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Original poster

Worcestershire, West Mids or Warks - any friendly, creative towns or villages?

78 replies

Clebaby · 14/12/2020 17:09

Hi there! I hope someone can help us.

We are moving out of London to have more space and less work pressure. It’s making us all sick! With Covid restrictions - and us being in Tier 3 now in London - we can’t look around the areas where there is property we like, so I’m hoping someone can help give us the low down!

I grew up near Banbury/Bicester (which I don’t like) and posted a while back about wanting to move to a diverse/open minded town or village in the Midlands, ideally near Leamington (but that seems too expensive) to be near family: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/4024215-Mixed-race-family-want-to-leave-London

Race was my main issue as we would hate kids (2 and 4) to be the only non-white ones in their class, but I think if we are to move to a more affordable house outside a city then that’s probably going to be the case. So instead I’m looking for places that are open-minded and friendly and welcoming, in the hope they won’t be places with overt or underlying racism. Places that welcome new people, or get lots of people coming and going, or maybe families moving out from Birmingham/Coventry/London would be good!

Stuff for a young family to do. Even better if there is creative or music or alternative things happening.

Rural is good, as we may do a project - open minded about crazy rundown places etc. But it be good to have a bit of friendliness in our nearest village or town.

The Warwickshire side of Worcestershire, towards the Rugby/Northampton side, and south of Birmingham seem to be more affordable for us, but all these towns and villages are unknown to me. I heard of them growing up but am clueless as to their community spirit or general people.

Can anyone tell me about these places:

  • Alcester
  • Evesham
  • Pershore
  • Bredon
  • any villages near Worcester
  • Bidford on Avon
  • Northampton
  • any villages near Leamington
  • Southam/Cubbington/Kenilworth villages
  • Alvechurch
  • places near Rugby
  • places near Milton Keynes

We looked at Malvern and Stroud for their culture but they are too far from family. We looked around Birmingham for diversity but we realised we do not want to be in a city anymore.

Any other ideas please let me know, we are basically clueless. All we know is that we are sick of working 24/7 and breathing in toxic air!

Thanks so much for any info you can share about these places x

OP posts:
gingerandsmall · 14/12/2020 21:25

I went to school in Alcester - a really nice Catholic school when I was there. It's a nice town. Cookhill/Broom/Wixford and the Lenches are nice too. I'd agree about avoiding Evesham

yearinyearout · 14/12/2020 21:31

@SilverBirchWithout Kidderminster is a dump, the town centre has died a death and Stourbridge is going the same way.
OP if it was me I’d be heading to outskirts of Worcester, it’s one of the few places that still seems to have a decent high street (although that
may change now Debenhams/top shop likely to close)
If you’d definitely prefer a more villagey feel I really like Kinver (nearer to Birmingham side) and Hagley is also nice. Bewdley might be worth a look, it’s a pretty little town on the river Severn and surrounded by plenty of open countryside.

Withthemonsters · 14/12/2020 21:33

I work in Warwickshire, and although it isn't hugely diverse, most people are very friendly and welcoming. Warwick, Leamington, Stratford, Kenilworth are all lovely, as are Bidford and Shipston and Wellesbourne are the ones I know the most. There is an older population in general, but in the bigger towns especially, there is a lot to do with kids.

birdseedpie · 14/12/2020 21:37

[quote CMOTDibbler]@birdseedpie we are in Coffee and More a lot on a Saturday for the dogs to have their sausages :-)[/quote]
Snap Grin

kathryn77 · 14/12/2020 21:38

hagley.
2 good high schools (one catholic)and one good primary, plus other schools in surrounding villages.
30 mins from Birmingham and Worcester, has a small high street but walk to end of the roads and we are in countryside.
a good mix of race in primary and high school.

Original poster
Clebaby · 14/12/2020 21:52

Thank you!!
Hagley, Kinver, Clent, Stourbridge and Halsowen had all been on list - but was worried about distance from family who are nearer the m40 .. but if we can afford more space there maybe we can work less and won’t need their childcare as much anyway. It’s so beautiful around there and it would be good to be nearer BHam

OP posts:
Original poster
Clebaby · 14/12/2020 21:53

Also love Harbury! Apart from HS2 :( it’s perfect spot. But no houses come up we can afford

OP posts:
Moonflower12 · 14/12/2020 22:32

We live about 3 miles outside Alcester.
We live between 3 villages and our child attends a local primary. It is small - 69 pupils in all. 4 of them are mixed race. From 2 families. I'm very good friend with the mum of one of the families , who is from South London. She has not told me of any incidents - and she would. Her daughter is my daughters best friend. . And she was very worried to move here as she'd heard dreadful stories of 'village' life.

justabigdisco · 14/12/2020 22:37

I’m from the West Midlands originally although I live in the NW now. Stourbridge is definitely worth a look. Yes the town centre is shit (but it’s always been shit, it’s not ‘dying a death’ as a PP said) but great links to Brum and plenty of lovely parts with a really nice few to the place. If I were to move back down there I’d happily live in Stourbridge. Hagley/Clent also nice.

Snowball2020 · 14/12/2020 22:40

@Clebaby I’m originally from Worcester (ethnic minority) and grew up there (albeit wasn’t easy ‘back in the day’), but it is so different now. It’s not as diverse as Birmingham for instance, but I feel a lot safer there now compared to other places.

