Chipping Norton?

[Threecouldbefour]

Hi,

We have been looking at several areas in Cotswolds for a possible relocation.

I would be so grateful for any insight into what family life is like in Chipping Norton, schools, facilities, clubs (dd1 very into dance), housing etc. Very important is having lots of places to pop out to - could be farms, parks, NT estates, villages for a potter and an ice cream, lakes etc They don't have to be 'attractions' necessarily. We lack that where we live and miss it dreadfully after moving here 6 years ago. I'm also due our 4th baby next Summer all being well so that's a factor. It's a tricky balance with little ones and bigger ones to cater for. Although thinking Oxford being near by is good for teenagers?

Thanks so much for any info.

Chipping Norton is so lovely (the Tea Set cafe there is amazing), and Cheltenham is very nearby for your town needs. It can get a bit over-run with tourists in the summer but no where near as bad as Broadway or Bourton on the Water. For a village it's a busy village, if that makes sense. I don't have DC so no idea about schools.

You could consider Winchcombe too, very much a community feel there with lots on your doorstep. Generally the Cotswolds are very friendly.

If I could afford to live in Chipping Norton I would! (I grew up in Chelts).

Thanks so much for the info @TooColdInHere. It does look lovely from what I've seen on my many trips there (on Google Maps!) I was also looking at Moreton in Marsh but trains are longer from there into London than Charlbury or Kingham I think. I have actually been through Winchcombe and thought it looked nice - and there is Sudley Castle which would be good for little ones. I guess the appeal of Chipping Norton is that you can get out to lots of the other nice towns and villages quickly, as well as being near Oxford.

Thank you x

Chipping Norton is a great place to bring up children. It's a bit cheaper than other parts of the Cotswolds so attracts a lot of young families as opposed to the retirees in the surrounding villages. It has a great community and there are lots of things to do in the town for children, and a really good children's centre. And the countryside around is beautiful with lots of NT houses, farms etc to visit. Both primary schools are well thought of, and you can do Dance at the secondary school which is now very good, having been through a rocky time a few years ago. There are buses to Oxford, Banbury and Stratford for shopping or for teenagers, or the nearest stations are Charlbury or Kingham.

Thank you so much for yhat @Workinggirl925. Super helpful. I did hear that the new Head has turned things around at CNS. I watched the virtual open evening and was impressed with what I saw. Do teenagers generally find enough to do? I think the fact that there are decent buses would help. Do you happen to know anything of Dance schools in the area please? Sorry for extra questions. It's very frustrating not being able to drive up and have a look in person at the area. Sounds ideal though from what you have said.

My teens are very into sport, particularly rugby, and that fills a lot of time. They are very outdoorsy and spend a lot of time with their friends roaming around on their bikes in the countryside or spending whole days mucking about by the river and wild swimming. They certainly never complain of being bored. But they love the countryside and aren't particularly interested in going to Oxford or Banbury, but they have friends who take the bus regularly to go bowling or skating or shopping etc so it's easily available if that's what you want. Sorry, I can't help with Dance schools, but there will certainly be some as DC had friends who were very into dance.
We're very happy with the school, and there is a lovely community in the town and school. And it really isn't overrun with tourists in the summer. If anything, it's slightly off the tourist track.

@Workinggirl925 thank you very much for your reply. That all sounds very positive. We are also an outdoorsy sort of family (even if they do protest a bit about being dragged out initially, they always have a lovely time!) I'm encouraged to hear that buses are available for the occasional shopping/cinema trip too. I think our dds would probably make use of that.

When they are 17ish and want to start going out in the evening, what do they tend to do? I grew up in a small market town and I used to go to a pub with a dance floor and the town had a small nightclub (stamp sized but served a purpose). Where we live now, there is no dance floor anywhere and young people tend to go to the local Weatherspoons Do young people meet up at country pubs or travel out? I know it's a bit of a strange question and it obviously wouldn't form basis of our decision (!) but I remember it being a good step before leaving home. I didn't go mad as I'd already had a taste of nights out but in a safe, local environment.

If you can bear it - are there any hidden gems that are nice to pop out to nearby? Gardens? Cafes? I saw Whichford Pottery which looked nice for a browse and a coffee. We probably prefer that sort of place over Daylesford Farm shop - my Mum went and said it was very loud and crowded (although maybe she went on a very busy day!)

Thanks so much.

Wild swimming sounds wonderful by the way - where do you do that? I would need a wetsuit but I'm sure our dds would be game!

Can’t help with dance classes but surely dance teachers advertise with web sites?

Chipping Norton doesn’t have much for teenagers. You will ferry them about. They will visit friends. It’s 20 miles to Oxford and 28 miles from cheltenham. Neither are near or local by most standards. CN isn’t near anywhere big. For what’s its worth, I would go much nearer to Cheltenham or Oxford for teens. CN has little for them other than mooching. It has a fab playground for little ones. Rich people use the private schools and there are a lot of them.

I like Daylesford and go quite often. It’s not that busy if you choose the right day but it’s ultra yummy mummy.

The villages around Banbury are also worth considering. But with Cornbury and Great Tew even that area is now yummy central.

