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Original poster

Tell me about moving to Cornwall?

141 replies

Seasider6 · 03/08/2020 07:08

My DH’s family is from Cornwall and we spend a lot of our school holidays there. DH is now talking about moving (working from home is now standard in his company) and how good it would be for the kids.

There’s no doubt the kids would love that lifestyle, but I don’t know what it’s really like to live there! although his family is from there, he didn’t grow up there either (they moved around a little and then back when he was growing up).

Did anyone relocate from London to Cornwall?

What is it like for kids? Teens especially? Which areas would you go for? I’m drawn to places like St Ives, but perhaps that’s because they’re lovely to visit?

I don’t know how it’d feel going from London to Cornwall, although we do have a lot of family there. Anyone got any experience with that?

And I’m concerned that as an “outsider”, I’d never properly belong...

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Original poster
Seasider6 · 03/08/2020 14:58

Bump Smile

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averythinline · 03/08/2020 15:06

What about your work prospects? and how old are the kids?
I would check out the schools- there are a lot of good schools in London and my impression from people that have moved is its more patchy and the resources in secondary especially weren't as well funded ...

I know a few poeple that have moved and the only ones that have stayed were both self employed/ so either travelled for work or wfh and had family ties...
1 family moved to one of the bigger towns-Falmouth as found the ruralness too much where they picked first but has loved being in a town...
the public transport especially is challenging....

Cornishandbored · 03/08/2020 15:08

I lived in London and moved back to Cornwall.

And it’s beautiful yes. But it’s also a humdrum shit hole. Not good for further or higher education and worse for graduate jobs.

For children in Primary school it would be fabulous.

We’re moving away asap! DH & I are Cornish and we have no idea why we bothered moving back. I guess I wanted DS to have the perfect beachy countryside childhood.

There’s beaches and countryside all over the UK though.

We live near Falmouth. Can’t wait to come back on holiday though. But more importantly can’t wait to live somewhere more exciting with real opportunities for us all.

But that’s my view. And if your industry fits in with Cornwall and you are likely to have a good wage then crack on and enjoy the pasties.

Fressia123 · 03/08/2020 15:10

I moved from London and hate it. Can't wait to move back to London. No job prospects, schools aren't great, everything feels far away and I constantly feel isolated and lonely. Conrwall is greatly to visit but not a great place to live if you want a career and are more "city folk".

Cornishandbored · 03/08/2020 15:17

Could you settle in a City nearby? Like Exeter maybe? Close enough for weekend visits. Dartmoor and the coast nearby.

Just an idea. I’m sorry if my post was too doom and gloom Flowers

Cornishandbored · 03/08/2020 15:19

@Fressia123 Schooling has been a huge shock for us. They literally haven’t changed much since the 90’s. It’s embarrassing really. Admissions up country were in hysterics when I described schooling here. Sad

Fressia123 · 03/08/2020 15:21

I know this thread isn't mine @Cornishandbored but you've made me feel so much bette about how I feel about living in Cornwall. Most people I meet seem to think I should feel blessed (but I feel quite the opposite) to know I'm not the only one was welcoming news to me :)

Fressia123 · 03/08/2020 15:24

Even the homeschooling is a joke... I've shared what we've asked to do with some friends "up country" and the difference is abysmal.

Original poster
Seasider6 · 03/08/2020 15:25

This is interesting!!

I work for myself from home and have for years, so I can live anywhere in that respect. Kids are preschool and primary school, and I am very driven by that “giving them the perfect beachy childhood” ideal (they cry when we return home from being in Cornwall).

I have a bit of a love / hate relationship with London (I’m from here), which is why I’m amenable to the idea of moving. Perhaps leaving London for Cornwall is going from one extreme to the other?!

My big fear is that it’s not great for teens, or that we’d regret it and come back and then lose our footing on the london school system (ie: would struggle to get an in-year place again).

But part of me thinks “why not give it a go?!”. If my kids were both preschool, taking a chance would be easier, but I don’t want to mess the older’s schooling about too much at this age. One move is ok, but don’t want to do more than that.

Tricky decisions!

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Original poster
Seasider6 · 03/08/2020 15:28

Very interested in what you’re saying about school!

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Fressia123 · 03/08/2020 15:29

How old are they? My teenage DSS is always wanting to go to Plymouth/Exeter because there isn't much to do here. He (and his friends ) spend their time at Starbucks in Truro but in his own words "it gets boring". The best thing about it that Truro College offers IB for sixth form.

coffeeaddiction · 03/08/2020 15:40

I have always lived here but planning on moving away next year . I'm sure it's a beautiful place to visit as a holiday but living here is completely different , it's very difficult to enjoy Cornwall to it's full potential during the spring/summer months due to it being so busy everywhere you go!

As others have said job prospects are pretty bad , wages are low and schooling isn't great but I do think it's a nice place to bring up children just not teenagers .

I would be more inclined in looking at plymouth / exeter areas so you are near the countryside , near shops , airports and modern life in general !

