Anyone move from London to Somerset?

[Londonquittermaybe]

DH is from Somerset and has been talking about us moving back. We have school-aged children, and a really strong community in the part of london where we are. We can’t afford a big house here, though, which makes the move tempting.

Anyone make the move from London to Somerset?

Do you miss London? Is there lots to do in the winter months? (the ones that drag for me in the U.K. - as I am not from the U.K. and find winters so tough!)

Was it easy to make friends? Are people generally tolerant of immigrants (like me )?

It is so beautiful in the parts we’ve been looking at, but I’ve only ever been in the spring / summer, so I don’t know if that’s an accurate reflection!

DH is self-employed. I’m not, and would need to go back to London for meetings maybe once a week.

We moved from a major city to Somerset (not London) and came back after two years, and if moving from London I would not recommend you move there.
We lived near Glastonbury and found the place to beautiful but boring. There is very little for families to do in the winter and you will have to drive to get anywhere.
Diversity is almost nonexistent in any of the villages, the one I lived in included.
I was so glad to get back to a city to raise my family.

I grew up near Glastonbury and now live in rural Cornwall! I love being in the country, but I think if you haven't grown up rurally, i think it will be very hard to adapt after city life! I'm not used to having things close by, or many options in the way of entertainment, eating out etc. People on here saying there is nothing to do in the winter - I can't imagine what you would do! It's a completely different way of life and outlook. Public transport is poor, everything is a drive away. You will be a taxi for your children all the time. Diversity isn't great, but that's the same through most of the south west.
Then again, there is less crime, and it is generally a lot safer!

Oh dear!

What do people think of Bath? I haven’t visited that city, but it looks pretty on Google photos.

I live in Taunton grew up in a big SE town. It is very white but to be honest I dont hear racist talk jokes etc. But clearly my experience as a white person will be very very different to a poc.
There is stuff to do but its based on walking/outdoors rather than museums art gallery's theatre etc. so winter can be dull.
Not much for teenagers to do I dont think but tbh teenagers tend to just hang about where ever they are.

I lived in bath hated it so unfriendly.

What do you think of moving to Bristol? I moved from London to Bristol 12 years ago, had to move back to London briefly for work about 8 years ago but moved back to Bristol when got pregnant with my first. It's a wonderful place to life (dependant on area) and so much going on but still close to the villages around and countryside. So much going on and great restaurants and things for kids. Maybe it could be a good transition to the country if you're worried about the 2 extremes..!! Bath would be great too, I do love bath but prefer the diversity of Bristol!

We live near Bristol and it's a fantastic city- so many different areas and there is so much to do including the harbourside and green spaces. Lots of lovely countryside around and you aren't far from Clevedon and Portishead if you want to be near the water

@Londonquittermaybe

Oh dear!

What do people think of Bath? I haven’t visited that city, but it looks pretty on Google photos.

Very unfriendly, overpriced, full of tourists and overrated.

Steer clear of Yeovil.

Wells, Glastonbury etc are nice but are very remote. Same with Bruton and Frome.

Bath is nice to look at but extremely snobby and house prices are pretty much the same as London. I grew up there and couldn’t wait to leave.

I think it’s worth you looking at Bristol. It’s a fantastic city with the Somerset countryside on your doorstep. Great transport links too.

There are also so lovely villages around Bristol area thinking Winscombe Cheddar side

Bath is lovely for a wander and a visit but is very touristy in my eyes and not somewhere I would want to live

I also grew up near Glastonbury and agree with what everyone else said

Boring, homogeneous, lots of teenage drinking and drugs just for something to do, totally reliant on having a car

I was lucky to go to a good private school that had a tonne of extra curricular activities which kept me busy, but once I left the school, there was literally nothing to do unless you want to get involved with the freak shows that are carnival clubs...

Village pubs are nice but quite parochial, very few cinemas, theatres, etc

We still go back for holidays but wild horses wouldn’t get me to leave London to live there full time especially with school age DCs who are used to London social lives

I have experience of both areas. Firstly I would like to say no one can judge whether an area is truly racist unless they are a POC. You just wouldn’t know. You have to think what you are removing your children from as well as what you might benefit them by such a move. By taking them out of a tolerant multicultural area you may make them feel different or “othered” from their new peers. The having to ferry teens and pre teens round in the car everywhere cannot be underestimated. It can be arduous and hamper their independence. Also longer term they will probably eventually have to flee the country idyll to start or further their career. Back to a metropolis!

Really interesting to see people’s views as ALL of DH’s friends have left London to move back to the town they grew up in. I thought we were missing out but maybe not....

I would recommend Bristol in your particular situation.

Seriously OP, in your shoes I really wouldn't do it.

Unless you are 5 people squeezed into a 1 bedroomed flat I'd stick to London where you have friends and a support network.

And I say this as someone who left London to have DC.

In my experience the support networks are built up in nursery and early days at the school gate.
It sounds like you already have that in London.

If you move to Somerset you will have missed that and the groups will already be established.

OP I’ve lived in Somerset all my life and have never witnessed racism like others are professing. There are multi cultural families all around the county. I work for a local hospital and 90% of the staff are of a different ethnicity.

I don’t know much about Frome unfortunately or Bruton. I am more south Somerset. Unfortunately, I agree re do not move to Yeovil or Taunton. Outing myself now, I live in one of those two and we are moving soon. (Still in Somerset, not far just a village).

There are things to do for teens here. You just have to look. Some areas maybe rural but it isn’t hot fuzz. We do have running water and electricity 😂

I love Somerset, it’s my home. I wouldn’t be anywhere else. It’s close to the coast and also great links to cities, we spend a lot of time in Exeter and Bath.

If you do have any questions you are welcome to PM.

Move to Bristol - fantastic, cosmopolitan, diverse, buzzing, easy to get to London, Somerset is on your doorstep, house will be much cheaper. I lived in Bristol for 20 years and now live just outside. I seriously think this is your best option/compromise.
Don't move to Glasto - it's nice to visit but so much about it is weird not in a good way and so much missing. Frome's ok but I can't imagine moving there if I could move to Bristol and wanted a life and was moving from London.

I second Bristol if you’re looking to move to the south west. One of my best friends is in a mixed marriage and chose to send her children to school in Manchester as they wouldn’t stand out. Some of the schools in local villages, they would stand out like a sore thumb. The area she lives is fairly multi ethnic and nobody cares. Why not book a couple of weeks in a holiday cottage and see how it feels.

We did the London - near Frome thing a few years back.
Too rural and too much land and too long a drive to get anywhere - basically by the second winter I hated it, and our eldest DC was unimpressed by needing lifts everywhere.
Then we moved to a village close to Bath which we love. We’ve got kids in a great Bath school, great house with a large garden rather than multiple acres to manage like we failed with before. The compromise is a bit of traffic noise but after being cut off rurally before we wanted good road connection and within 5 mins walk of a bus stop for our teenagers.

I’d spend some weekends in Bath (and possibly also Bristol) if I were you.

Watch This Country, that's what it's like for young people. I grew up in Wick, on the outskirts of Bristol/Bath and your after school activities are 1.) hang out on bus stop
2.) hang out in field
3.) go to shit youth club where there's one ping pong table
4.) get fingered in a field
It's a terrible place to be young.