Any insight into Abingdon & surrounding areas

[Sae123]

Hello, DH has been offered a job in Milton park, Oxfordshire. We have 2 children 5 and 3. Where would you recommend for an easy commute for DH, good schools and amenities for kids and good transport links? We have approx £450,000. Currently in North West England. Open to anything! Thanks

Do you want to live in a town or a village? Your choice will be limited by budget as unfortunately this is a ridiculously expensive area, but there are options. I would look at Great Western Park (Didcot), which is a growing residential area to the west of Didcot with new facilities and right by Milton Park. Also try villages like Harwell and Steventon if you want to be more villagey. I would suggest not going too much further north towards/beyond Oxford as that bit of the A34 can be a pain for commuting. Abingdon itself is expanding too, so there should be options there.
I think Milton Park has a shuttle bus so it may be worth exploring the routes together an idea of journey times.
I live between Wallingford and Oxford and our journey to Milton Park would be 20 minutes or so with not too much traffic, but we are the other side of the river so it can take much longer at rush hour as we have to cross the little bridges at Clifton Hampden or Culham. I hope that helps a little: happy to give more info if you have any specific areas in mind!

Rightmove search

Wantage might also be an option to consider: market town with straightforward commute to Milton Park.

Thanks for your comments @BathTangle It is a massively expensive area... But it's a good job so we are looking into making it work if possible.

Does anyone have any knowledge on secondary schools in Didcot / Abingdon area? I know miles off where DC are at but I'm a worrier! Thanks again.

Didcot currently has three secondary schools. One mixed and two single sex schools. The girls school has a very good reputation. I have friends with boys at St Birinus and on the whole they are happy. Aureus seems to get fairly mixed reviews. People either seem to be very positive or quite negative. Doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground. There's also a technology college which I think is Year 10 onwards so some children transfer there.

Didcot would be v simple commute to Milton Park. Good transport links with Didcot Parkway and easy access to A34

State schools include Aureus and Didcot Girls, which I have heard good things about. In Abingdon, there is John Mason and Fitzharrys, although I don't know much about them!
There are also good independent options in Abingdon and of course in Oxford.

My home town is Wantage so I'm a bit biased, my parents live in Grove where there is a lot of new housing. East Hanney , Childrey and other outlying villages are lovely. I understand from my friends who still live there that Didcot Girls is a good school and also the Technology College. Views about King Alfred's are mixed although the 6th form is good. I still love going back. Good luck.

Thank you for your comments. It would be a big move for us. @Fabvegetablegrower I'll have a look at Wantage too.

Can I ask, do you know anything about private school OLA in Abingdon? I hadn't wanted to do private, and I'm not sure we can, but am looking at at all options...

Didcot girls seems to be written about very highly.

Thanks again

I used to work at Milton Park. Didcot isn't that nice but is the closest. There are beautiful villages around but probably are pretty restrictive for teenagers. I'd have a look at Wallingford as it's a lot easier to commute that direction and avoid the horrendously crashy A34, plus its really attractive and big enough for a secondary school and a yearly music festival etc.

Thanks @mrsjamin I'll have a look at Wallingford too. Agatha Christie lived there, didn't she?!?!

I think Agatha lived in Cholsey rather than Wallingford itself. Although that area has since been incrproated in Wallingford.

Wallingford is a nice place to live. Not on a train line though.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/118290791#/?channel=RES_BUY

[quote Hidingunderthetableshaking]www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/118290791#/?channel=RES_BUY[/quote]
Pity the estate agent can't spell the village name right.

If your DH was commuting to Milton Park every day, south Abingdon, Drayton, Sutton Courtenay, Steventon are all good options. There are 3 state secondary schools in Abingdon - John Mason, Fitzharry's and Larkmead

Thanks everyone so much for your insights. It seems definitely Abingdon / south of Abingdon for commutable distance.

@Hidingunderthetableshaking

@Ellmau, ah ok. I knew Agatha Christie had lived around there, but didn't know the exact area.

@hidingunderthetableshaking, looks a good property thanks. Maybe needs more work than we could find / manage.

Again thanks for all your help.

Her house was up for sale last year, a bt over your budget though :)

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-56774074

www.countrylife.co.uk/property/a-spectacular-oxfordshire-house-that-was-home-to-agatha-christie-225798

OP - what sort of area do you want?
Town or Village?
You would need to research primary school places for the 5yr old.
How far away from M Park would you go?

Where do you need transport links to? Didcot has trains into London in 37 mins. Hence the cost of houses.
Unless you want access to Oxford, I would look South of Didcot.
The Downs school has had a brilliant reputation for years and years now, so might be a safe bet. 10 miles to Milton Park, and the A34 that way is less sticky than coming from the north. (of course now I've said that it will be horrendous tomorrow…)
It's a lovely part of the country to live in

West of Oxford/Didcot is an option too. Wantage is nice, I think King Alfred’s school is ok. There’s Faringdon too but the town centre is a bit depressed since the Tesco was built (moved footfall out of town) and the commute would be closer to 45 minutes. Faringdon community college is rated good by Ofsted. Stanford-in-the-vale and Kingston Bagpuize are quite attractive. The further west you go, the more you get for your money, with villages costing more than the towns.

@ellmau ha ha, yes, a little over! Wouldn't say no though 😂

Hmm, so the company who DH was offered a job have now said funding not now in place... No contracts signed. It may happen in future. So, no move on the horizon. But we are interested in making the move so going to visit the area in June. Thanks for your insights. Will visit the places you have suggested. X