right on the towpath for runs/walks/biking. Don't discount a terrace with courtyard here - would be worth every penny.

Wandastartup · 30/04/2017 18:12

Loads of peopledo drive/ bus into Bath daily from Box, Corsham etc and I think to say the traffic is horrendous is a massive overstatement! Depends if you want space or convenience.

MrsEricBana · 30/04/2017 21:35

Eggs or, sigh, Darlington Place.

Indaba · 01/05/2017 09:29

Still batting for town here: if your kids are at a Bath private school think about Saturday sport, concerts, late events at school etc: these are not necessarily covered by school buses. And if your kids are in different age groups, all on different nights/times. There are places a bit out of town: someone posted a house in Claverton Down here. It's not right in the centre which yes is expensive, but still not miles out. We moved to Bath recently. Did look in Bath and outside. Fell for some beautiful houses out of town, but did second viewings in the dark one cold winters icy day and quickly binned them. The beauty of Bath is there's some great countryside that rings the city, so you can get rural without having to go so far out as BofA or Frome.

Thefabulousfeminist · 01/05/2017 09:38

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-65865935.html

Bit odd but v central

Thefabulousfeminist · 01/05/2017 09:40

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-47248119.html

Thefabulousfeminist · 01/05/2017 09:41

This is lovely

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64819286.html

Thefabulousfeminist · 01/05/2017 09:42

Needs renovation but could be great

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-63509972.html

Thefabulousfeminist · 01/05/2017 09:43

That last one has parking and is the right location

GuinefortGrey · 01/05/2017 10:18

I think you have probably ruled Frome out at this stage OP, but I'm from the Bath area and have to say I always think of it as one of those places that seems to take forever to get to, even though on paper it doesn't seem that far away!

I had lots of friends who attended KES and now some of their children attend KES senior too. It is very do-able from Box/Corsham/Biddestone/Colerne/Bathford and surrounding villages side of Bath. There are frequent public buses from Batheaston next to a car park, so you can drop/pick up DC there and they can bus the really congested bit of the journey via the bus lanes to save your sanity!

However, I guess it depends how important bring rural is to you whether you bother looking further out! For me, having horses and pony club DC would definitely mean having to put up with a longer school run and being a taxi service! However, if you don't actually "need" to be rural it sounds like buying in one of the outer-lying areas of Bath suggested by PPs would be your best option.

Joinourclub · 01/05/2017 10:25

That bathhampton property looks fab. If you are used to being rural with a big garden then going central probably isn't for you. But bathhampton really isn't far from town , and it's a nice cycle along the canal to get there.

Madcats · 01/05/2017 11:17

Another KES mum here (walk to school). Very approximately in our year group:
25% live within a mile radius (mainly in town), but also down from the Uni (so Claverton/Bathwick/Widcombe/Lyncombe)
10% a couple of miles away (so mainly drive)
25% Bathford/Bathampton/Southstoke/Combe Down
10% Lansdown
10% Bradford on Avon
10% Corsham
10% In tiny villages (where parents seem to group together for school runs).

Congestion at pick-up/drop off is not for the faint-hearted (so best to come in earlier and leave later).

There is a shuttlebus from the train station (but that tends to arrive just before registration and leave at 4pm, so no good if you like extra-curricular stuff).

It's been a great school for us so far, by the way.

eggsandpegs · 01/05/2017 11:32

Darlington place 😍😍😍

Cuntyboob · 01/05/2017 12:01

First off, can not believe my username is allowed, I have found my people!

We moved out of Bath (camden) as the traffic and fumes are such a nightmare in town and driving out through all the tourist traffic at the weekends was driving us insane, we are about 4/5 miles out. Kingsdown, and have had no issue on the school run to Kingswood daily, we find being within sight of town but far enough away suits us perfectly, but we do a lot of outdoorsy stuff so were always in and out of town. There are many around us, Monkton Farleigh, Ashley, Atworth, Bathford, Batheaston etc at Bath schools.

It is also worth noting the canal towpath is very accessible from Bathford/hampton/easton and takes no time at all on a bike to get into town, we do this regularly from us but we have the hill to climb up so less of an easy route. There is a train from BOA to Bath every 30 mins, and again on the cycle route/ towpath.

Buses are easier if you are on the London road route so Corsham-Box-Bathford-Batheaston

Also you can get a year pass for the tollbridge if you were going to Kes every day this would be by far the easiest, friends do this, BOA, brassknocker hill, drop off at the Paragon, over to Kes then tollbridge and home, in time for work so not as terrible as you may think.

Beautiful area, you will love it