Peterborough, Leicestershire, Rugby, Leeds, Huddersfield, Derby, Mansfield (Nottinghamshire)

[Eve1989]

Hello all,

I am sooooo confused. I have made post previously about moving out of London next year but the more I research on where to move to, the more confused I become.

I have listed the areas I would like to move to above. The only area above where I have family is in Yorkshire.

My budget is £260 max and I would like a 3 bedroom. I have an 8 year old son and I would like him to engage in activities such as football because he is already playing.

I don't mind any of the areas and I am not fussy about restaurants etc because I am a homely person.

Please someone should advise me. I just want somewhere good where I can settle.

Many thanks

Mansfield has some lovely areas( high Oakham etc) outstanding hospital on the doorstep etc. I was warned against Mansfield 20 years ago ‘BNP’ county- but I’ve been here ever since.

I’d also suggest around Lincoln. There are Grammar schools at Sleaford, Horncastle and Gainsborough and all are accessible from villages outside Lincoln.

It’s also quick to get to London or north using the train from Newark or the A1

What is your budget?

Another vote for Burbage, Market Bosworth, Hinckley etc. Nice market towns not far from the city and links to London.

@Schmoozer

You’ve picked a huge chunk of England there !! May wish to narrow it down ? Some good areas in Leicestershire- Grammar schools in Leicester - but the city is not great - In the Leicestershire county there are great towns - Burbage, mkt harbrough, Lutterworth, Narborough, Hinckley Just over an hour into central London on train too

If grammar schools are a must have I would check about Leicestershire, I lived in the East Midlands for a short while and there weren't any grammar schools.

Has that changed in the past 10 years?

I agree that Rugby is not transient. Great for families and education and very commutable.
Hinckley is cheaper but has lots of families who, whilst friendly, have lived there for generations, so it can be hard to find your people.
Is Lutterworth too expensive?

@JennyForeigner

Newark in Nottinghamshire is great. Super pretty, quick train to London, not quite far enough north to be a Bit Grim (sorry, not sorry). One of a chain of lovely coaching towns through the East Mids. I would live there, but I already live 20 minutes away.

Just starting to go up fast now so would move quickly.

Thank you. I have seen some properties in Newark in an area called, Fernwood (NG24). I have also seen in Middlebeck. I am just trying to see if you know any of these areas and if you would recommend it. Thanks

Fernwood is a nice area, we have friends that live there. They had a new secondary school open there a few years ago.

Do you prefer detached or semi?
Need to be walking distance to train station or anything?
Need a garden/parking?
Want to be in the town itself or outlying villages?

You will definitely find some lovely houses within your budget in Newark

@jackstini

Do you prefer detached or semi? Need to be walking distance to train station or anything? Need a garden/parking? Want to be in the town itself or outlying villages?

You will definitely find some lovely houses within your budget in Newark

Thank you- I do not mind semi or detached but I would prefer if it's close to the train station. I drive but I may need to use trains more.

I don't really mind if it's a bit out, as long as it's not isolated.

The thing though, I spent the whole night researching schools in the areas I saw some houses and it seems as though they have more special needs and or PRU type of settings. Most of the schools also seem to need to improve in one area or the other.

I am now worried that I may not be able to find a good school and that I may be forced to consider private/independent schools, which again does not seem to be close by.

Maybe I am wrong, but it's just something I noticed whilst researching.

I wouldn't live close to the train station in Newark, if you move out to the shires then you will have to drive.
We lived in Stoke Newington and Bethnal Green for years and didn't own a car but here we need a car for everything.

There are plenty of good schools in these areas, which houses did you look at? The school my daughter attends is outstanding and the one my older daughter attended is also outstanding.

@CorrBlimeyGG

Trying to work out if your friend that recommended Mansfield really dislikes you!

There are maybe one or two streets on the outskirts of the town that are nice , and the smaller villages on the way in off the A60. (? - is that the main road) Actual downtown Mansfield is to be avoided (sorry Mansfielders) .

Mansfield is a small deprived town but there are some nice places in the area so I can see why your friend recommended it, esp with your budget. I don't know of any local grammar schools though.

