Portsmouth or Chichester ?

[Thornyrose7]

Any thoughts please? I have been going round in circles about where to move to. I don't want to live in the cities themselves but the surrounding bits.
If anyone knows these areas in terms of schools, leisure, transport, I would be very grateful to hear from you.

I would choose Chichester over Portsmouth. Some lovely villages around the outskirts. If I was heading in that direction I would probably choose Midhurst which is 20 mins or so drive from Chichester.

Thanks Daisy

I used to live around there about 25 years ago, definitely midhurst area it petersfield

Portsmouth is a dump though port Solent I understandnis very nice

Chichester is nice but I don't know it well

Have you considered Emsworth, Southbourne, Nutbourne and surrounding areas?

It depends on what you want, and if you've got small children, teenagers, or no kids at all, and what your budget is - Portsmouth has got tons of stuff for teens and young people to do.

Thanks Annie. Got 1 DD (8). I would like reasonable access to city/town amenities and nice schools, but also beautiful countryside/ coast. Is this possible? Budget not massive as don't want to overstretch. Maybe £4/450,000.

Yes, I do like Emsworth and the bournes. They are a definite maybe. Does anyone know Farlington? Some nice houses there but have not visited yet.

Farlington and Drayton (both just on the outskirts of Portsmouth) are nice and you'd get somethign decent for that budget.

I like Portsmouth, there's a lot going on. Chi is lovely but pricier.

Portsmouth isn't a dump at all.

I'd go the other way - Hill Head and Warsash are lovely.

I would never want to live in Portsmouth central - Emsworth and surrounding areas are nice and schools are generally good. Chichester is expensive and congested IMO, traffic around Chi can be awful, especially in the summer with tourists heading towards the Witterings.

Port Solent is built on an old land-fill with a methane issue!

I think you need to consider your commute - those roundabouts on the A27 at Chichester are maddening.

How about north off the A3/A3M towards Petersfield?

Thank you all- some really good points to think about. Did not know about Port Solent ! Yes, agreed the traffic can be awful on A27.
I need to get out and do some scoping. Thanks again.

Where will you work? Portsmouth is on an island, so the bridges on and off get clogged at rush hours. Roads are better around Chi.

Both have railway stations.

Chi accent is IMO more attractive than Pompey.

The villages of Horndean and Clanfield are right on the A3. About 20 mins to Portsmouth, lots of lovely countryside and South Downs National Park right on the doorstep.

Chichester, every time. No comparison between the two. If you have to get to work in Portsmouth the traffic is an absolute nightmare. While Portsmouth has improved with Gunwharf Quay, etc. Chichester is definitely nicer.

Chichester is absolutely gorgeous. I'd live in the city.

Loads of people say Portsmouth is a dump - it isn't at all. It's a very vibrant city - loads to do. Great places to visit down by the docks, good shopping and restaurants, a castle, the sea. We used to take the DC there often when they were younger as there's so much to see and do. And now they are teens they love the gigs at the theatre and the fantastic Victorious - cheapest and best music festival in UK imo. Great place for teens to grow up.

Anyone who remembers the Tricorn shopping centre and Portsdown Park tower blocks would agree that Pompey has improved.

I’d be looking at Midhurst thinking ahead for schooling - good primaries for DD now and the secondary school is excellent. Chi secondaries are a mixed bag - Bishop Luffa is a CofE school, the High School is OK (recently merged the Boys and Girls) and don’t know much about the Free School, which will be moving to a new site.

You also need to think about what facilities are important to you - shopping, leisure etc. No swimming pool in Midhurst but there is a large pool in Chichester. Good bus service between Midhurst and Chichester too.

Your budget would get a decent 3/4 bed in Midhurst, I think you’d get a bit less for your money in Chichester.

Midhurst in the South Downs, a lovely setting, and the coast isn’t too far away (the Witterings get heaving in the summer as it’s the only really sandy beach in the area), Portsmouth and Hayling Island easily accessible by car for a day out.

Portsmouth a mixed bag - agree with PP that there is a lot for teenagers and Southsea, Gunwharf Quays, Old Portsmouth areas all lovely. Theatres, cinema etc all great and there is a very wide range of places to eat.

The Historic Dockyard is fabulous and there is a good mix of housing across the city but there is significant deprivation too. The main city centre (Commercial Road) is getting increasingly run down - the large M&S there has just closed with the clothing and food halls relocating to edge of city retail parks.

If schools are relevant to you then look at the OFSTEDs and other info as some of the schools are really struggling and a very recent report on the BBC said that Portsmouth schools have some of the poorest results in the country. That said, I have friends whose DC are in secondary schools there and they are happy with the education their children are getting. If the independent schools sector is your thing, Portsmouth High School for Girls and the mixed Portsmouth Grammar School have outstanding results.

Chichester is lovely and the range of shops etc is outstanding. We are in Portsmouth for work reasons and we and our DC really enjoy being there, particularly the wonderful walks along the sea wall bounding Old Portsmouth but if we had a choice, would probably prefer to live in Chichester. That said, my DS who is at Uni elsewhere likes Pompey so much that he and his GF are planning to try and get jobs here once they graduate.

There are some fantastic Georgian and Victorian properties which are considerably less costly than their equivalent in Chichester. Traffic in and out in the rush hours is dreadful and I loathe the A27. But I do love that the Isle of Wight is so close at hand and that we can see the cross-Channel ferries and the Royal Navy ships coming in and out of the port from our window. We are so close we can wave at the people on the decks of the ferries which is lovely.

We've been here two years and are relocating abroad with work next year but will miss it when we go. That said, we are bound for Herefordshire once we return to the UK because that's where our hearts lie.

Chichester is much nicer but also much more £££!

Dancing that's a lovely post about Portsmouth. Never lived there but I've had loads of happy times there and am really fond of it.

I worked in a secondary school in Portsmouth a while ago (not the really struggling academy that has gone through a few name changes) and certainly wouldn't recommend living there if you have school age DC. The attitudes were all very insular, like the kids had never been beyond Portsmouth and couldn't imagine doing so. (Perhaps part of it being an island and that actually it is a bit more difficult than most cities to leave.) There were quite widespread issues with racism. Lots of really lovely kids as well but completely different tone to other schools I had worked at. The hospital is notorious as well - I know of people opting to go to Chichester even though they live really near the QA.

However I agree Portsmouth is on the up in terms of development, things to do etc so it is likely that a lot of the problems will go eventually, I just personally wouldn't gamble my child's future/education on it.

Its also just such a complete pain in the arse to get into and out of when the traffic is bad because of all the people wanting to go to Gun Wharf etc. But then Chichester is congested too.

Have you thought about further West as someone suggested, so nearer Southampton General and excellent Hampshire schools?