Wildswimming.co.uk has locations but not really near CN.

Hello! Is Bourton on the water and and Broadway a bit cheaper than Chippy?

@PresentingPercy thanks so much for your reply. That is sort of what I suspected re teenagers but then I think it's what your teenagers are used to/expect. Where we are we don't have cinema, bowling etc either. Nearest cinema is 30 minutes away. But we do have a train station which helps.

I just wasn't sure Cheltenham really felt like 'us'. It feels quite big and I'm not sure whether I'd miss that sense of a smaller community.

I only ask about dance as it isn't immediately obvious when I look online. I can only see one place which offers limited classes.

I mean, the teens at CNS must all find things to do - but maybe they all have very accommodating 'taxi drivers'

I think you will find they do! You don’t have much within easy reach. We are 15 mins from a cinema and 40 mins on the train from London. I was a permanent taxi service to the houses of friends. Mine were not great film goers but wanted to see friends. There are several dance schools near me. We must be blessed! DD2 did tap, ballet and modern for years.

@PresentingPercy May I ask where you live please? If that's not a creepy question! Just the county will do! I'm seriously tearing my hair out trying to find something better than here (which must exist as in terms of things to do it's just dire). We had good walking but other than that it's so limited. We aren't necessarily in need of big attractions but nice places to pop out to nearby (within 15 minutes or so.) I just know life can be so much more fulfilling for us all - it was before we moved - but I don't want to/can't move back. My heart aches for a time when weekends felt open and I looked forward to making plans for them. Right now, not huge amounts have changed for me in this pandemic in terms of what I do - other than seeing my parents. I'm not sure what I'm looking forward to going to do when this is all over! I hope that doesn't sound heartless with regards to the bigger picture - I know people are making huge sacrifices and times are so hard - I just miss the variety of our lives before we moved!

I agree with workinggirl- Chipping Norton is a town, not a village and does not get many tourists. It’s euphemistically described as the gateway to the Cotswolds but it’s a drive to get anywhere really- a great place to live though!

Wouldn't have thought Oxford would be a great going out place for teens - small town centre and very uni driven. You get a certain type of 17/18 year old coming in for May Balls etc, but it always felt to me like youngsters who actually lived there got a raw deal.

Hi there, Chipping Norton would be a great place to live with kids. I’m not sure about the schools as we are a bit further out but I have heard good things. From a days out/ places to potter point of view you have loads. With younger kids/ pre- grumpy teens you have quite a good playground in Chippy itself. Then fairytale farm down the road which is ok but a bit basic. The Cotswold farm park is really nice but can get very busy, loads to see and good coffee. Batsford arboretum is nice for a walk and in non Covid times has a lovely forest school for pre schoolers. In Bourton on the Water you can go for a nice walk then go to Birdland or the model village, or if you walk 5 minutes you can get to Graystones farm which has a barn of dairy cows to see and a lovely walk. They run various forest schooly things through the year which are great.
Compton verney is nice for a walk, as are Hidcote and Croome National trust.
We go for lots of walks off the beaten track as well, there is so much countryside to explore.
Dance wise, The Dance Barn is good for little ones (not sure about older ones) and there is a school called Sheila Price dance school which has a good reputation. Also Aria dance for modern dance seems popular.
For the teens, I grew up in a similar place and we found a way to go out - where there’s a will there’s a way. My only slight worry with Chipping Norton would be the lack of train station. Maybe look at Charlbury, Kingham and Moreton in Marsh as well. Also be prepared to spend a lot of time driving as pretty much everything is a drive away. Sorry, this has turned into an essay, think I got a bit carried away!

Hi @Stupidusernamefaff

What a super helpful reply - thank you! I don't mind the essay at all!

Everything you mentioned in terms of places to pop out to for a potter is precisely what I am craving for our family. Not big attractions but smaller things to enjoy together - that don't require driving for hours to get to. A small drive is fine - I just don't want to be somewhere where, to get to anything nice, you have to drive at least half an hour on the motorway. The ability to be a spontaneous is really important.

I also understand the issue of the train station. It's a tricky one as it's also nice to have a few shops for everyday convenience and the ability to walk to school. But a train station means access to other, bigger places.

Thank you so much for all the info on places - I'm off to Google now! And also for the dance schools. The Barn is what I saw but it's very limited in terms of dance styles but I haven't heard of the other one so I will investigate.

I saw Batsford Arboretum too - it looks lovely. Places like that are perfect for a potter and a coffee. I will look at all the other places you kindly mentioned.

Really appreciate your reply - thanks so much.

Chipping Norton is a 20 minute drive to Banbury which has an excellent fast train service to London (Chiltern Line - much better than the line which serves Charlbury, etc: I know people who live near Moreton but drive to Banbury to commute to London rather than get the train from Moreton). As mentioned by PP, some of the villages around Banbury are lovely (but Banbury itself not). But they will have fewer amenities than CN.

I live in the area and have found it's taken a long time to build a repertoire of nice places to go. My first impression of Cotswolds Towns is that they can be a bit twee, catering for tourists. We've been here 5 years now though and these are some of our favourite places (we've tried and tested a lot of places)!!! ...

