Buying a house in St Neots (Cambs)

[user1499609760]

Hi all,

I'm brand new to Mumsnet, so any advice would be appreciated!

My dh & I are looking at a house in St Neots that we really liked - it ticks a lot of boxes for us, including a downstairs loo, room for a study/office and close to the train station. We are currently renting in Cambridge and are keeping an eye on property in Cambridge itself, but a lot of the prices are just crazy and you definitely get more house for your money in St Neots.

My dh works just outside Cambridge (in Girton), and I work in London, so the train links to London are very important. Does anyone have any insights on London commuting from St Neots? Are the trains packed? I would often have the option to travel off-peak, but would also have to use peak times. I'm an academic so I often don't have to go every day: typically 3 days a week during the teaching term, if that makes a difference. My dh would be driving to Girton most days. Likewise he would have a bit of flexibility about when to travel - he could sometimes avoid the 8am peak for instance. Any insights on either of these aspects would be great.

We did spend most of the day last Saturday in St Neots and we liked it - there are cafes, pubs, restaurants, supermarkets etc. There's a swimming pool for me. We generally live a fairly quiet life - for instance we wouldn't necessarily go out for cultural stuff in Cambridge (theatre/concerts say), but we would eat out. We often go to London for shows etc., which with St Neots would work well with the train. We would for instance go for a wander at the weekends, having a coffee and/or drink. Nothing too outlandish! And we would still be close to Cambridge for some more shops etc. if necessary

If anyone had any insights on any of this I'd be very grateful. We did very much like most of what we saw, but of course there's always the fear of jumping in & committing!

Thanks,
J

The commute by car into Cambridge is hideous. The a428 at Caxton is a nightmare and to get into Girton from that route you'd have to either go into the city and out again via madingley road which is hell on earth or use the dry Drayton rat run.

Trains however in my experience are great into London and into Cambridge.

What about Waterbeach? Easier journey. Also you could look at villages past Caxton, papworth and cambourn have a lot of London commuters as the trip into st Neots is a lot easier.

Thanks Pickleshickles.

With the trains, would you typically get a seat in the mornings/evenings?

With the car, he needs to go to Girton college on the Huntington Road - I know that is a nightmare at the moment, but you can access it from the A428. He could also cut through the new North West Cambridge from the A1303.

I don't know if the trains are as good from Waterbeach. It also seems like most of the trains are beyond our budget - the house in St Neots is well below £400k.