Relocating - Norfolk

[sammylilac]

Is anyone on here from Norfolk or living that way? I know it's a big place, we are looking at North Norfolk and Norwich.

Have always loved going to Norfolk at weekends (family there) and want to be closer to the sea/green space. Moving from London.

Will it be a big jump? One friend moved and said she has no regrets. I', anxious and don't want to rush into it.

So what are you concerned about?

I am norfolk suffolk boarder and all i would say is be prepared for the wind it can be bitterly cold with the wind coming off the north sea and there are no hills so if you want to grow trees that require sheltered areas this part of east anglia probably isn't great. That said i love it here i live near Thetford it's quire rural (I used to live in south west london) so going Ice skating Bowling ect is a bit tricky. I lived on the south coast and actually you get the seaside with less people in the summer (especially if you live away from great Yarmouth). Seeing the seals in the sea is great.

We are not far from Kings Lynn.
The public transport is rubbish. Our now 19 year old daughter was very reliant on us for lifts. The latest bus home from her Friday night pub job was 5.30.
Her school was fantastic. The issues I have are racism Lynnets don’t appear to like Eastern European people, or even those of us from London.
Property prices are rising, there are no motorways and being stuck behind a convoy of agricultural machinery is a way of life.
We do have beautiful beaches within 15 minutes drive.

We moved to Norwich from London in January and love it. Had lived in London for years, couldn't afford to buy and generally had enough of the stress it brings living there. Wanted a slower pace of living and also have family here. It ticks all the boxes for us.

Funnily enough found people not to be as friendly here compared to London, but there definitely seems to be something once you break their barriers down. People are proud to live here and be from here which I love. It's less about what car you have or what school your kid goes to and more about your garden/nature/hobbies.

North Norfolk is beautiful but I wouldn't want to live there. We are currently buying bang in the middle of North Norfolk and Norwich. Which is 20 mins from the beach and 20 mins from the city. Our son goes to a wonderful outdoor nursery which I can't fault.

Do it, before everyone else starts flocking! The fast train to London is supposed to be launching early 2022 (50 minutes!)

Agree with @Mydogisagentleman re racism being an issue. It seems very behind here with multi culture and also people even from different areas of the UK. People have warmed to us now though.

Also agree re getting stuck behind tractors etc. My daily commute consists of that, pigs, cows, sheep and I love it. So different to getting on the vile tube.

If you are concerned about the politics of the area then it is very conservative/leave voting. Norwich less so though.

The tractor slowing your driving thing and lack of public transport is definitely an issue although plenty of free onions this time of the year as they fall off the back of tractors. But this is just the way of life out here you adapt. The roads wont be gritted so run winter tyres on your car (or all seasons tyres). It's no different from any other rural location except for the wind.

@iloveyoubutilovememore

Agree with *@Mydogisagentleman* re racism being an issue. It seems very behind here with multi culture and also people even from different areas of the UK. People have warmed to us now though.

Also agree re getting stuck behind tractors etc. My daily commute consists of that, pigs, cows, sheep and I love it. So different to getting on the vile tube.

That said i'm not sure the locals consider it to be behind to not be affected by multiculturism and be wary of Londoners. some people just like their village and it's residents to be how they used to be and the big influx of european migration to work on the fields (Thanks Tony Blair) has changed it significantly. Hence the big leave votes in this area in the referendum.

It's 95% white and 97% British, mostly Conservative leaning and pro-Brexit. Norwich is a bit different due to a young, student population.

Property prices are shooting up again with people desperate to move here from London.

If you're planning on working from home, you might want to consider the Broadband quality, any commuting and if you have dc, what about their expectations/norms?

What is your lifestyle? What about work? Hobbies? What will Norfolk provide that your current location won't?

I got the equivalent of a sack of free potatoes from the road yesterday after following a tractor (gave them to the community fridge project) and today on my way to work had to stop for some sheep, a duck herding her young and got stuck behind 3 tractors.

List the things that are important to you -
attitudes, economy, infrastructure, coastlines (not to mention house prices!) differ over the county.

Londoners moving to Norfolk almost always seem to mean north Norfolk. It's beautiful but too isolated. Norwich is a great city, but still a long way from elsewhere.

Norwich is a great place to start. It's a great city with lots to offer.

Why are you thinking of Norwich? What do you want from where you live? I moved to Norwich 9 years ago and find it a fairly sleepy place for such a large city. But it has a lot of culture, beautiful coastal places within easy reach, and a lovely feel to the city. Cons: it's quite cut off from the rest of the country, schools aren't great, housing stock is quite limited to either victorian terraces or huge 30s semis in the naice areas. Consider the impact on your employment too as the aforementioned cut offness can restrict your options, especially in the public sector.