Chippenham - what is it like to live there as a family?

[Leafy2018]

Hi,

We currently live in the South East and are thinking of relocating. We love Bath but due to a number of factors, can't buy there (too expensive, small housing stock of type we would look for, commute to London too far etc). My husband works in London currently but would like to get out of there long term. He works in technology so Chippenham seems like a good option for him location wise - he could work in London until he finds another position in Bristol or Reading which have tech companies. At the moment he spends about 4 hours a day commuting - it's just not tenable long term.

Chippenham is actually a better commute to London for him than it is now, Bath is 11 mins by train, Bristol 25 mins, Reading 45 so lots of options for future employment. We want to optimise towards having more time as a family and him being less worn out by commuting. Chippenham also has beautiful countryside around it - we love walking. Where we are now, a lot of the land is still private and it's hard to find nice circular walks. I know the town itself isn't amazingly pretty but it doesn't look the worst either. More shops than where we are now but just not as quaint. Where we are is fine as far as the town is concerned but the area itself has so little to offer.

If you live in Chippenham or that area, what do you like/dislike about it? We have three children 12,9 and 1 so schools are a factor. Any information there hugely appreciated! Where do you go for little trips out? Are there nice National Trust places, for example, nearby?

Thanks so much!

I don't know it very well but live about 15 miles away and we did look there when we moved out of London a few years ago.

When we looked, schools were good especially secondary I think (mine were babies so didn't pay too much attention).

It's quite practical I think. Town centre a bit meh - i have never really had to go there. There are a couple of big newish housing estates (cepen park north and south) where we looked and they were pleasant enough then but very close together and we felt a bit hemmed in although we used to live opposite a park in London ironically so used to space. There seemed to be some quite nice older housing stock around if you look though.

Lots of supermarkets, out of town shops like tk maxx and b&q and stuff. They also have an immense farm shop out towards Castle Combe. Practical.

It's well connected M4 is easy to get to. I live one junction down towards bath and you can get to the edge of reading in less than an hour and into Bristol in less than 30. However both places have hideous traffic at rush hour which means you can double your drive time to do the last 10'miles some days. But good train as you say. Station is probably too far to walk to from the Cepen Park side I think and don't know what parking is like.

It's easy to get to Swindon too which also has a number of big employers and a few more facilities. In fact, Swindon may not be an awful place to consider - whilst the centre isn't great, there are some really pretty villages around the outskirts - Wooton Bassett is one which people suggested to me when we were briefly considering a move last year.

In terms of places around Chippenham, there are some lovely places. Lacock Abbey is NT and they filmed Harry Potter there. Bowood house is lovely and has a great park for the kids. Not too far from longleat, castle Combe both village and race track etc.

There are some nice places between Chippenham and Bristol as well although they are villages would depend on facilities and how much you want to drive.

Sorry - given I dont know it well I went on a bit. I get the impression it's fine which is maybe damning with faint praise but some nice places near by.

The previous poster has summed it up very well. It's a nice friendly little town and great for families. Bowood is a great day out and my 4 year old proclaims that it has the best play fort he's ever been to (high praise indeed!)

If you want somewhere quainter then maybe look at Malmesbury or Corsham. Both are much prettier and with more independent shops and naice coffee shops etc. Neither have a railway station however so you would still need to get to Chippenham for the train.

The schools are all pretty good although randomly the two secondary schools back on to each other which I never understood!

It's a beautiful part of the world op: good luck!!

Hi both and thank you so much for your replies. That's so helpful! Didn't expect such detailed answers - used to reading 'it's a dump, don't touch it with a barge pole' replies to these sort of posts . I really appreciate the time you've taken. Itsii Iubds pretty positive on the whole. We are going to go and have a look around in the next few weekends. It would be a very big decision as our eldest daughter is really happy at school with great friends - so it has to be right. I just know we'd get so much more out of life as a family up there.

Thanks again!

I live near there, and work there. I moved from Hampshire to Wiltshire and don’t regret it at all.

