Moving from London to Sheffield

[Merriczynska]

Hi folks,

Any advice on where is best to relocate to in Sheffield from London? DH has just secured a new teaching job in Longley, North Sheffield and we have a 3yr old in tow and I'm pregnant with our 2nd due in May so we are on the search for somewhere with good primary schools and where I won't feel lonely on mat leave with a newborn! Need access to toddler and baby friendly spaces and facilities in relative walking distance. As I'll be on mat leave we're looking either to rent or buy somewhere on a smaller budget before I go back to work again in a year or so. Not 100% sure on budget yet but below £300k is probably realistic at this stage. I've heard Totley & Dore are lovely but are they ok in terms of things to do with babies and toddlers? I guess our budget won't go as far in the nicer areas and it would be lovely to have 4 bedrooms to have one for visiting family from the south! Any tips gratefully received x

Absolutely no skin in this game (guess where I live?), but based on what the OP has told us re children, schools, commute, jobs, Matlock: Crookes/Walkley is the best overall option by a million miles. In her position, that's what I would do. £300k would buy a 3-bed terrace close to schools, other families, and lots of things going on. 4-bed and/or parking is too much of a compromise in terms of location and quality of life.

[quote ArseInTheCoOpWindow]I’ve just found this.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/120287441[/quote]
Good suggestion!

I think Dronfield’s nice too. It’s like an old village in places.

🤣 I have no intention of dying. I am 45 with 3 kids. It isnt an inner city vibe I accept but it's on the door of the peak district with easy access to Sheffield and Chesterfield. I work in Sheffield and wouldn't live anywhere near the centre if you paid me too. I would live in Dore maybe Totley Millhouses or Beauchief. You will get lots of opinions based on peoples personal experiences. The only way to see what you like is to come and rent or come up for visits maybe a full weekend and just book in loads of viewings in the areas you like. Alternatively get Phil and Kirstie on the case.

19:48Dorea

Wonderwoman333

Crookes and Walkley have lots of families and baby/pre school groups, good parks and playgrounds. Very friendly feel, quite professional but "lefty" feel with a bit of a buzz and not too far from the centre. Highly recommend.
Rivelin is also nice.
Hunters Bar/Greystones/Endcliffe park are worth a look too. Good schools, park and family friendly.

I wouldn't consider Grenoside due to the schools. Meersbrook is nice but secondary schools are an issue in my opinion (particularly Mercia).
Millhouses is very nice but significantly above budget.

I definitely wouldn't consider Norton, Woodseats etc, not many families overall, high number of retired people and quite dull despite having Graves Park. The schools aren't great either. Meadowhead is the catchment secondary.

Also I wouldn't recommend any out of Sheffield places like Dronfield (sterile, boring, small town like and quite a commute) and definitely not Barnsley or Rotherham!

Sheffield is a great city but it is very area dependent and a very divided city in terms of nice areas, education, deprivation etc.
The previous posters are right in saying that house prices have really increased recently particularly in the popular areas of S10, S6, S11.

**If you only remember one post from this thread, OP, make it this one!

Thank you @Dorea!

@tootiredtospeak

🤣 I have no intention of dying. I am 45 with 3 kids. It isnt an inner city vibe I accept but it's on the door of the peak district with easy access to Sheffield and Chesterfield. I work in Sheffield and wouldn't live anywhere near the centre if you paid me too. I would live in Dore maybe Totley Millhouses or Beauchief. You will get lots of opinions based on peoples personal experiences. The only way to see what you like is to come and rent or come up for visits maybe a full weekend and just book in loads of viewings in the areas you like. Alternatively get Phil and Kirstie on the case.

That's a lovely and very gracious post, @tootiredtospeak

I grew up in Dore with grandparents in the Peak District, but thought that was a bit far out in terms of life generally, so went for S11 when I came back post university (wanted to be on an easy school bus route, to spare myself the Rivelin Detour). DC's school friends have all been in S17/S11/S10, with a few in S7 (as mine were, too). I'd love to know what Phil and Kirstie would make of it all, though!

and definitely not Barnsley or Rotherham!

I know the OP has said that she didn't want to live anywhere rural, but I just wanted to dispel a few myths about Barnsley. 80% of the Barnsley MBC area is rural, with some of it in part of the Peak District. Barnsley has some really nice small towns and villages with excellent schools, espececially if you are west of the M1.

I wouldn't want to live in Barnsley itself, but there is much more to Barnsley than just the town of Barnsley.

Rivelin is lovely but the secondary school isn’t very lovely.

Bloody schools. OP, I'd find something in the catchment for Tapton, if I were you, as it's a good school that's on the 'right' side of Sheffield from your DH's work. Matlock will just have to fit in.

Silkstone in Barnsley is lovely. It has a. amazing petting farm and fantastic play centre as well as a great cafe/bistro. It has a fantastic preschool and I have a friend who childminds there and is absolutely amazing! It is half an hour from leeds or Sheffield too and Barnsley is actually a nice town centre. The primary school is great too, really supportive (another friend used to teach there before she had her youngest!)

It isn't really villagey either, just a lovely place.

It's ten minutes from J36 of the M1 so an easy commute.

I live just of J38 in a newish estate that has a brilliant community and the local school is outstanding. I can be in Sheffield in 45 minutes (used to commute). I personally wouldn't want to live in Sheffield as I like being close to the countryside and I have Yorkshire Sculpture Park on my doorstep.