There's Penistone Grammer School in Barnsley, so close to your Yorkshire relatives and there are houses in your budget in the area.

Just noticed you need to be near a trainline. Penistone isnt a good area for train travel

I was warned against Mansfield 20 years ago ‘BNP’ county-

Mansfield is Brexit central. It is still very polarised, and anyone that doesn't look like them is treated as a 'foreigner'.

Yes, there are small pockets of nicer housing, but it's still Mansfield.

Fernwood is nice OP, but be careful that you are looking at the newer housing and not Balderton. Avoid Balderton. Coming out of Newark you've got Farndon (nice) and even further out Farnsfield. Farnsfield you'd be reliant on your car, Farndon is walkable depending on where you are in the village.

You could look at Southwell, which is beautiful, but probably out of your price range now.

@Eve1989, you could do a lot worse than Mirfield (but look out for flood risk areas). Mirfield Free Grammar is a sought after high school, and it’s on a good train line into Leeds/Huddersfield/Manchester; I’m pretty sure I’ve gone direct to Gargrave in the Yorks Dales from there too. It’s handy for the M1 and M62 too.

Re: Penistone Grammar School and Mirfield Free Grammar, they are grammars in historical name only I think. I don’t think either have an entrance exam @rampantivy, I believe had a child at PGS.

Penistone does have a train. It’s a slow journey, stopping at practically every small town/village between Sheffield and Huddersfield! It’s very picturesque, but trains only once an hour at most. It relies on a single track viaduct, and if a train is late in one direction at any point, it messes up the schedule for the rest of the day. It is a useful train line for occasional use, but rather frustrating to use daily!

I’m in Huddersfield and I quite like it.
The town centre isn’t great, although there are lots of plans to improve it but as it’s a Uni town it’s pretty multicultural and there is always plenty going on.
The village where we live is lovely and we are only 10 mins from town, plus 40 minutes from Manchester and 25 from Leeds. We have everything we need close by with good schools and reasonable property prices too. Beautiful countryside on our doorstep too
Plus, in general people are nice and friendly too

Yes, PGS is grammar in name only. It has had the same name since it was founded in 1392, and wants to hang on to the name. It is comprehensive, and a rather good one, partly due to the demographic of the pupils, it has to be said. It is over subscribed, the 6th form even more so. However, some pupils go to Greenhead, which is one of the best 6th forms in the country, for A levels.

Loads leave QEGS, WGHS and Silcoates to go to Greenhead as well.

@Eve1989

Hello all,

I am sooooo confused. I have made post previously about moving out of London next year but the more I research on where to move to, the more confused I become.

I have listed the areas I would like to move to above. The only area above where I have family is in Yorkshire.

My budget is £260 max and I would like a 3 bedroom. I have an 8 year old son and I would like him to engage in activities such as football because he is already playing.

I don't mind any of the areas and I am not fussy about restaurants etc because I am a homely person.

Please someone should advise me. I just want somewhere good where I can settle.

Many thanks

Update:

Following my post below, I settled for Newark so I went visiting there today but didn't like the feel of it. That means, I am back on the lookout for somewhere more suitable.

Going again by what most of you have kindly said, I think I have to look at Yorkshire. So my brother will be viewing a property in Bramley (Leeds). I have also seen a few in Morley.

I had initially mentioned Mirfield and someone said it's a high risk area for flooding and my brother agrees with this. So, I think we will look at Leeds.

Bramley isn't a great area. Try Pudsy or Rodley.

@Eve1989, it was me that said about avoiding flood zones in Mirfield, but it’s really only a small part of the town at risk - most of it is on a hill!

I work for the Environment Agency, in flood risk management in S&W Yorks. Many towns - eg large parts of Leeds and Newark - will be at risk of flooding, but this is not a reason to write off entire towns. You can check areas in England vulnerable to flooding here: flood map

Morley is an pretty ok area actually. I have several colleagues with young families that live there. It’s mostly on top of a hill - so low flood risk!

Or Farsley.

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads - have you had a recent name change?

@RampantIvy - yes, but I believe you have recognised me correctly