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

[Clebaby]

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

Thanks everyone!! 💚💚💚
Solihull we did look at but found it too much like a city and too expensive, but maybe there are parts we could afford..
Budget ranges from 200-550k depending on where and what it is, but really we want to have a much smaller mortgage! So from what I’ve seen that we really like, that seems to be maybe 300-450k for 3 bed, detached, big garden. Don’t mind if in middle of nowhere or if house is a complete wreck! We found some crazy bungalows and things but we are taking too long to sell in London to be seriously looking at houses, it’s too sad when you fall in love then lose them.
Mad how London market is moving so much slower than outside now.. guess it’s finally evened out how it should!

I also care a lot about flooding! Part of me wants to leave London because of climate collapse as I’d rather be in a smaller community if things get a bit scary, plus London is 11 metres above sea level compared to Birmingham which is hundreds! But Worcester has high and low bits so that is good - weird question, but do canals flood like rivers do?!

@Clebaby your post reminded me of all the flooding stories we’d hear (we lived closer to junction 6 so avoided it). Don’t know if anyone on here remembers when the hospital site was based at castle street and the floods, moving patients and what not! Can only imagine the headache
Sorry totally diverted from what you’ve asked (and
I don’t know the answer)
Family still live in Worcester, but been a while since I’ve asked about the river and floods!

@Clebaby

I also care a lot about flooding! Part of me wants to leave London because of climate collapse as I’d rather be in a smaller community if things get a bit scary, plus London is 11 metres above sea level compared to Birmingham which is hundreds! But Worcester has high and low bits so that is good - weird question, but do canals flood like rivers do?!

The one in droitwich seems to flood but only in the park near the centre where it's pretty much adjacent to the river.

I came to say Solihull too but have seen your update and that you've discounted it. How about Knowle?

Bungalow - this is in your budget, up a hill, on a road which is only houses on one side and looks out onto a SSI, but is still totally walkable to school, shops etc.

Barn conversion in a village. There's a good primary school not far away too.

Knowle is lovely but it’s even more expensive than Solihull!

something like this? www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/94891763#/

Knowle is lovely but it’s even more expensive than Solihull!

Yes, sorry I missed the part about Solihull prices, just saw the too much like a city part of ops update. You're right, Knowle is pricier

That budget should get you a decent 3/4 house in Warwick or Leamington.

I don't know Worcester well enough but I love the city centre and cathedral area. Definitely use flood maps to help you avoid risky areas. I live on a hillside which helps!!

What about Honeybourne? That's lovely

Awww Evesham is my hometown. It’s not that bad

I don't live in that area now but grew up in west Worcestershire and would strongly recommend that you reconsider Malvern - it has the benefits of town and countryside and Worcester is a quick hop on the train for city things. I don't have up to date info on Malvern schools but it used to have reasonable state secondaries. If you wanted private secondary Kings and RGS in Worcester are very good and your kids could take the train to them. Worcester is pleasant as cities go but rush hour traffic used to be an issue on the St Johns side in the morning (don't know if this is still the case ) The river is prone to flooding but this mainly affects the cricket ground and racecourse rather than residential property. If you are thinking of villages bear in mind that you will need to drive your kids around a lot at secondary age. There is one village on the hereford/worc border that has a station - Colwall. It is a lovely village with a good sense of community but probably a bit too far from the area you are looking at and its train service is less regular than Malvern/Worc.

I grew up in worcestershire. Bromsgrove, Alvechurch and Barnt Green are all good places to raise a family and are good for getting in to brum by train. None of them are very diverse though. Worcester is lovely, but my friends who live their complain how badly connected it is to the rest of the UK via train and so you need to be willing to drive a lot. I would personally want to live somewhere with a quick train into brum as that’s where all the best stuff is. Avoid Halesowen, kiddie, Redditch and Stourbridge

We are the opposite, we hate Birmingham and never go there at all. I would also avoid Halesowen, Kiddie and Redditch (unless you love roundabouts!). I'd avoid Barnt Green as well after having been there a few times.

[quote JellyMouldJnr]something like this? www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/94891763#/[/quote]
Sorry for slow reply crazy week at work (why we need to leave London!) and forgot about thread.
Thanks for sharing the rightmove links all, that is so so kind! This one is def the best as garden is very important to us. That one is mega! If only Rugby was a bit more interesting.. but wouldn’t mind if everything was in Dunchurch so we didn’t need to use Rugby apart from train. Does it have a bit of a community there and open to new people - and brown faces?

As for Malvern suggestions, I LOVe it but it’s just too far from family :( (north of Banbury)

Also love Honeybourne but nothing for sale.

Guess nothing matters until we get an offer. It is SLOW in London! Think the crash has started here already. Or maybe is just Covid and time of year. But all your ideas have at least given me a list of locations to look for when we do get an offer.

Thank you so much !!

If Malvern isn't an option I would look at Kenilworth, Warwick or Leamington.

I live in one of the Warwickshire villages mentioned up-thread, and know the area well. Warwick would be my choice - small town, so a nice community feel, but easily connected to Leamington (walk, cycle, bus, train) and Birmingham (and less than 1.5hs on the train to London if you need it). Great independent shops, bars, restaurants, and lots of lovely villages with good rural pubs close by.

Hi OP, I know the Rugby - Leamington And surrounding areas well and they are lovely. I am sure you're find welcoming communities in most areas, but I think where you'll struggle is to match the creative with things to do, alongside rural. There's not much going on in most of the villages - a shop or pub if you want in some, many have none, so I guess I can't work out if you would prefer to live in a town with the things on your doorstep, or rural with the countryside?

I live in a village outside of Tamworth, about 4 miles away. It is about 15 miles North of Birmingham. In Tamworth there is lots for kids to do. They have the Snowdome so skiing, snowboarding, sledging, ice skating and snowplay also bowling, swimming, and the usual football, cricket, fort play area at Tamworth Pleasure Ground with crazy golf, tennis, skate park etc. Tee is a multiplex cinema too. I live 3 miles away and in my village trampoline extreme and BMX park, more swimming pools sports centre, Yamaha music school and Stage Coach drama and dance. There are several schools including a Performing Arts specialist. An athletics track and I live close to a large lake with geese, ducks and the 2k walk is lovely as a cycle paths and runners use it as well as dog walkers. We have our own cricket club too. House prices are good and plenty of green spaces too. I think our village is a friendly place. I think it is a good place to live with children as always something going on. Library and Youth Centre too.

That’s what we need to figure out! At first we thought of living in a farm In middle of Wales! But realised we want to be train to a city, so maybe a village near a city, or interesting town (like Leamington).
As Leam expensive for the space we want, we are looking at Warwick and villages near it and places like Southam.
Can’t believe HS2 is still happening it’s insane

Tamworth sounds nice! North of BHam may get a bit far for my mum to travel as she doesn’t like motorways (she is down m40 toward Banbury) but will look at houses as it’s prob going to come down to what property we find more than our ideal location.. maybe

The distance between Warwick/Leamington to Southam and surrounding villages isn't great so any of them would certainly enable you to get into Leamington easily.

Just wondering how you got on @Clebaby as we're looking to move to the same area soon due to DH getting a job between Pershore and Evesham. Currently living in the South East

I would avoid parts of Worcester as it’s flood quite badly. Places like Redhill, Warndon which has Waitrose in the area. Malvern is nice too. Leamington, Warwick, Stratford, Solihull are all wonderful areas too.

I would avoid in the West Midlands area (sorry to offend anyone)
Redditch, Rugby, Nuneaton, Longbridge/Northfield, Kidderminster, parts of Coventry and the Black Country.