Oh my word if you ladies represent the people of Sheffield I can't wait to move - you lot are having me in stitches!! 🤣

The usernames in this chat alone are giving me absolute joy.

Thanks for the hot debates - now I've just got to twist some banks' arms to let me have more money! (AHA)

On a serious note, both myself and DH are teachers so I'm all over the education deep dive and let me say...outstanding isn't always so outstanding once you tweak behind the curtain. It's all about how happy the children are. I've seen enough exam factories to know that! Any school that makes their students walk the corridors in silence is not the place for me or my children! They should be vocal, opinionated but respectful and kind in equal measure 😀. (There speaks the child of a 2 year old who has yet to deal with the teenage years...) although I have taught teenagers for the last decade and it's always the clever cheeky ones that make the days brighter, even if they are a handful!

Silkstone in Barnsley is lovely. It has an amazing petting farm and fantastic play centre as well as a great cafe/bistro. It has a fantastic preschool

I think you mean Cawthorne, and Cannon Hall Farm

Wonderwoman333 I meant on Woodseats but there are lots of pubs & restaurants 5 minutes drive from Norton either at Woodseats or in Dronfield.

@RampantIvy no, I mean Silkstone. It has a lovely place called Pot House Hamlet where I visit weekly!

Cannon Hall is beautiful and only a couple of minutes from Silkstone but not a huge fan of Cawthorne village to be honest. I have friends who've sent their kids to the primary there and its ok but not great in my opinion.

I've lived in the Barnsley area for 17 years being a Geordie on tour.

On a serious note, both myself and DH are teachers so I'm all over the education deep dive and let me say...outstanding isn't always so outstanding once you tweak behind the curtain. It's all about how happy the children are. I've seen enough exam factories to know that! Any school that makes their students walk the corridors in silence is not the place for me or my children! They should be vocal, opinionated but respectful and kind in equal measure 😀.

And there you have just described our outstanding school! The head was nominated for head teacher of the year at the TES awards a couple of years ago. She is amazing and passionate and works her arse off, with her incredible team, to provide the absolute best experiences for her kids.

I'm lucky enough to have seen behind the curtain being on the PTA and working as a volunteer in the school and honestly, it is awesome! For example, she found out I use Makaton and has asked me to set up a club to teach kids (and staff) and do signage for in school because we have a child in nursery who is starting to use it! She wants every child in the school to feel welcome, valued and loved! I could waffle about her all day 🤣

But seriously, consider coming a little further north, its ace!!

Of course @Glenthebattleostrich. My apologies. I had forgotten about the animals there. I'm a regular visitor to the garden centre. Do you remember the baby goat that went viral on YouTube?

DD's primary school was also outstanding in every way, not just ofsted.

Tapton’s catchment is semi rural. It goes right out to Meadow Hollows.

Dd goes to Tapton.

I would suggest crosspool/lodgemoor

You could get a 3 bed (may need a bit of work) for your budget.

Avoid crookes which is very studenty and more crime than you would expect. Ditto Walkley.

If you want a 4 bed for that budget you would be better off in South East so owlthorpe, Eckington, beighton. About 45 minutes to Matlock and the journey to Longley wouldn't be too bad as you would go along the parkway then Penistone Road and up. Probably 40 minute commute outside rush hour. Primary schools are good in that area. Secondary schools less so but you have a while before you need to worry about that

I don’t think there’s any 3 beds in Crosspoool for 300k. I live in Crosspool. Rundown 3 beds are £350. But they are put on under the asking price. My neighbour has just sold his for 50k over the asking price.

Baby goat video

as you would go along the parkway

Sheffield Parkway towards Sheffield is a nightmare in the morning. Going out up Penistone Road would be OK though.

Just to add my thought, although I know you’ve had lots of advice.
I am a Sheff ulcer born and bred.
I’ve lived at Rivelin,Crookes, Oughtibridge, Ridgeway and now, shock horror, Barnsley!
We moved to Oughtibridge at the time to get our son into Bradfield school as it was one of the top schools in sheffield at that time.
He then went to Tapton for sixth form, again, a great school.
Please DO consider Barnsley. We work in Sheffield, but the train ride is 23 minutes into Sheffield.
We live in Old Town, S75, you get so much more for your money here, and I fell in love with the town, fabulous .
The area is like walking around Broomhill, the houses are so lovely and unique. I think you might like it.
It’s worth a look anyway.
My parents live at Grenoside and it’s about 18 minutes by car.

Sheffielder not ulcer!

Old town in Barnsley has some beautiful Victorian buildings, and it is within easy walking distance of the station.

Barnley has several of ofsted outstanding primary schools, Horizon is ofsted good and Barnsley college is ofsted outstanding.

I would look around the S6 area. This will cover parts of Hillsborough, Loxley, and Walkley and some more rural areas. S35 also a possibility.

Stannington for example edges the A57 which could give you access to Matlock through the countryside route and has good schools and a community feel.

Not a bad commute to Longley either.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/119937623

@RampantIvy Old Town Barnsley has been my favourite place to live up to now, although Oughtibridge is beautiful with the woods and river don.
I also like Hillsborough, especially Middlewood, Marcliffe school is lovely.
I agree the prices in Barnsley as going up rapidly, and you do get a lot of people moving here from Other more expensive cities
There’s also Barnsley hospital, close to the centre and it’s got an excellent rating.