Cornishandbored · 03/08/2020 15:48

@Fressia123 Yeah it’s been pretty terrible hasn’t it. I think DS will get a shock at the schooling up country and choice of clubs. We know a few families moving away for the same reasons. x

@Seasider6 we are moving away to have a life and not just “exist”. DH is a high earner so it isn’t about money. It’s full of wonderful people & nice food but you need to choose between beautiful humdrum or city life. Your children can grow up wearing Joules and Frugi anywhere in the UK. Striped tops & yellow wellies isn’t just a Cornish thing ;)

Smile
wiltingflower · 03/08/2020 16:04

I'd stay in London and keep visiting Cornwall during holidays. You are already giving your children the perfect beachy summer and sometimes the novelty of beaches and nature wears off when it's all you can do in the local area if there isn't much else for young people.

I don't mean to be all gloom and doom but I also wouldn't feel comfortable moving myself away from my support network closer to a partner's family- this is mainly because I've seen too many threads on Mumsnet where a family moves closer to one partner's family and this causes familial and martial tension, difficulty getting work or making friends, resentment etc and sometimes the partner that has lost their support network wants to leave their partner but they are stuck because they want to take their children back to their original home town and can't do this.

In the long run I think it's better in yours and your children's interests at least to stay where you are re education, careers and general enjoyment of life. You have everything lovely the way it is already.

chopc · 03/08/2020 16:32

I think you have a few years til DC are in crucial school years fo give it a go. However don't sell your London home as you may not afford to buy anything in London again

Carpathian2 · 03/08/2020 16:46

I'm in Plymouth and I can confirm that here and Cornwall are the arse end of the world. House prices are high but wages aren't ( that's if you can get a decent job), there's very little in the way of entertainment and everywhere is packed in the summer.
I only stay here because I can't be arsed to move, two of my 4 ( adult) children have moved to Bristol and London because of the lack of prospects here.

testingtesting101 · 03/08/2020 19:31

If you own your home, why don't you rent it out and try it for a few years? Then if it doesn't work out you can go back.

Original poster
Seasider6 · 03/08/2020 19:37

I’ve been thinking about renting my house out and trying it, testing. Bit worried about messing kids’ schooling around and the stress of them having to remake new friends. I think I want a nice crystal ball to give me all the answers. Shame I can’t get one! Grin

London is a place where people move and leave a lot. My older has already had two best friends move away over the last couple of years, and another has just announced they’re off to move abroad. Dc is fine (I think) but it’s unsettling. I’d like to give some stability but I’m so uncertain that I don’t know what to do!

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My0My · 03/08/2020 19:56

We have a holiday house in Cornwall and over many years have talked to a lot of locals. It seems to me that if you are born there and it suits you, you stay. If you want a simpler quieter life it can suit you to move but it has serious drawbacks in terms of facilities and a broader scope of what you might want to do outside of summer. It takes ages to get anywhere! Everyone complains about the hospitals and the schools.

Working from home and earning well is great for a decent life in Cornwall though. However some dc seem to get bored out of the summer season. Sailing is important to a few, and surfing of course, so they live the life! Other dc leave and we know quite a few who have gone to university and never gone back. Simply no work. I definitely wouldn’t live there. Going to Devon or Dorset would be better!

My0My · 03/08/2020 20:16

Children can lose friends from any location!

WhentheDealGoesDown · 03/08/2020 20:37

We went down to Cornwall in late November, DF lives there and most things appeared to be shut, it seemed as dull as ditchwater, DF likes it but he’s over 80

Zhampagne · 03/08/2020 21:22

You will find the schools a dreadful shock after London. London schools are streets ahead of much of the country, and the difference with schools in rural and coastal areas is stark.

There is a lot of deprivation. Youth employment opportunities are minimal. It is not a great place to be a young adult.

Sorry.

Original poster
Seasider6 · 03/08/2020 21:38

Uhoh - DC is at an “outstanding”, very sought-after, huge-waiting-list london state school at the moment, and I’m not even all that happy with it! Confused

Feeling quite concerned about schools now!

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Jen435 · 03/08/2020 21:46

Don't have kids, so can't comment on that bit, but came down to Cornwall (north coast, fairly touristy area) from London pre lockdown and haven't yet got round to going back.

Love the opportunity to swim/ surf/ cycle pre and post work, but thought we'd do it a lot more than we do. Luckily our village has a lot of locals who we've got to know, but still quite a close knit local community and people can't be bothered to put time into befriending you if you're not here permanently. Now travel has reopened it's rammed (and is normally in summer, though likely exacerbated this year by those staycationing). Not many job prospects that pay well.

We discussed staying, but miss our friends and the wealth of restaurants, culture etc. in London too much.

JoJoSM2 · 03/08/2020 21:49

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/schools-by-type?step=default&table=schools&region=908&la-name=cornwall&geographic=la&for=primary

Here are the schools in Cornwall. Some do perform very well academically but you’d need to be pretty careful if that’s important as there aren’t that many of them.

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