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Original poster

To move or not to move to EAST DEVON - please help, my brain is exploding!!

27 replies

whynotbroccoli · 21/05/2019 13:46

Hello, we have been umming and ahing for several years about whether to move to Devon. Two years ago we moved from London to Bath (instead of Devon) thinking DH could still run our London business from there (coffee shops) - how wrong can you get!
Coffee shops have been sold but Bath has been a total disaster, DD has never been accepted by the cliquey bunch of kids in her class at school and the parents are even worse, so it's been hard to find our tribe - even though we're a fairly outgoing bunch with a GSOH and reasonable table manners! DD is now in year 5 and has already moved schools a couple of times, and she has High Functioning autism to boot, so I'm loathe to put us all through another move if it's going to be more of the same.
Please please please can you tell us what it's like to be a newcomer in East Devon? Are people as friendly as they seem? We've spent a fair amount of time there and really like the Ottery St Mary to Topsham kind of area - I'm looking at the Kings School in Ottery for DD and DS (currently 8). But we've been really burned by this experience in Bath and we're desperately seeking community and friendships with down to earth folk who don't give a monkeys what car you drive or what you wear on your feet!!!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
Original poster
whynotbroccoli · 21/05/2019 14:04

I should add i've tried to post this message on MN Local for Exeter, but it won't recognise Exeter as a place - so if any MNers know a hack for getting round that I'd be most grateful.

OP posts:
stucknoue · 21/05/2019 14:12

My parents live there, seems very nice and they were accepted as incomers. But they were older so no school playgrounds to navigate. A larger place especially if there's been new developments may be easier to settle into than a village in my experience elsewhere - villages can be very insular and cliquey. I would really suggest you sell your house and rent so you don't choose the wrong place again

WBWIFE · 21/05/2019 17:49

Join Facebook groups like for sale Exeter. Or type in Exeter and I bet there are community pages where you can post this too

Thebookswereherfriends · 21/05/2019 17:56

The village I live in in east Devon is very welcoming. When my daughter started primary school she went into reception with a whole group of friends from the village preschool. Another child started school at the same time who none of the children had met and by the end of the week she was friends with most of the children. I think at Year 5 it would be harder to push into established groups, but it is also very dependent on the personality of each child.
As pp says try renting first.

LoafofSellotape · 21/05/2019 17:59

I've lived all over the world and Devon was so hard ,I made no friends at all and I am Mrs Sociable! I lasted 2 years and moved again. This was many many years ago so hopefully things have changed. Rent first!

loobylooz · 21/05/2019 18:04

My mother moved to exmouth and didn't make friends
Joined churches, WI, all sorts
Odd people
Ended up moving away after 4yr

Pebble21uk · 21/05/2019 18:16

I moved London to Devon about 15 years ago to be closer to parents (who weren't native). Like anywhere it has pros and cons.
Pros - beautiful area, love having Dartmoor on the doorstep. Great if you're into sailing or watersports, some lovely towns and villages, lots of incomers so generally no hostility towards those moving in.
Cons - long way to get to anywhere, not so great on the arts, have encountered very provinical attitudes at times and I have to say, once we are not here for elderly parents anymore we will almost certainly be moving 'up country'.
You'll need to do your research as places vary enormously - from faded seaside towns to very upmarket areas. If you are looking at Topsham - it is indeed very lovely... but (some) there may still look at the car your drive!!

Pebble21uk · 21/05/2019 18:17

Meant to also say... all my freinds here I have made through work. I still have more friends out of Devon than in it I think!

karenhill33 · 21/05/2019 18:21

If you're heads about to explode I think you've got bigger problems

m0therofdragons · 21/05/2019 18:42

I'm in South Somerset but dh worked in Exeter for years. We considered moving closer to Exeter (Honiton) but decided dh could move to a closer job instead. Originally from Kent with family in Surrey, we wanted to be able to get to London and back in a day. I also thought I wanted a village but ended up on the edge of the town. I love how independent dd1 can be by popping to the shops. Community is lovely although school parents are a real mix. I've found my tribe. I think Bath can be a bit like Surrey with people trying to keep up with the Jones'. I'd do more visits and go along the local fairs/summer fetes etc