Chippenham has good schools, beautiful surrounding countryside, good transport links, decent shops including farm shops, and is close to Bath, Marlborough, Bristol, Swindon and smaller villages and towns like Corsham, Bradford on Avon, Malmesbury and Royal Wootton Bassett.

It’s not a terribly long way to Somerset and the coast, and property is quite reasonably priced compared to Bath and Bristol.

The town centre isn’t especially quaint or pretty but it has most things you need day to day.

Not far are Lacock, Bowood, Stourhead, Shearwater, Cheddar Gorge, Avebury and you have the Avon and Kennet canal system which has some lovely walks (and pubs).

Hi @Sidge, thanks for the reply, so kind of you and really helpful info. I too am in Hampshire. We moved down from the Midlands several years ago and I just don't feel settled here. I don't know where you moved from - we are between Portsmouth and Guildford (without outing myself!) and I just feel as though our lives have shrunk since being down here. We used to go to the Peaks for the day, the Cotswolds occasionally and we had no end of places for a 'quick pop' within 15 minutes drive. Here, we have no cinema, no real culture, no city I actually want to spend time in - the ones within an hour are quite grotty. The countryside is limited in terms of accessibility - we are in a National Park but it's hard to find circular walks locally as so much land is privately owned. Shops in our town are 'naice' I suppose but not many of them and useless for teenagers. Think our children will be bored soon.

Anyway - thank you so much for your interesting reply, so appreciate the info.

Friend moved there after being in a very high pressure environment
From memory the better school catchment area was quite small and the houses were quite expensive.

Went to see her once.

Had a lovely day with her and our children.

At one point she burst into tears as it was so quiet and there was nothing to do.

She got very depressed. Her and her husband moved back the following year.

@Oliversmumsarmy thanks for that. I'm wondering where she moved from now... She'd have lasted five minutes where I am now!

Do you happen to remember what you did when you went to see her if you had a lovely day?

I live in Lacock. It's five minutes from Chippenham, Corsham and Melksham so the best of all possible worlds as far as I'm concerned. The village primary is lovely and there's a million different walks around. Never thought I would live in a village but I love it. And while it's probably not the best for night life, John Cooper Clarke came to Chippenham last month which I was very excited about!

Has he checked the price of a season ticket to London? It is the most expensive track per mile in Europe, although that said if it's affordable for him then the trains are fairly regular and although usually packed at rush hour; the station has just had an upgrade so is fairly pleasant. The schools are good, although not that much to do in Chippenham itself (it has some okay shops, places to eat, supermarkets and shops though), you are super close to the motorway and not far at all from Bath, Bristol or even Cardiff only takes about an hour- location wise it is great. I would probably try and secure a job nearby first, and try and avoid the new estates, but it seems a viable option for you. Plenty of walks nearby and places like Lacock, Castle Combe are beautiful.

Oh, also close to loads of canals if that's your thing, walking along them and popping into a pub for lunch sounds boring maybe, but it's one of my favourite things anyway :D there's a fair bit to do for children, there's an active children's centre who run lots of free activities and support groups, and there's a lot of local sports clubs etc they can get involved in if inclined.

Leafy2018 we stayed in the house (lovely 4 bed detached place) but even I was getting a bit uneasy it was so quiet and I live in a hamlet down a single track country Lane
The only way I could describe it is by saying oppressive.
I can’t really describe it but just driving into the area she lived felt off.

Coming into the house was even worse

Whether it was something to do with Feng Shui I don’t know.

Friend burst into tears mid afternoon.

She had worked in the City But she was knackered with 2 pre schoolers that she rarely saw and a ft job that never finished when it was supposed to

Her dh persuaded her that moving to the countryside was good for the children and he caught her at a weak point because she was so tired

I think they moved after less than a year

Thanks so much @Syncplug - super helpful! I'm not sure whether he's checked the price of season ticket but I don't think that would be an issue. Very interesting fact about it being the most expensive track in Europe though! Why is that?