The straw kitchen at Whichford for fabulous food and coffee. It's got an arty alternative vibe which is I've found to be unusual for the area.

Quince and Clover at Great Tew for nice food (mainly salads and baked goods), plus ice creams and milk shakes.

Nicholson's nursery has the yurt cafe which is worth a visit.

We could really do with a couple of more nice cafes in my opinion.

Compton Verney is brilliant. In the last year they've managed to do lots of things for families. You can also do wild swimming their in the summer.

As other posters have said there are loads of national trust properties.

Moreton in the Marsh has a fab cheese shop and the toy shop is absolutely magical. It also has a new garden centre with a nice soft play.

Shipston on Stour has a wine shop that is really special with a cellar full of dusty boxes of wine. There's also a deli and a new shop called Little Bird soaps which is nice.

Burford Garden centre is amazing. Like the Liberty of the Cotswolds.

There's Cotswolds Wildlife park (the zoo) and Cotswolds farm park (Adam's farm from country file).

Cogges Farm is really lovely. The Fairytale farm quite depressing in my opinion.

Woodstock and Bleinham Palace nice food a day out. Lots of nice cafes.

The Rollright stones are an ancient stone circle which we visit throughout the year.

Daylesford isn't particularly our scene either but I secretly enjoy going for the spectacle of it and also they do a summer and autumn fair which is really well done.

In terms of seasonal one off things, there's the Banbury steam fair, the Banbury run (old motorbikes doing a race from motor museum in Gaydon) and Moreton in the Marsh county fair. Also Chip Lit festival. Giffords circus is an absolute institution and you must go - you won't regret it.

There's a farm nearer Banbury that does lambing and Christmas trees at Christmas (you choose your tree and then they cut it down). It's a proper working farm. Put farm Sunday on your calendar too if you've never done it.

In terms of chipping Norton I love love Jeffe and Neele bookshop in Chipping Norton. And the theatre has lots of fab shows and cinema and is really sweet (it feels tiny and old fashioned inside). The outdoor swimming pool is AMAZING in the summer - there's always a really nice vibe there. There's

Hook Norton Brewery is lovely. The shire horses are in their stable during the day and anyone can pop in to say hello to them (the lady that looks after them is really welcoming and always happy for the kids to stroke them). One of our favourite things to do.

Banbury is also getting a brand new cinema complex and restaurant complex - it's currently being built and looks quite promising for teens.

We've discovered lots of great walks, especially over the last year.

Not a derail but I'd love to hear other people's recommendations that live in the area!!!

Sorry for typos!! Quickly pressed send without reading through!!

Thank you @TheGodOfSmallThings - that's really interesting. I also like Moreton and the benefit of it having a train station for teens is definitely worth noting. I didn't know that about people driving to Banbury to commute but will investigate timings. We did actually look at Banbury for the good commute but it wasn't for us in terms of a place to live.

Really helpful info - thank you.

@kulaexchange wow! That is so helpful - thank you! I'm out at the moment but will read your wonderful reply properly when I'm back. Thank you so much!!

@BustPipes

Wouldn't have thought Oxford would be a great going out place for teens - small town centre and very uni driven. You get a certain type of 17/18 year old coming in for May Balls etc, but it always felt to me like youngsters who actually lived there got a raw deal.

I grew up just outside oxford and thought the opposite. The town centre was fine and very safe as there were always students around. We went to cinemas, nightclubs, gigs, restaurants, sat outside pubs etc. All that is still there - you don't need to be a part of the university to enjoy it.

Oxford has something for every age.

I would not live in Banbury but within a 15 minute drive you have options. The villages will be quieter though. Wherever you are, you need a car to get to all of the places mentioned.

I love Giffords Circus and hope it can tour again next year. Missed it so much - birthday treat for me and the family in Circus Sauce.

Hi @kulaexchange

Sorry for the delay. I'm pregnant and still experiencing the joys of morning sickness - had a bit of a bad evening so couldn't face looking at my phone!

I am beyond grateful for all those suggestions of places to go. You sound very similar to me in terms of what you look for and enjoy in a place. Things like visiting the shire horses sounds perfect to me. And I've just been salivating over the food at Quince and Clover... those salads and brownies! I would probably end up twice the size if I lived too near there

I saw The Straw Kitchen online and thought it looked very nice and relaxed. I read the pottery is very expensive but think I'd be visiting more for the cafe anyway!

I haven't researched all those places yet but I can't even begin to imagine how different life would be if we had that variety.

May I ask (and happy to pm if better) - how old are your children and what made you move/choose this area? Did you look at other areas and rule them out for certain reasons? Having made a mistake moving down here (south east) I'm desperate to get it right this time and put down some roots. Have you found it easy to make friends in the area? We have a child starting school in a couple of years time and obviously a baby on the way, as well as our older children so I'm hoping I'd meet people through school, playgroups, clubs etc

I'm particularly interested to hear your thoughts as someone who has moved to the area fairly recently - I can relate to the challenge of building up a list of places to go. Unfortunately after 6 years, that just hasn't happened here.

Thank you SO much again x