Letthemysterybe · 21/05/2019 19:14

Oh no OP I’m sorry you don’t like Bath. I find my neighbourhood really friendly and I don’t know anyone who cares what car you drive or what you wear. I think it’s a great place to live.

hmwhatsmynameagain · 21/05/2019 19:41

If you want a new development/town take a look at Cranbrook it is on the east side of Exeter

dimmu · 21/05/2019 20:17

Sorry to hear Bath hasn't worked out for you OP! Quite surprised about this as we are looking to relocate and lots of people have suggested Bath as it's supposed to be quite welcoming!
Good luck with your next move!

Original poster
whynotbroccoli · 22/05/2019 10:44

Thanks so much for all your advice. Tbh Letthemysterybe I think we were a bit unlucky but also didn't research the village we moved to well enough, but we live and learn! Do you mind if I ask where you are in Bath? I'm sure there are plenty of lovely places to live around here, this one just didn't work out for us.

If we do make the move to Devon we'll definitely rent next time until we're sure (and do a lot more research!)

And if anyone knows how to post on the local Exeter MN do get in touch as I still can't get it to recognise 'Exeter' as a place name!

OP posts:
Redhound · 23/05/2019 21:11

I moved from the Home Counties to East Devon, alone & knowing no one nor the area 5 years ago. Please pm me if you would like more advice.

Original poster
whynotbroccoli · 03/06/2019 11:05

Thanks Redhound, will do.

OP posts:
gnomeisland · 03/06/2019 11:12

Looks like the Local Talk search function is useless!

However, if you scroll further down the page you get to View All Areas, and if you scroll further, much, much further down the page you'll find Exeter in the endless list of place names. Clock on that and it'll take you to the Exeter page.
But what a palaver!
Good luck OP

gnomeisland · 03/06/2019 11:13

Click on that even!

Redhound · 03/06/2019 13:07

whynot I have just PM'd you. Should have added, Devon folk are very down to Earth and generally even the wealthy wear wellies and drive battered cars (because there's no point buying a new one as it will get 'Devon rash' in the lanes in no time!) Ottery would be a nice area, near to Exeter they do the flaming tar barrels there! Topsham very nice and smart but busy/a nightmare to park.

SquishyFishy · 03/06/2019 13:12

Personally, I'd avoid cranbrook like the plague!

Original poster
whynotbroccoli · 03/06/2019 15:04

Thanks gnomeisland that's really helpful, I'll give it a go.

OP posts:
Lalotai47 · 18/01/2020 17:03

Hi OP, did you make the move? I am about to move to Devon would love to know how it went. I'm considering Ottery too for the good school.

Popsdob · 18/01/2020 17:07

I live in east Devon, I've got good knowledge of schools / towns etc so message me if you have any questions. Kings school is very sought after - you'd need to move into catchment to secure a place and the primary in Ottery is oversubscribed. There are smaller schools surrounding it though.

SmokedGlass · 18/01/2020 18:50

I live in East Devon, expanding far too fast, thousands of houses being built not far from the Airport - Cranbrook as mentioned above
A sprawl of badly built houses with big issues
My children went to school in Exeter, a nightmare tooing and froing as the infrastructure/road is not built to take all these excessive housing estates, therefore this main road backs up every day and the traffic pressure is immense
Ottery quite a sleepy town, Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton and surrounds is called Gods Waiting room locally
The weather in East Devon is slightly wetter and foggier than other areas
But it’s nearer to the coast, rolling countryside which is very pretty

I’ve lived here for 20 years and we can’t wait to move somewhere with less proposed planning

SmokedGlass · 18/01/2020 18:59

I also work in Topsham full time, houses very expensive, you will have to compromise garden or parking, both is virtually unavailable or up around the million mark and if you do a property search tonight there is absolutely nothing available
Off street parking in Topsham doesn’t exist so you would have to park anywhere you find a space, Exeter Council are ‘still’ debating whether or not to issue resident parking permits

Sorry this all sounds negative, but this is the realism of living somewhere expensive and a tourist county with many second homes