Places to raise a family in Dorset

[user1471238641]

Hi all,

Really after some advice, I have just got a job in Bridport and will need to relocate.

We like living somewhere big, so am thinking of Poole or Bournemouth.

Does anyone do this commute and are there any places or suburbs you can recommend.

Good schools are important as dd is three.

Thanks in advance for any advice

I don't know Bridport and surrounding area but had an amazingly crap drive over there recently which took ages . Loads of traffic (off peak) and thick thick fog (there were signs about it being fog prone). There is no way on earth I would commute that unless train is an option and I have a feeling it isn't.

The secondary in Dorchester Thomas Hardye is supposed to be good and I have a couple of friends who grew up round there and speak fondly of it.

Commuting in or out of Poole and Bournemouth is epic - don't do it !

Try Poundbury or Dorchester for a decent town within easy commute to Bridport.
Although travelling in those directions will mean going into the sun both ways if you work 9am to 5pm ish - so you might be better the other side of Bridport ! ( I'm not familiar with west of Bridport - sorry !)
Congrats on the new job !

Definitely go for Dorchester! Lovely town and super school (Thomas Hardye) - you won't regret it!

Bridport is absolutely lovely! It has a really thriving community of its own and you're so near the beach and the countryside.

Poole or Bournemouth would be an unbelievable commute! Traffic is crazy. Dorchester is nice though, although definitely a smaller town. You'd probably be better off looking at Yeovil if you want a big town - the back roads aren't anywhere near as congested.

Don't live in Yeovil. West of Bridport the towns aren't generally great, nice places are usually in villages.
I'd agree with previous posters that Dorchester may be the best for you. Or live in bridport itself to save commuting aggro.

I grew up on Dorchester, and schoolfriends have moved back in their late 30s/early 40s to bring up their own children. It's probably the best place for Bridport, if you don't want to live in Bridport itself. Poole or Bournemouth would be a right git of a commute - it could easily be half an hour to get out of Bournemouth, half an hour to Dorch and another half hour to Bridport. You could probably do it in 45 minutes if there's no traffic, but that'd be around 2am. There'll be tourists in summer and ice in winter, and that road over the top to Bridport can get very foggy. You could consider Weymouth and the coast road, which is a beautiful drive, but again, touristy or wintery.

If you want a big town - well, it's west Dorset. There aren't big towns, that's one of the great things about it. There's Exeter to the west, but I wouldn't be keen on commuting it. I'd say Bridport itself, or Dorch. At least if you're in Dorchester or Weymouth, you're on the mainline to Waterloo, which makes it much easier to get to Poole, Bournemouth, Southampton, Winchester, London, if you don't want to drive at the weekend.

Mind you, driving in the middle of Dorchester is currently challenging, from what I hear about the roadworks.

Villages near Bridport are glorious. Just stunning.