It’s still far better for shopping compared to where I am now 😂

YippieKayakOtherBuckets · 14/12/2020 23:19

Is there a reason you haven’t considered Solihull? It is more diverse than most of the places that you have listed.

planplan · 14/12/2020 23:53

Stourbridge and Halesowen are diverse but dumps. I've lived in both.

Also lived in Kidderminster and yes the town centre is a dump but some lovely surrounds. Bewdley lovely. Someone said Droitwich- personally I hate the place, it's a real nowhere place, bit rough, dead town centre.

I have family in Kinver which is a lovely place but very white middle class.

I'm another vote for Worcester but on the motorway side of the river for easier access to M5 thus M40/42.

No one has mentioned Bromsgrove so I will. I grew up there. I'm not fond of the town but some of the villages around it are nice. Very good for the motorway. Same for Redditch- good surrounding villages, shithole town!

MondayRunner · 15/12/2020 07:59

Nice post @Clebaby

We’re thinking of doing a similar move but looking more towards the Cotswolds because of family. Evesham had been on our list of possible locations... but not anymore!

notimagain · 15/12/2020 08:27

Bewdley might be worth a look, it’s a pretty little town on the river Severn

"On" or "in"...?

Possibly bad taste comment aside if the OP starts looking at properties within a stones throw of the Severn then due diligence is needed with regard to vulnerability to flooding...

www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/18298386.multi-million-pound-funding-severn-valley-flood-defences/

birdseedpie · 15/12/2020 08:32

[quote notimagain]Bewdley might be worth a look, it’s a pretty little town on the river Severn

"On" or "in"...?

Possibly bad taste comment aside if the OP starts looking at properties within a stones throw of the Severn then due diligence is needed with regard to vulnerability to flooding...

www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/18298386.multi-million-pound-funding-severn-valley-flood-defences/[/quote]
I said the same about Upton in Severn. It's an issue in the villages round droitwich and in the centre too.

Burnthurst187 · 15/12/2020 08:33

Any Warwickshire villages near Leamington/Warwick/Kenilworth/SoA will be pricey. Personal favourites are places like Eathorpe, Hunningham, Bubbenhall, Stretton, Ashow, Leek Wotton to name a few, all very sleepy, some don't even have a shop. I can't think of many that have a diverse mix of residents though

Kenilworth has extremely good schools, I think the lowest Ofsted rating is two! Warwick also very good. Leamington not so

Wellesbourne is very reasonable, we have two sets of friends there. Very good location for visiting SoA, Leamington etc. not sure about schools though. Rugby is excellent value, a detached 3-4 bed is the same price as a nice terraced in Kenilworth or Warwick but then Rugby isn't as nice but some decent schools and a diverse group of residents. Cawston Grange maybe?

CMOTDibbler · 15/12/2020 08:41

I have to say that Evesham does have more of bad name than it deserves. My issue is more the terrible traffic where the new estates have overloaded the Hampton road especially. There are lots of nice things there - a thriving tennis and rowing club, the arts centre, the Regal cinema, and a number of festivals.

Flooding does need to be considered, not so much for it coming into your house, but it being a pain for getting anywhere if you are on the other side of the river. Evesham is OK, but we have problems at our two nearest bridges and Upton (though thats a lot better with the road improvements)

TheGirlWhoLived · 15/12/2020 09:26

Ah yes Upton in the Severn might be more apt, we’re St. Peter’s, hence the bias - so outskirts of the city I’d say? walkable to town though and lovely bike routes and things! Hope you find somewhere lovely and accepting Smile

kwaziseyepatch · 15/12/2020 11:28

We're a mixed race family living in Worcester. Moved over from West Midlands a few years ago and love it. We live on the motorway side of the city and although it is urban there's plenty of decent walks within walking distance that have a country feel, excellent parks and it's really nice down by the river and marina. House prices are affordable. It's becoming more diverse as people realise how nice it is and relocate from Birmingham. There are lots of pretty villages around too but unsure about how diverse they would be. Schools are good in central Worcester too

yearinyearout · 15/12/2020 19:29

@notimagain it's really only a small number of houses right on the river that would get flooded and they had flood defences put in a few years ago that work well. Plenty of residential areas that don't flood.

CarHire101 · 15/12/2020 20:35

I would also look at Worcester/bromsgrove/Malvern side.

Someone mentioned Solihull- Solihull was actually voted best area in UK not that long ago and as such house prices have always been very high there.

JohnMiddleNameRedactedSwanson · 15/12/2020 20:40

Can you give us an idea of budget, OP?

keiratwiceknightly · 15/12/2020 20:41

Bewdley is delightful. Pretty, artsy, lots going on, a thriving town centre (pre-covid)and v friendly. Pretty white, but there is more diversity than in some of the bigger towns. As long as you don't buy within 50m of the river, flooding is ok. Little bit inaccessible though.

JellyMouldJnr · 15/12/2020 20:47

I'm in south Warwickshire, in a village close to Southam. You get a little bit more for your money as you head towards Rugby way - Dunchurch is a nice village. Braunston is lovely. Southam is fine though I would not call it arty. A tip if you are looking at villages in that area is to look at ones on the canals, because they tend to be more used to visitors etc and so more welcoming.

Aubrey1981 · 15/12/2020 20:59

I agree with first poster. Avoid Evesham. I live in St peters, the parish also mentioned by first poster. It’s safe and reasonable prices. Good schools. The primary schools not that mixed but high schools very diverse in my experience. I’m not from Worcester, moved here for work, wouldn’t live here forever but great while kids still at home.