Worcester. Nice places to live

[OhWifey]

Hello, I started a post on this last year but then the move went cold. Now it’s on again and looking slightly tight for time so I thought I’d start a new one with more specifics.

We’d be really grateful for any tips on great places to live within about a 20 (25 at a push) rush hour drive of Fernhill Heath.

We are used to living semi rurally with a great bus service into our nearest city and we think we want to replicate that. However we’d definitely consider more rural, or the edge of a town as long as there is a feeling of peace and space.

We are looking for 4 bedrooms or three and an annexe as it’s really important to have good quality space for guests. We also need work from home space.

Definitely detached with a good garden, and space to work from home. We’d like to stick around £500-550k but could go to £650k if all boxes are fully ticked.

Please could you suggest to me where you’d live if you had the above parameters? I’ve seen houses I like in Abberley, Upton Snodsbury and Hartlebury.

We’d definitely want to steer well clear of flood risk areas and we are very open to new build as well as older properties.
Schools are not relevant.

We will be ready to start viewings next week!
Thanks so much for your help.

Bump

We’d be really grateful for any tips on great places to live within about a 20 (25 at a push) rush hour drive of Fernhill Heath ... We are used to living semi rurally with a great bus service into our nearest city and we think we want to replicate that.
Why not Fernhill Heath itself? It's on the 144 route.

Ah, I can see why not - RightMove doesn't have much to offer! This is lovely, though a bit close to the A449.

Thanks so much. Is Fernill Heath nice? Do you know if it has a community feel?
The housei linked is indeed lovely but too much work for us to consider after a move across country! Thanks though

It had a nice pub when I worked at nearby Hindlip Hall (police HQ)! Think it was called the Bull or the Bull's Head.

You could try looking around Droitwich although I think it's quite expensive. Maybe Ombersley. Or Malvern although that's on the other side of Worcester.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/120158396

Village between Fernhill
heath and Droitwich. On the bus route.

I grew up in fernhill heath and think it's a nice place. Easy access to worcester and Droitwich, range of housing and settings (some very rural feeling properties as well as the usual stuff) although I'm not up to date with availability there.

I don't know much about Fernhill Heath so can't comment on the community feel but it does have a school, two pubs, a Memo Hall and a Community Centre.

I think that it may be stretching things to call Martin Hussingtree (pop 227) a village but it is very close to Droitwich and all that has to offer. The town is full of clubs, societies, sports and events.

My relatives live in Bewdley. It's about 30 mins from Worcester and is lovely. I grew up on the Lickey Hills. Too far from Worcester for you though.

Thank you all for comments and suggestions. It feels like there are lots of good places, and I've not got any 'avoid' vibes about anywhere which is helpful!

@DidgeDoolittle

My relatives live in Bewdley. It's about 30 mins from Worcester and is lovely. I grew up on the Lickey Hills. Too far from Worcester for you though.

Bewdley is lovely but suffers badly from flooding. They improved defences on the west bank ... which means that now the east bank gets it instead.

Yes but Bewdley is not all flooded, just one side of the river. They are getting proper barriers very soon.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/112000883#/?channel=RES_BUY

This house is in Fernhill Heath and is slightly over budget

Thanks everyone for your replies. We are hoping to spend some time in / near Worcester very soon to check out the area and hopefully do some viewings. I thought this was the best place to ask; what are some things that we must do / see. I'll have a 3 year old with me most of the time.

Not sure on drive time but we nearly bought in Pershore and thought it looked lovely - ended up going fully rural but I always wonder if we should have gone for the Pershore one

just checked and google maps says 18 mins re: Pershore

Oh that's really helpful, thank you. I will definitely check out Pershore as it seems to offer amenities without being too busy

Pershore is lovely, and it really has great facilities for the size. The market is pretty buoyant at the moment, but this house is well within your budget and in a very nice area

I thought this was the best place to ask; what are some things that we must do / see.
I'm afraid that I am out of touch on what three y.o. like but the Severn Valley Railway would probably be a hit. West Midlands Safari Park. The Blossom Trail, maybe. Various National Trust. Churchfields Farm (ice cream!) is not far from your search area. Various things to do at Evesham Country Park.

I forgot to answer about things to do. The Valley at Evesham has a lovely little steam railway at the weekends, a castle play area, and there is a new softplay there too (part of a gymnastics and trampolining place). Worcester Country park has a good playground, excellent cake and plenty of room for running round and letting off steam.
Pershore has a park and playground (too cold for the water play!) and some good little cafes which are child friendly (Baristas is particularly friendly), and you can feed the ducks behind the leisure centre

Webb's of Wychbold (garden centre near Droitwich) has a play area and riverside gardens. Wyre Forest visitor centre near Bewdley also has a play area, while Stourport has a small riverside funfair.

Just avoid anything that would mean driving on the A444 south of the city, between Whittington and Powick. Over the river. The traffic is absolutely awful. They are in the process of widening the road but it's taking for.e.ver.

A4440

That budget will give you some fantastic 4+ bed detached options around Malvern. Malvern is a vibrant town with beautiful hills in an area of outstanding natural beauty. I do agree with previous poster that the A4440 is a bit of a nightmare at peak times at the moment, but work is progressing steadily and is due to be completed later this year.
It takes 15-20 mins to drive from Malvern to central Worcester and about 10 mins or so on the train.

Thanks so much for the activity recommendations. There's lots to keep us busy there.