Should we move to Farnham or Winchester?

[duchessa]

Hello wise MNers,

We're moving back to the UK after a number of years overseas, and following many weeks of exhaustive searches we've narrowed our choices to Farnham or Winchester.

We want somewhere with great state primaries and secondaries, close to nature, a reasonable commute to London, a place with some charm/history, and also some 'buzz' (cafes/restaurants etc). We also wanted to be within easy reach of friends and family in SW London, to be somewhere not too commuter belt/generic, and ideally somewhere with an artsy bent of some description!

We've discounted St Albans (too hectic) and sadly Tunbridge Wells (grammar school fears!)

It's SO hard to be doing this from thousands of miles away, during a global pandemic! We have visited both Farnham and Winchester and liked both - Farnham probably had the edge but there are very few rental properties coming up there. We have a good budget - 4k/month.

If you could choose to live in either place, where would it be?

Winchester

because of the coast and the New Forest and the Downs and all the other things you get by being that bit further from the big smoke

@peachgreen

Bit too near the student route from the uni to town imo, but a beautiful house.

Sent you a message @peachgreen

@ListeningQuietly

Winchester

because of the coast and the New Forest and the Downs and all the other things you get by being that bit further from the big smoke

The countryside does look gorgeous around Winchester

Hi @duchessa
We moved a few years ago to Winchester and really love it here, I now help people making the move themselves. I can't speak for Farnham but answering your post about winchester. ..

Most of the schools are great, primary, secondary and private.
We are close to nature, both within the city and accessible without car and also further afield with new forest and South downs etc.
The commute to London isn't bad. 1 hr to Waterloo, but ons take in to account travelling time at both ends.
Lots of cafes / restaurants / charm / ample history, the cathedral is 900 years old!

I'm not sure your definition of hectic but in non covid times, esp in the run up to Christmas, it can get very busy with shoppers, visitors and tourists at weekends and some week days. The Christmas Market has just been cancelled, which is a shame - I think I won't take that for granted in years to come.

I've written a blog with more info, if you would like to read and haven't already seen it - drop me a message and I'll send you a link.

Winchester if you can afford it. I have family there and it has everything imo. I’d live there In a heartbeat if I could afford to.

Winchester. Farnham is lovely, but small, dated (surprisingly so actually) and boring for young people. Winchester town has a theater, trendy library, trendy bars, shops, bakeries and cafes. Lot's for kids to do and meet up. Villages surrounding are lovely too especially stockbridge. And for that it's expensive.

Winchester is lovely. St James’ Villas is a quiet road between one busy road (St James’ Lane) and a less busy Road. There is the side entrance of one of a Winchester College boarding house At one end and the busier road is a walkway between the University and town. However, the road itself is a very quiet, with similarly built regency villas. It’s very, very pretty.
The schools in Winchester would have people scrapping to get into in other places. There is a bit of an argument each year as to whether Kings or Western is better and this changes year on year, dependant on the individual child. Peter Symonds is excellent and does very well - and so it should, as it is in a very wealthy middle class area. If you want private day school, there is good provision for girls in St Swithun is good, but for boys there is the problem that Winchester College is very much a full boarding school.

Winchester. It has far more to do than Farnham, and the surrounding countryside is lovely

I work just outside Farnham. The town traffic is horrendous, (never go in during my lunch time now!) and it always strikes me as feeling a bit of a "drive through" on the way to Guildford place. It feels a bit dated and unloved, IMO. Renting and houses are expensive, and there is a huge push to cram as much as possible on the smallest spaces.

What is Farnham's equivalent of the walk at the base of St Catherine's hill along the old railway line by the Itchen Navigation

@Witchlight

Winchester is lovely. St James’ Villas is a quiet road between one busy road (St James’ Lane) and a less busy Road. There is the side entrance of one of a Winchester College boarding house At one end and the busier road is a walkway between the University and town. However, the road itself is a very quiet, with similarly built regency villas. It’s very, very pretty. The schools in Winchester would have people scrapping to get into in other places. There is a bit of an argument each year as to whether Kings or Western is better and this changes year on year, dependant on the individual child. Peter Symonds is excellent and does very well - and so it should, as it is in a very wealthy middle class area. If you want private day school, there is good provision for girls in St Swithun is good, but for boys there is the problem that Winchester College is very much a full boarding school.