I didn't realise you could be in Cardiff in 1 hour 14. That's quite amazing. It is just so well connected. Here, we have Portsmouth and Guildford on direct trains in 30 minutes - and yes London in about an hour, but there's not a huge draw for us there. Would much rather have a city like Bath to potter around - it's so much more inspiring and actually feels quite cosmopolitan. Guildford feels so soulless in comparison. Just a commuter town as opposed to something more historic and interesting.

We enjoyed a walk along canal path in Bath (pub stop sounds wonderful) - and we enjoy proper country walks even more. Can see from the OS map how many circular routes there are around Chippenham. Can see round walk from there to Lacock which looks lovely.

Does the Hardenhuish school mainly take from the villages? Is either school considered better for performing arts do you know?

We would be very happy in a new build house - we have done old houses and prefer ease of new one at this time in our lives. I actually quite like living on an estate with people around. I suppose it's how I grew up. Like the safety for children cycling etc. Why do you say avoid? Just from an aesthetic point of view? (Don't mind, just wondering!)

Sorry for rambling reply (juggling baby!) and thanks so much for yours again!

Gosh @Oliversmumsarmy that does sound strange? Did she live in Chippenham itself? It's nearly four times bigger than town I used to live in so I'm struggling to understand why it was so earthly quiet! Sounds awful for your friend.

I think it was just the place she lived as I remember driving home and turned out onto the main road and the “cloud” lifted.

@Syncplug no problem, happy to help! Season tickets are just above £11k including the underground, worth bearing in mind that the line only goes to Paddington even though the ticket is valid for any London station, so depending on where he works might be worth considering. You can get slightly cheaper with a split ticket through Dilton Marsh, but not all of the trains stop there, and as there are direct trains now it's not worth it- you can get a national express for £2 each way to Victoria but not recommended everyday haha. Both of the secondary schools are extremely close to eachother (the playing fields back onto each other) so catchments can be a bit odd, both are great though- I would maybe have a look at their websites and see what you think, both have different points of excellence. There's one new estate which is built on an area prone to gathering water, I won't put it on here as I don't want to be done for slander (:D) but it is evident from the name. @Sidge summed up the area nicely, happy to answer any questions though if you have them.

We have lived in Chippenham and now in Lacock hi Stealth

When we were near town I liked being able to walk to John Coles Park and the cinema. Previous posters have summed it up pretty well.

I don’t go to Bath as often as I thought I would, mainly because I don’t need to with shops on doorstep and home delivery. We do go there for dinner semi regularly though and nice on a night out that getting the train there is an option.

We would think nothing of going to Bristol or Cardiff for the day. We go to theatre in Bristol several times a year either Old Vic or Hippodrome.

There is loads to do for families of all ages, I am nowhere near the end of my places to go list. Lots of walking and cycling options locally and nice places to take visitors.

Senior schools: villages have priority over town but I think everyone gets offered one or the other. Have a look at Abbeyfield School as well, mostly serving Pewsham Estate, I think you can walk to the station from there but hopefully someone else can confirm.

Is MOD in Corsham a job prospect for your DH, seems lots of civilian roles incl tech but I guess depends what kind he does or Digitial Corsham, no idea what they do there but sounds Techie!

I live in Chippenham and have children in both primary and secondary education. The schools here are very good and if you chose to live near the station or the motorway you will almost definitely get a place at either Hardenhuish or Sheldon. Abbeyfield mostly caters for the other end of town and isn't as well regarded locally but is still a good school. There are quite a few outstanding primaries in town and the surrounding villages, Hardenhuish and Sheldon are pretty much equal in results but locals always think Sheldon is better for sport. There is also a new dance and drama studio there. My older kids go there so I don't know so much about Hardenhuish.

The town itself is ok, has what you need but nothing special. If you are looking for nice restaurants and bars it is not for you. Bath and Bristol are a short train ride but the trains stop early (last one about 10;30) so if you want to go to the theatre or shows you have to drive or miss the end. There are small arts centre theatres in Chippenham and Corsham that you can visit.

