Claygate thoughts

[WiltshireMoonraker]

Hi there,

We've been looking at Claygate, Surrey. Two viewings yesterday, both the opposite ends to the village. One was near the station which was great, the other on Coverts Road about a 20min walk away. Has anyone experience of Coverts road? There seems a bit more social housing in that part of Claygate

Claygate is awful OP. I grew up there - moved there when I was 9 and finally left for good in my early 20s. It's the absolute pits for teenagers, so if you have young DC I'd seriously think again personally. There were huge problems with bullying when I was there, the village kids had a weird gang mentality. As someone who had moved there, not been born there, I struggled to fit in and was never really accepted. There were loads of drugs too. Also, there's literally nothing there (no cinema, bowling, restaurants, proper coffee shops) and so the only place to go for any sort of life as a teenager is Kingston - the K3 bus links are brilliant but Kingston isn't somewhere I'd want my teens hanging out at night.

Coverts road is not the 'nice' end of the village, although close to Claygate Primary School. It's such a small place that you're never not walking distance from anything, so I wouldn't let that be the thing that puts you off.

Personally, I think it's one of the dullest places on earth, hence all the drug taking etc - the young people are just so bored. Sure it's perfectly nice if you're retired or something but I wouldn't move back there for anything.

Really sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear at all, but I doubt many people on Mumsnet have so much first hand experience of such a small place, and I couldn't just scroll by! Happy to answer any questions you have about Claygate.

Just popping in to say don't discount social housing areas. I moved last year to a street which is mainly social housing and it's the happiest place I've ever lived - I moved after a divorce from a street with million pound houses and people were so unfriendly . I absolutely love it here. You can also look up police stats which will quickly tell you if there any problem tenants in an area (look for asb)

I don't know areas in Claygate but it's a nice village with a good community.

I think PP perhaps isn't a countryside fan - I live in a far more remote village than Claygate nowhere near London and my teen is perfectly happy. Everywhere has drugs issues - my dc are not interested. I grew up in central London and it was everywhere there too despite the fact we could get on a tube anywhere . Claygate has good accessibility and you can get a bus to a fast train route to London.

It can be difficult to get into the primary in Claygate so if that matters check the catchment carefully.

Definitely a countryside fan - Claygate isn't the countryside though! It's not interesting enough for that.
It's also not remote - it's served by the London bus network! It's just utterly soulless. And also snooty.

Yes I'd probably agree with snooty! Have friends there who we visit a lot, they're pretty wealthy and it does seem made up of elderly wealthy types!

Thank you for all the responses everybody! And bye the way absolutely no prejudice about social housing, I was born and raised there. Just making observation. So we are going to make an offer on Coverts road

Good for you! I think Claygate is great, it's villagey but has shops, and a station to Waterloo, and the K3. Just don't move there thinking you will get Hinchley Wood secondary - Esher High is a good school though.