Relocating to Devon

[Floatyfox]

My dh has been offered a transfer to Devon (we currently live in Bedfordshire) im self employed so can move and both kids are up for it as well as my aging mother.
We thought he'd be given an area but we have been told you choose!
Having only ever had holidays to the area I thought I'd do research, however the more I look the more confused I become, areas I thought I'd like Dawlish for example has been slated on some online site's as awful to live. Ideally we'd like to be near the beach but as to north or south I've no ideas. My only absolute requirement is good state schools primary and secondary. Any ideas?

Okehampton College is also currently outstanding. However, Okehampton is probably the furthest you can be from the coast in Devon! However, Dartmoor is on your doorstep and it is not too far to drive to the coast. And it is considerably cheaper than living in a nice coastal town or Ottery.

Oh gosh avoid dawlish and Torquay like the plague. The schools are truely awful (unless you go private or get into the grammar school in Torbay). Massive drugs scene in a horrible train spotting type of way. (dawlish is a major players in the county lines issue). Unavoidable in the high school. It does have some good points but nothing that can’t be found elsewhere.
Not sure if you are after countryside or more commercial beach type resorts. There are some really lovely places. We live in a v rural village, with a fabulous community about about half an hours drive from approx 6 beaches and an hour to a million more.
Exeter is a fairly safe city, with lots going on if you are prepared to look hard for it. Again it’s not full of pret a manager and Nando’s (although it does have that now) but there is plenty to occupy teens and only an hour or so from Bristol.

If you want a surfing beach you need to head for North Devon, if it has to be Devon? If you could manage just over the border into Cornwall, Bude might be a possibility? That stretch of coastline is fairly accessible from A30, instead of link road, which might be preferable.
Dawlish, Exmouth and Torquay are less scenic and no surf worth mentioning, but much better transport links. Torquay also has state grammar schools, but competition is fierce for places there or at Colyton, so it's probably not worth entirely basing your decision around those schools.

Thanks, I really like the idea of the country side with a short drive to the beach , ( we don't like arcades or very commercial area's) so I'm thinking of limiting my search for areas like this around the south.

East Devon is lovely. Kings school, in ottery st mary is a great school.

I live in Torquay but if I had the choice I think I would pick Exeter. It's a lovely vibrant city with lovely walks along the canal and now with the new South Devon express way would only take twenty minutes to get to any of the Torquay, Paignton, Dawlish or Teignmouth beaches. Also close to the moors and great transport links. 👍 The trouble with the actual seaside places is the towns tend to be quite run down. If I didn't work in the town I would never go in to town at all as it can be quite intimidating - although the regenerated sea front area is lovely now. That's only in my experience and my opinion though obviously!!!

Torquay Academy is on the up and up and got a very good reputation. The Grammar schools are second to none but obviously have an entrance exam. I do love Torquay but not the actual town.

Ottery floods, something to be wary of if you settle there. Personally I'd be looking at Exeter or one of the nearby villages. The coastal towns have issues, as others have said and North Devon is beautiful but remote in a tedious way for someone doing a lot of travelling and the North Devon link road is a horrible road.

Tavistock and the surrrounding area are lovely with access to the moor, and not far from Plymouth. Kids go to the grammars in Plymouth from there. A30 and A38 not too far away.

Beware Ivybridge - might be great for a school, but becoming highly built up and over crowded according to friends who have lived there for decades.

I know it's Cornwall, but you could consider Saltash, as it would offer you the best of all worlds - railway station, straight onto A38, access to countryside and the sea, some good housing, and a Waitrose.

If I was choosing an area to live in Devon it would be the South Hams every single time, Totnes is a beautiful Elizabethan town on the river dart, is central to Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay etc and has great transport links, it’s pricey though and you won’t get much bang for your buck, I also adore Dartmouth but it’s out on a limb and not a good place if you need to travel around Devon.

Go for it.

Sidmouth is lovely for families, easy to get to Exeter. Also agree East Devon, Ottery and Ottery St Mary would be fab. Both south hams and north devon are a pig for traffic roads

Wow thank you for all your responses it's given me lots to consider especially saltish, which id never even considered. I'll keep you posted

I'd go for Exeter or Tavistock personally. Exeter has access to everything - beaches, Dartmoor, airports (Exeter and Bristol), plus quicker trains to everywhere else. Beaches are great all along the south coast.

Tavistock is a lovely town. Can't comment on schools as I don't have kids but if I moved back to Devon I'd go for either of those. I also like Plymouth but you need to be careful about where you live as some areas are rough as rats.

Exmouth or Sidmouth!

Personally I would be looking at one of the villages around Newton Abbot - Ogwell, ipplepen, abbotskerswell, Kingskerswell etc. You get a lot more for your money there than areas such as Totnes or Exeter and you are within easy distance of M5, beaches, Dartmoor and countryside. Newton Abbot also has some very good secondary schools and there are some lovely primary schools in this area too.