Moving to Cornwall - too young?

[Ro780]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice and I know you are all very good at it! Myself and my fiancé are 24. We’ve been together for 5 years and have a very solid relationship. Recently, his work have offered him a really great opportunity to set up the cornwall department (this is very exciting considering his age!). At first I was really excited to move down there and enjoy the countryside, sea and general outdoor lifestyle. But recently I have been getting cold feet. My family are in Birmingham and his are in London. We are both used to the city lifestyle and I’m worried being so far away from everyone we know will be hard. Everyone I know who has moved to cornwall have been old people who are retiring so I’m worried we will find it difficult to make new friends. I don’t want my OH to give up an amazing opportunity but I’m scared! Any advice welcome!

Sounds a great opportunity to try a different lifestyle and you can always relocate if it's not as you hope it will be. Do give yourselves a realistic time to settle in though to adapt to a new pace of life. I can't see what the risks are other than whether you'll be able to get work yourself?

Go for it! We moved around the country many times for DH's job, until we finally settled in one place when our son was about to start school. So from the age of 20 til 35 we had 7 addresses from Scotland to Sussex! I think you are making the mistake of seeing this as a permanent, set up for life thing. It's not (unless you want it to be) it's an opportunity to live and work in a beautiful part of the county, make new friends, and then move on when the opportunity next arises.

Do it and you won't regret it. My DH is from Cornwall and my PILS live down there. The quality of life is so much better than e.g. London. Yes, wages are lower, there are more unemployment blackspots, but you will never be far from a beach if that's your thing. Big cities like Penzance and Truro have all the well known shops and facilities.Think of going for a surf after work, can't beat that. There are plenty of young families in Cornwall.

Cornwall is an amazing place to live and not just filled with retired people.
It's very chilled out but there are towns with more of a city vibe/night life. Its quite a big county so depends on where you are based to what it's like.

There is always something going on small gigs at pubs in winter to large events in the Summer.
The pace is different but you soon adjust. I grew up in London til 19, spent from 22-25 living in Devon near the cornish boarder and most weekends with my friends surfing in Cornwall. Then moved to Scotland.

Ro780 When dh retires this year we will be moving back to Cornwall. I am 53. However, we have had our place in Cornwall since I was 26, and have lived very near since 1986. I cannot wait to go home.

There are universities in Plymouth and Cornwall, so loads of 'young' people there; Newquay attracts the surfing/drinking crowd.

Can I also point out that friends don't have to be your own age? Who knows, you might make some good friends with people older than you. I have done so.

I taught in Cornwall, so there are enough youngsters there to keep the primaries and secondaries filled, so no lack. We even manage to produce babies there!

Cornwall is nothing to be scared of as long as you put jam on your scone before the clotted cream, and you don't ever, ever, refer to anything by Ginsters as a pasty. There are Waitrose shops and Sainsbury as well.

I live in Cornwall. It’s wonderful but your experience will depend massively on where you live, and finding the right situation for your family. It’s very variable.There are beautiful remote places, severely deprived areas, lively towns etc. There are plenty of young people and families. It is not a retirement home. Public transport is poor and distances big (Lands End to the Tamar is 88 miles by road).

Falmouth is a nice place. Big town, artsy vibe, student campus so quite young in outlook. On a train line so travel a bit easier. But you are right to be hesitant, it will be a complete life style shock.

Like others have said, you can give it a try and if you don’t like it, you can move somewhere else.

I live in Cornwall too and I totally get your worries about feeling isolated - it is a long way from the busier bits of the UK. For me, it takes 1.5hrs just to get to the motorway! But I love it down here, the lifestyle is fantastic and it’s really friendly. We have amazing countryside, beautiful beaches, interesting towns, a good arts scene, excellent restaurants.

But. And there are buts. Public transport is dreadful, and expensive. It gets rammed with tourists in the summer. Employment opportunities are limited and pay is generally low. Some parts have dreadful poverty (hence all the EU money). It can feel quite closed off to outsiders. House prices are extortionate when compared to local salaries, and many places are full of second homes.

Despite all that, I will probably never leave! If you’re looking for somewhere with stuff going on for young people, look at Newquay and Falmouth. Truro is also nice. Penzance is ok but a long way away. And don’t forget you can fly to London, Birmingham and Manchester from Newquay.

I grew up in Cornwall and I've lived here on and off through my 20s. It's the most wonderful place in the world and I wish I could live here forever. I have to move to Wales next week for my DPs stupid job and I'm so sad about it. Do it, you'll never regret it. I'm so jealous :(

Thanks everyone for all the replies! It hasn’t given me a lot to think about! Originally I wanted to stay somewhere closer to Devon so I could get to other parts of the country/ family easier. But it sounds like Truro and Falmouth are the better options in order to be near things that are happening.

**it has given me a lot to think about!

Saltash is literally across a bridge from Plymouth and is lovely if that helps it depends on where your DF is setting up really.

Thanks! Out of interest, what is Newquay like these days??