The parks are really good for the little ones, especially John Coles which has a great play area, a splash pad and a lovely coffee hut. It is well kept and lovely on a sunny day. There are also loads of clubs for children for all types of sport, dance, drama etc. The cinema has just been refurbished and is great too.

I moved here about 15 years ago for work and it is very well placed for tech jobs along the M4. However the train fare to London is extortionate, £180 return on a week day peak times. Not so bad towards Bristol or Bath though, about £8-£12 return I think?

To sum it up, its not the prettiest or the most lively town but it is central and safe and you can get everywhere quite easily from it, cities, countryside and coast are all easy to get to.

@Syncplug thank you so much for all that information about trains. My husband has a first class season ticket at the moment and the one from Chippenham in standard is £1000 more than that so I see what you mean! However, if he could use standard then it's not a great deal difference in the grand scheme of things - he has a first class so he can work on the way in and back really. Are the trains themselves ok? There's barely any difference between standard and first here - just means he gets a seat!

£2 to Victoria on National Express? Did I read that correctly?!

@lexloofah thank you for your amazingly helpful reply. I didn't realise there was MOD in Corsham. I don't think it would necessarily be a good fit for my husband but certainly worth a look. I must find out what my husband actually does 

@BorryMum thank you too for such a helpful reply. It all sounds quite encouraging on the whole. I'm not looking for the most perfect, quaintest town to be honest - I'm more interested in what there is to do around it. Within half an hour and ideally less. Can I be cheeky and ask you for some of places you have on your list to visit or your favourite ones please? Are they places you would pop out to if you only had one to two hours or would they be more whole day things? One of things I really miss where we are, are places to just pop out to. Everything takes so long to get to and we don't seem to have much spontaneity anymore. Our children are 12, 9 and 1 so they need different things too. Although we do all enjoy getting out for walks as a family (once we've got over the usual protestations from the older two!) and I can see how much countryside there is to go at.

Pleased to hear the schools are generally well regarded. Our eldest is at an Outstanding secondary at the moment, which is strong in performing arts so the fact that Sheldon is investing in new studios for that is encouraging.

Can't tell you how much I appreciate these replies. It's really helpful.

To sum it up, its not the prettiest or the most lively town but it is central and safe and you can get everywhere quite easily from it, cities, countryside and coast are all easy to get to

So the best bit about Chippenham is the ability to leave and go elsewhere

When the children were younger we would visit Lacock, Bowood (summer) and the parks often. Bath is nice for shopping and sight seeing as is Bristol harbour side. Cirencester is not far and has a lovely outdoor pool and little shops and cafes. More of a day out would be National trust places like Dyrham or Stourhead. Caen hill locks are good for walks and there are quite a few farm shops and cafes with play areas and cafes for younger children. There is talk about them building a skate park and climbing wall in Chippenham but I don’t think it has started yet. Oliversmumsarmy is right but I don’t know of any small towns that have it all really, if you live in Wiltshire you are always going to have to travel but if you want to move out of the city that’s the choice you make.

I live in a village between bath and Chippenham and love it. Countryside is stunning and easy to get to London etc

Dyrham park is also a good NT property not too far away.

State schools great in Chippenham and lots of excellent private schools in Bath.

Also Chippenham not far from places like Lucknam Park which is great for special occasions.

And new quicker trains to London happening very soon I believe.

@Oliversmumsarmy errr no the point was it’s well located with good transport access if you need to commute 🙄

Thanks so much for sharing those places with me @BorryMum - really kind. I'll have a google of those places. Farm shops/play areas sound perfect for aforementioned 'quick pop'. It sounds as though Chippenham isn't restricted in terms of development too - climbing wall would be great for teenagers to burn off energy. Where we are nothing changes as all land is protected, it's so dull. I've never been to Bristol but looks as though there is lots to do there.

@mrscampbellblackagain thank you very much for all your info. Interesting about possibility of quicker trains into London. Dyrham Park looks lovely. We had a similar NT estate where we lived before.