Should we leave London for Salisbury?

[TheJoyofCocodamol]

We just need a change and want to live closer to beautiful countryside and Salisbury area looks like a possibility. DH and me would both commute to London two days a week (different days) and wfh the other days. We have two dc, ages 6 and 8. Looking to relocate before we need to think about secondary school. State schools around Salisbury look decent.

The area of Salisbury looks lovely, lots of green space and town centre looks ok. We're looking for a change really and both want more for our money property wise. Have a budget of £600,000 to look for a preferably detached house with big ish garden. Anyone know about Salisbury and areas around? We are both quite outdoorsy and like running and cycling.

Anyone know if Salisbury would fit in with what we're after? Any nasty surprises I should be aware of?

It takes 2 hours plus to get to London from Salisbury, even two days a week commuting sounds bonkers to me. I live in Reading, we cycle and run around the countryside here, tis great and a lot closer to London. Why did you choose Salisbury over somewhere closer to London?

Salisbury has grammar schools, so the other schools aren't great because the brightest kids have been creamed off.
Great schools in Winchester area, and quicker commute to London

I like Salisbury although it can get a bit gridlocked with traffic. Wouldn't have thought of it as a commuter town to London, though, even if only for 4 days a week between the 2 of you. Have you looked at how much those train tickets would cost you?

I know people who commute to London from Salisbury - it’s 90 minutes from the station to Waterloo but obviously you have to factor in travel time either side. It makes for a long day!
Salisbury town centre is struggling in terms of shops, independent places (as are many similar sized towns) but the surrounding area is so beautiful that it doesn’t bother me too much. You can be at the coast in 40 mins, New Forest in 25 mins. I go to Winchester, Bath or Southampton when I want more shops which isn’t that often!
My kids will be trying for the grammar schools but the other secondary schools are fine. I hear very good things about Burgate and Trafalgar which are just outside of Salisbury.
With that budget you could get a big house on an estate called Bishopdown Farm backs on to a country park. People also like Harnham which is closer to the town centre and good schools.

MrsJamin yes it does sound bonkers. I should have said in my op that we are each planning to stay overnight in London when we go there . Also I will be looking to change jobs to be closer to wherever we settle so the commute to London will only be for a while for me. However I need to do some serious research to find out opportunities for my line of work in the Salisbury area.

I would be willing to look at other areas but dh really loves Salisbury and thinks the ethos of St edmunds girls school looks great. We've also looked at Chichester or arundel which in some ways I would prefer but the only girls school was in worthing which we were less keen on.

The point about traffic gridlock seems to happen in any town doesn't it? Anything else we should consider?

Fleabagster thank you that is helpful. Dh is sold on Salisbury but I'm a bit worried about distances for work, both to London for him, and for me it's looking like it might be possible to get work in my field in Devizes which is about an hour away I think.

Be wary of just going on ethos of schools, the reality can be somewhat different - depends on the type of daughter you have. Burgate and Trafalgar are good, so are the grammar schools if your child fits. However, traffic coming in from Downton can be appalling in the mornings and getting across Salisbury is a pain if you are commuting and picking children up from opposite sides.

Devizes is a straight forward run but again traffic can be a problem and the roads can be heavy with slow moving lorries.

St Edmunds girls school is no longer a girls’ school - it’s merged with the boys next door. It’s still the same Head though, who is meant to be great.

Did you move in the end?

I moved under 2 years ago, and it's been a mixed bag. I have good days and bad days. I find there's very little going on for younger people. Definately the teenagers seem to be bored, and quickly misbehave in the parks but considering what little there is to do...The town's age demographic makes it feel maybe a little too sadate, sometimes I find it a little depressing being so young in such an elderly town, I get quite lonely. Certainly if I want more high brow activities for the children I have to look further afield. I'm glad I still have family in London because sometimes we have to dip back into urban life as I'm not sure if I want my children to become so provincial. Traffic, well we all know what it's like. It feels like the wealth gap in Wiltshire is huge, the housing in town is old and small often council but then there are those in the countryside with huge pads and all the toys to go with it. I think it's part of the reason there's so little going on for teens as so many families commute in and out for schools leaving only ederly residents in town who have retired to a market town from the city.

On the positive side I like the access to the countryside for now (but Salisbury is growing) and being able to get a bus to the coast or Bath or a train to Bristol when I get fed up of the traffic. Southamptom airport is useful too, really easy to get to and I'm hoping it wil open up more possiblities in the future. The Grammar schools keep the town alive too and my eldest is looking forward to moving to one.

My eldest is at Bishops which has helped make some local connections as going private was hopeless, everyone just drove in and out back to their mansions in the country. I really missed having school friends nearby as I had in a city.