Living within one hour of Cardiff

[Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear]

We currently live in Newport but plan to move within the next 18mo to 2 years. DH needs to be within an hour of Cardiff for work and needs to be able to get to London fairly easily on occasion.

We have a 5yo DS so don't want to be too remote.

Where if you could live anywhere within an hour of Cardiff would you live? We love Monmouthshire but I worry it wouldn't be great for a teen. I feel that there are probably some areas around Cardiff which are lovely but which I know nothing about as didn't grow up in South Wales.

within an hour of Cardiff can take you east as far as Swansea or north as far as Merthyr. How much house you can get for your money (whether buying or renting) can vary massively within this search area.

Do you want an urban or more rural setting? If you want the best of both worlds, there are lots of areas within Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan and Rhondda Cynon Taf which feel rural but are a hop, skip and a jump away from easy access to city life. I'm based in the vale and can walk to the beach or rolling countryside within 20 mins from my house. 20 minutes in the car can see me in central Cardiff or on the m4. Within an hour I can be in the mountains. It doesn't get much better than that!

why are you looking to move from Newport?

Magor in Monmouthshire wouldn't be too bad, it is close to the M4 for easy access to London and well within the hour drive into Cardiff.

Penarth is a lovely area on the outskirt of Cardiff, but very expensive, but you would have easy access into Cardiff and could therefore catch the train to London.

Thanks anibendod. We want to leave Newport as it is not an attractive city, the high Street is awful (I'm not fussed about shops but it feels unsafe a lot of the time) and it lacks amenities for a city its size. Pre Covid every weekend we would head out of Newport.

What you describe in terms of the best of both worlds sounds perfect. DH leans towards rural life whereas I really like Cardiff and its amenities. Any particular areas you would suggest?

@poppy1973

Magor in Monmouthshire wouldn't be too bad, it is close to the M4 for easy access to London and well within the hour drive into Cardiff.

Penarth is a lovely area on the outskirt of Cardiff, but very expensive, but you would have easy access into Cardiff and could therefore catch the train to London.

We love Penarth but sadly a bit too expensive. The area around Magor is definitely a possibility and good for Bristol which is another city we like :)

What’s your budget?

I’d rule out the valleys if you think Newport is a bit rough tbh. It depends on your budget though? Penarth is lovely, Cowbridge and surrounding areas also. Creigiau and Pentyrch are smaller villages which are just outside Cardiff too.

Max £450000 is the budget. I would be more comfortable at £400000 though. We are looking for 4 beds, open plan kitchen, dining and family and then a separate sitting room.

Thanks for those areas screen will take a look :)

DH needs to be within an hour of Cardiff for work and needs to be able to get to London fairly easily on occasion.

We had the exact same criteria at one point, and opted for a village outside of Swindon (for the train and M4 connections). If you do similar, I would suggest either gravitating towards Marlborough or Cirencester for shops and school reasons. Swindon itself is grim but has some handy superstores.

Thanks Tarr, I forgot to mention that it has to be Wales as DS is in a Welsh medium school. Sorry should have said that!

Ah well. Good luck.

Thanks :) Have googled Cowbridge and it looks nice, definitely one to visit when lockdown ends.

Have you ruled out living in Cardiff itself? I'm in Llanishen/Lisvane which is on the edge of North Cardiff and love it here. Easy access to mountains, lots of green space and walks, and good train links. I have a teenage daughter who goes to welsh medium school and there are lots of things to keep her out of mischief busy!

The place I was most happy in, was Pontypridd. It flooded badly a year ago but there's plenty of gorgeous homes up the gorgeous mountains.

Do you like period properties or something more modern? This one is a modern one in Thornhill (North Cardiff), on your budget, good school catchment and nice area: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/77976867#/

@Nomorescreentime

I’d rule out the valleys if you think Newport is a bit rough tbh. It depends on your budget though? Penarth is lovely, Cowbridge and surrounding areas also. Creigiau and Pentyrch are smaller villages which are just outside Cardiff too.

Pretty sure Creigiau and Pentyrch are in Cardiff, but there’s not much around that area apart from walking up the Garth or on the Taff Trail.

I grew up in Tongwynlais, but there isn’t much to do around there unless you drive. Ideal for M4/A470 though.

Won’t get much in Cowbridge - most expensive part of South East Wales for £400k.

Llantwit Major is a lovely little place if you like being by the sea with good local pubs! You'd get this for your budget www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86805310#/

Outskirts of Cardiff would really suit me Pookie, would need to persuade DH however. Think I need to stress how much more there is for DS to do as a teenager in a city.

We are in a new build now which we love so modern absolutely fine by us :) Will take a look at your link thanks.

Will check out Pontypridd thanks Mantle.

Having had a look on Rightmove I can see Cowbridge is expensive Tits so probably not for us although still somewhere I would like to visit at some point.

Ooh I grew up by the sea so I do love it. Will check out Llantwit Major too :)

If I can persuade DH to go for the outskirts of Cardiff itself are there any areas to avoid?

Caerleon, Langstone or Abergavenny are all (mostly) nice?

I really like Abergavenny wtf but worry DS might be bored as a teenager? Might be one for after he has left home. I might have it completely wrong though!

Try Barry. It's super easy for commuting and there are some beautiful Victorian houses and some lovely walks down the Knap and Porthkerry Park.

I grew up nearby and had quite a lot of friends there who didn't seem to mind it, but I do suppose it depends on what sort of things you want to engage him? A lot of my friends were into skateboarding and cycling so it was handy for both of those! The train station does have a direct route to Cardiff (although not often) so we used to hang around there on weekends from about 14 anyway.

Personally I would avoid the West edges of Cardiff (Ely, Caerau, Fairwater). Friends have lived in those areas and not had good experiences. Also worth looking at school catchment areas as that will make a difference. Radyr, Thornhill, Llanishen, Rhiwbina and Lisvane are all lovely and have a very good welsh school (primary & secondary) and train stations. Pontprennau has lots of new houses but is a bit soulless as no real village centre just an Asda in the middle.

Abergavenny and Monmouth are great for teens. Particularly Monmouth. Loads of outdoor pursuits to get into , sports, youth theatre. In abergavenny you can get the train to go bowling. Both have cinemas. They are both really lovely places to live. Heaven compared to Newport!