Oh my goodness! I grew up in west Cornwall and if there was any way that I could have my career down there I would be there in a heartbeat. Sure, it’s a little sleepier than city life - but people are chilled and friendly. Not to mention the fact that it’s beautiful and in the summer has some of the best beaches in the world. I’m sure it feels like a long way from home, but you’ll probably have people keen to visit you. You haven’t mentioned what you’ll be doing for work, so that’s worth thinking about. But definitely go, enjoy the clean air and the dramatic coastline. I really think it just gets better and better the further west you go. Newquay is (IMO) a bit of a toilet, but plenty of nicer places nearby. Truro and Falmouth are nice enough. If you can afford to be coastal-ish, and it doesn’t make for a terrible commute then I would do that

Newquay high street is a bit grim, but increasingly there are some interesting shops and cafes popping up. There are quite a few hipsters around and plenty of veggie/vegan options. It’s definitely improving, but there’s a lot of the old seaside town stuff too.

It’s not cheap though, house prices there are relatively high.

I have a relative who moved to Cornwall when she was 26 loved the lifestyle and 10 years later has bought a house in Truro.

I questioned why the city and they said the bars restaurants etc all within walking distance and they drive to the beach for surfing and sailing.

Oh and the commute to work is a 10 minute walk.

Well you might want to take the job opportunity but as someone who goes to Cornwall regularly, I would never ever live there. You are outsiders. Everything is expensive to outsiders. Everything is slow and finding anything stylish for yourself or your home is hard work. So, think about what sort of person you are and whether you are prepared for a different life! I like being 40 mins from London.

I’m in my 60s and not yet ready for Cornwall! Other than on holiday. However Nathan Outlaw and Paul
Ainsworth do have amazing restaurants!

You are outsiders. Everything is expensive to outsiders. Everything is slow and finding anything stylish for yourself or your home is hard work

It's very different if you live there full time and participate in the community regardless of where you're originally from......
Can't say I blame some of the small villages for their attitude either. Second/holiday homes have completely destroyed some areas and made prices ridiculous!
I applauded the landowner near Rock about 10 years ago who refused to sell to developers but sold to a local community scheme for peanuts with condition of the houses that could only be sold to full time residents!

I had similar qualms about moving back to Cornwall from city living, and as we had two young DCs and were moving near to ageing parents I knew it would be a 'final' move IYSWIM.
And I still thought we were too young to settle down, even though we were both mid-30s - we always wanted to come back to Cornwall but knew once we did we would never leave again.
Now it comes down to counting in months since we last left the county, not wanting really to visit other areas since nowhere is as nice as home, I feel the moss growing up my legs as we speak! Tongue in cheek but you get my drift. DCs have a great childhood too, tea on the beach, swimming, sailing etc.
But - we are isolated from many of our friends, shopping & 'culture' is quite limited, summers are hectic with tourists. So there are downsides, depends what you want out of life really and where you get to live, as trying to break into established friendship groups through school etc can be quite daunting, & doing hobbies etc can require a lot of time & travel.
I wouldn't change it though, and I was right, we will never leave!
Our DCs will probably hotfoot it to Bristol the moment they turn 18

Well I understand where the locals are coming from but “grockles and emmets” (Cornish pejorative slang for incomers) do buy services and keep a lot of people employed. What would Cornwall do if there were not tourists and visitors? Work would be even more limited than it is at the moment. I think people and the community might really struggle without tourism.

I would just like to be treated the same as a local and I know I’m not. We wouldn’t ever consider living there and the outsider feeling would remain. We are not Cornish and never will be. That seems clear. So great to visit but not to live there.

BubblesBuddy I'm not Cornish, my parents aren't, there's lots of non-Cornish people in Cornwall who are living here just fine. I don't think I am treated any differently to 'proper' Cornish, we just get on with it. We both work, our kids are in the local school, we volunteer in local community projects, there's no segregation!

And grockles is Devonian. Which may be where you're going wrong.

Truro is where I'd live - if only we could find jobs! It's a bit more vibrant outside of summer, and the schools are really good too, if you're planning children. There is still social stuff to do, and so many outdoors activities that I think it more than makes up for the lack of bustle!
West Cornwall is beautiful but very economically depressed and rammed in summer.

Hi, I moved to Cornwall with my fiance when I was 23.
I'm from the outskirts of a very large city and found it very isolating at first. I have horses and have made a fantastic group of friends through that - difficult if you don't have a hobby though.

I would move as close to the A30 as you can for easy access back home to visit.

18 months on, and I wouldn't change a thing, but it was hard to start.

Bubbles I live about 40 minutes from the centre of Brussels, and I cannot wait to get back to Cornwall. Yes, things might be done 'dreckly', but they are done properly when they are. You can build up a network of people you trust to do things on your house, and it does get done. Having been in Belgium for 13 years now, the Cornish 'dreckly' is far faster than the Belgian 'I'll start a job and then fuck off for six weeks and not tell you when I'm coming back' attitude.

You get back what you put in, so if you descend on Cornwall with your urban nose firmly in the air, then bugger off again, no, you won't be treated like a local, because you aren't one, any more than I am one in Belgium.

As to finding 'stylish', perhaps internet shopping has passed you by. I'd take comfort over style any day.

You get that in Belgium because it’s you who is the outsider! It’s a similar problem.

It’s not just about getting anything done on time, it’s finding people don’t stock good curtain fabric, don’t have nice bathroom taps etc. It’s been hard work if you don’t want something old fashioned. However we have to make the best of it! I just couldn’t live with it permanently.

Perjorative nick names are not acceptable if you are from Devon or Cornwall. It’s just rude really!