Anyone move from london to Bristol?

[Yellowdoor123]

I asked a question earlier about a new london neighbourhood. But DH mentioned today that we should consider Bristol. I haven’t been before.

Did anyone make that move? If so, did you miss London? Is the quality of life in Bristol better? (Impossibly subjective questions maybe?!)

I have heard Clifton is lovely, what’s it like to live there? Other areas that are great for families?

We moved to Clifton 15 years ago with 3 young children. I absolutely love Bristol- it is big enough to have the good, the bad and the ugly ie a real mix of everything but small enough to feel manageable. It is also easy to get out into gorgeous countryside if you want a change of scene but still an easy train journey to London when needed! Very happy to ask any specific questions you might have.

This is all so useful! Thank you!

I’m trying to get my head around schools now. In one of the places we are considering moving to within London, the local school has a really big emphasis on forest school.

Does anyone know of any schools that do a lot of outdoor learning? My children go to a 100% forest school nursery, and they learn about the woods, the environment, etc, and they love it. I’d really like for them to carry that on.

I can see lots of forest school preschools in Bristol, but it’s so hard to see if there are any primaries (state or private) that offer lots of that too.

Maybe another impossible question! I find the school thing anywhere so confusing!

I think lots of the private schools do some forest school bits. Clifton High does and has a whole eco program and I know others do too!

Schools are MUCH better than they used to be. Fairfield is excellent. There are tons of brilliant primaries.

There’s a forest school called Little Foxes which is brilliant.

Depends on what you want
I wouldn’t buy a flat as in some areas they are almost as expensive as houses

Stoke bishop I’m pretty sure this is a semi gated area
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111561293#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111435395#/?channel=RES_BUY

Redland
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/109406921#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/79425801#/?channel=RES_BUY

Another thing you need to be aware of is that Bristol is a county as well as a city so has its own council. The neighbouring authorities are
•Bath and North East Somerset
•South Gloucestershire
•North Somerset
(these are not part of Gloucestershire or Somerset either).
Sometimes it's difficult to know where one local authority ends and another starts. Some streets have the council boundary running down the middle of the road.

So bear that in mind when you look at schools (although many people send their kids to school outside their council area).
The BS postcode also extends as far as Weston Super Mare- about 40 minutes down the motorway.
Finally. The hills. The bastard hills are everywhere .

I live in London and have two colleagues who have made the move to Bristol and love it. They both still work in London but pre covid only came in one day per week.

I drove down to Bristol early this morning to check it out! I’m here now. These tips are great, reading them through as I decide which neighbourhood we check out this afternoon!

I’d love any more tips or hear any more experiences from people who moved!

I think we’ll come for a few visits before we properly start to work out areas.

What did you think OP? Where did you go?

I grew up in Bristol and will be returning soon to surrounding countryside .

Really out of date on school situation but in terms of quality of life personally I don’t feel you can beat Stoke Bishop, Sneyd Park and bits of Westbury-on-Trym

Traffic in Bristol is awful but I think and someone will correct me if I’m wrong but if you go up Stoke Hill and over the Downs you are in Clifton quickly and the traffic isn’t as horrendous as some places.

Also in Stoke Bishop you have Sea Mills station which takes you to Clifton Down and Redland which is really handy as avoid the traffic, Met up with a school friend a couple of years ago who has also left and we both agreed that if we were moving back into Bristol those are the areas we’d be looking at now .

@Katefoster

What did you think OP? Where did you go?

We saw Clifton (had lunch there, went to the Zoo gardens even though I don’t generally like zoos!) walked around the streets and the downs and then drove around Redland on our way back out again.

I think I need to stay overnight and walk around parts to get a proper feel and see the other areas mentioned.

But it was beautiful and made me feel quite excited!

Why do you want to move?

Southville is also up and coming & quite cool & arty.

St Andrews Park has some nice houses in your price bracket.

Clifton is lovely & primary schools would be good but I don't know which decent secondary school you would be in the catchment for.

Would you need to commute?

@NinaBallerinaShoes

Why do you want to move?

We have been in london a long time, but starting to think we want a change of pace. We also want to live somewhere where we can make friends and put down roots. In our current area, people tend to leave after a few years.

I like the idea of Bristol as it’s a city, so still has lots going on and it seems to have a big personality.

where did you move in the end OP?