This is a really good point, @witchlight. We are hoping to stick with state schools but one of my children is very bright but also incredibly shy and does far better in small class settings. I hadn't thought about the lack of independent school options (for a non-boarding boy). Where do people send their secondary-aged sons if they don't do well in the local publics?

Most people will go with the state provision. Supposedly Kings is the more academic and Western more liberal. The diamond is Peter Symonds - it’s really good and one of the best 6th form colleges in the country.
Some people go to King Edwards in Southampton. It is good, but I would not pay money for what they add above the Winchester states, just my opinion if anyone has children there. If you are going to opt out of the state schools in Winchester, the other option has to be pretty perfect.

For me the option was Winchester College and board (but able to toddle home after chapel on Sunday) or Western/Kings. He chose Winchester and was very happy.

Loving all these "experts" on a city not knowing the name of the school ....

Kings has one catchment
Henry Beaufort another
Westgate another

The three schools have different feels
and not all Winchester kids go to Symonds
because Barton Peverill is stronger on arts and humanities

If you have boys and want to go private day then Winchester isn’t great. KES in Southampton isn’t really much better than the very good comprehensives in Winchester imo. Not worth the expense and the journey. The most favoured areas are St Cross, Fulflood and Hyde. It is a great city and there was lots going on Pre Covid while also retaining a friendly feel.

I agree @ListeningQuietly - I didn't get on well at Peter Symonds at all, their pastoral care leaves a lot to be desired (there was a thread on here recently about a child having similar issues) - if you're very academic and Oxbridge bound it's fantastic but Barton Peverill is a great alternative for something a bit more artsy and forgiving!

I work in Farnham and would agree that traffic is a nightmare and the town is feeling unloved. Winchester is lovely so I'd choose there.
If you're on Facebook it might be worth following some of the local groups to get an idea of the local gripes.

Winchester, and if I ever was forced to move back to Hampshire, that's where I'd live, or just outside. I fell in love with Winchester when boarding at Symonds in the 80s, as did ds when he went to board there in 2012-14.

@thegcatsmother

Winchester, and if I ever was forced to move back to Hampshire, that's where I'd live, or just outside. I fell in love with Winchester when boarding at Symonds in the 80s, as did ds when he went to board there in 2012-14.

Curious, @thegcatsmother, where do you live now? Do you like it better than Hampshire?

I know both areas fairly well, I work in Winch but the traffic is horrendous, considering we aren't at full traffic capacity either. Farnham isn't much better and with less choice for retail.

My choice would be just over the border into Berskshire around Newbury or some of the outlying villages/market towns around Winchester such as Twyford, Alresford, Brambridge, Colden Common or Shawford.

Just chipping in to add to the Winchester chorus. My sister lives there and I love visiting. Nephews are super happy at Westgate, and the city is beautiful and full of interesting things happening.

I don't know Farnham at all but would move to Winchester in a heartbeat.

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-74143287.html

I would choose here 😁 You're welcome.

@duchessa if you want smaller but still good state schools look at Alton and Romsey. Small market towns close to Winchester with good state schools.

Private schools close to these would be Embley or Alton college.

Duchessa Cornwall, having been on the periphery of Brussels for the past 13 years. I grew up in Hampshire, and still have family there. I'd want Winchester, or perhaps Bishop's Waltham, Alresford, Twyford etc.

@SoosanCarter

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/74143287#/

Snap up this one. Fabulous house and location

My lovely friend was driving from London (after a long work day) to see this house today. The agent called her while she was en route to say they'd had 'multiple offers' and wouldn't show it to her. We'd tried desperately to get in over the weekend but they wouldn't accommodate. Feeling disheartened and frustrated as we've been looking for months and this was the one that really ticked all of our boxes. Back to the drawing board...

@WinDins hi there, would you be able to forward me a link to your blog about moving to Winchester? We are currently also considering relocating to the city or surrounding villages, though don’t know the city all that well. Thank you!

Lovely house in St James's Terrace. Mainline railway at end of back garden though.