Moving to Somerset

[MMSomerset]

Hi,

We (2 adults, a 6 year old and a 4 year old! ) are looking to relocate from Reading to Somerset. We are looking within a 15 mile radius of Street but we don't know much about the surrounding areas/schools etc.
Does anyone have any recommendations of good locations to move to with young children please?
We have been camping near Glastonbury for the last 3 years and have started our search with Street as this seems like a nice area! We would like to be located in a village with a few facilities, near to a school and somewhere easily accessible to outdoor activities. TIA!

ButLeigh and Ashcott are two of my faves. Watch flood risk on areas.

I'm watching this with interest as DH and I are thinking of moving to the West Country in the next couple of years. We want to be within about half hour of Lyme Regis but are open to suggestions

Catcott? ‘Tis awful posh there. Has a good school.

What sort of facilities do you wish to be close to?

Glastonbury is a bit grim. Not much in the way of shops. No banks.

Castle cary is a small (but growing) .market town , nice area, shops , cafes etc hut still.has a very rural village feel. It is about 20min drive from Street . Surrounding villages/ small towns include Bruton, keinton mandeville, Somerton.

Wells is lovely.

Shepton Mallet has a bad reputation but it’s really lovely. And you can get a lot more for your money.

Street itself is lovely. My DH grew up there so I visit in laws regularly. Good schools, plenty of shops etc, lots of activities for kids like swimming and football clubs. My SIL and her family are always busy and having fun!

We did pretty much this move 6 years ago (Taplow to NW Dorset). Haven't regretted it for a moment.

With young children, I would suggest Sherborne, although it is a bit of a house price bubble. Sherborne Abbey Primary has a good reputation and the Gryphon is highly sought after. Sherborne has the quiet laid-back West Country feel, but you have easy access to Yeovil for a wider range of kids clubs and things like cinema and bowling. Personally I find Street a bit bleak, but that might just be me.

Agree with PP about Castle Cary being nice and that would be in catchment for Sexeys. Personally I'd avoid Bruton because it's a bit London-on-West Country.

If you really do want a village (do you definitely, really?) Charleton Horethorne is probably one of the best.

I have family in Evercreech which is a nice village, Bruton is also lovely (quite posh though!) Both close to Glastonbury.

Wedmore or Wells. What's your budget and what do you need for that?

I wouldn't fancy Street or Glastonbury!

Oh Wedmore is lovely!

Do you want to be near the coast? Street is really inland,

Locals call Wedmore 'Weirdmore'... make of that what you will but it does have two nice pubs.
Remember that being on the Somerset Levels means you are below sea level & they flood regularly. Some villages can get completely cut off.
I live on the Devon/Somerset border but work on the Levels.
Maybe start with which schools you want & go from there?
Street is great for Clark's Village, but that's about it I'm afraid.

I used to live in Bruton (prekids so can't comment on schooling) and it's beautiful but tiny and very well to do.

I visited Wells (Hot Fuzz is set there!) And adored it. I'd move there in a heartbeat!

Thanks everyone! This is really helpful :) Schools are important, preferably within walking distance and a local shop/pub/cafe would be great. My husband and I are both working from home for the foreseeable future so we need a 4 bed house as we are currently sharing a desk in the corner of my daughters room!

The dream would be a property with an annexe for Air BNB potential, hence the preference for a local shop/pub/cafe too :)
We're happy being up to an hour away from the coast.

I will have a look on rightmove at the towns and villages you've suggested, Thanks!

Wells is gorgeous, 😂 hot fuzz! Amazing seeing where the scenes were shot, we didn’t realise until we got there & it looked familiar!

My family did pretty much the same back in 1995 - moved from Wokingham to Somerset. We lived in Keinton Mandeville, which puts you in the catchment for secondary schools in Castle Cary, Somerton or Street. Street is nicer than Glastonbury if you ask me, but if you're looking for something a bit more villagey, I'd go with Keinton Mandeville or Somerton - both have their own primary schools, or if you go the other side of Castle Cary, nice villages include Queen Camel, Marston Magna, North and South Cadbury. All mostly feed into Castle Cary secondary schools, but there are primary schools in Castle Cary, Cadbury and Queen Camel. Bruton never used to be posh when I lived in Somerset, but I gather it's gone that way now....

If you wanted to live more towards Street, there's Barton St David (which might be a bit small for you) Butleigh and Baltonsborough - they're all quite nice. Watch out for flood areas around there though.

Something to be aware of in that part of Somerset - most schools are only year 7-11. Kids then go to 6th form college (either in Street or Yeovil) or 6th form school (I went to Sexey's in Bruton).

It's a really lovely part of the world. I was waaaaaaay happier as a teenager there than I ever had been in the Thames Valley. Life is much less competitive, more chilled out and enjoyable. If I hadn't moved abroad I'd probably have settled back there with my family

And yes, I confirm that Wedmore is known as Weirdmore to the locals . Local legend is that people tend to stick to themselves, hence it's a little inbred/weird....

We are moving to one of the polden villages hopefully soon which is a short way from Street. There is a house on Rightmove with an annexe in Chilton Polden.

I grew up in Street and moved away (locally) about 10 years ago. It has decent schools - primary and secondary - and a highly rated 6th form college. There's a few facilities, indoor and outdoor pools, theatre, gyms, a decent enough Drs surgery, and an NHS dental practice.
I think you have to have a certain mindset to live in Glastonbury although Chalice Well and the Tor are always worth a visit.
I'd love to live in Wells if I could afford one of the better houses.
The whole Street, Glasto, Wells area attracts a lot of visitors every year so should be good for a bit of Air B&B.

Keinton mandeville, Barton st David, both lovely villages, good school but pricey. Somerton is quite nice. Further from street castle cary and wincanton (bit cheaper but is becoming more like castle cary & Bruton year on year with cafes etc and the newt hotel down the road) both great places for a young family with a fair amount going on (pre Covid anyway).

I grew up around this area. Glastonbury and Street themselves have really done downhill lately, but the surrounding villages are lovely! Look at Baltonsborough, Butleigh, West Pennard. There are good primary schools.
St. Dunstan's is the secondary school in Glastonbury, not great anymore. Crispin School in Street has upped their game and is attached to Strode, the 6th form college.

Street has a great lido.

Wells is pretty and has good facilities, pool, good walks, food market, cinema plus the Bishops Palace which is lovely. The only downside are the poor transport links but that doesn’t sound like an issue for you.

I’ve never heard of Wedmore being called Weirdmore! Housing is very expensive there though.

The hamlets/villages between Wells and Wedmore might be worth a look - Wookey, Panborough, Theale, Henton. Westbury sub Mendip between Wells and Cheddar is pretty and has a shop and a pub.

Axbridge is a really interesting and pretty village too, near Cheddar. Cheddar is a bit run down in places but some lovely parts.

I love this part of the world- great countryside, lots of outdoor activities. But not close enough to decent coast for me.

I have also never heard it described as Weirdmore! It's really affluent and desirable, certainly not inbred!!

@Kitsmummy

I have also never heard it described as Weirdmore! It's really affluent and desirable, certainly not inbred!!

Didn't Gary Glitter live there? 😬