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Original poster

Moving to Cornwall from London

125 replies

Giadar · 28/04/2022 09:26

Hi everyone,

we are thinking of moving to Cornwall, looking in the area of Liskeard, with 3 teens and 2 younger children.

Looking at different threads online, there seem to be quite of a negative image.

On the threads lots of people will say that people are not friendly, that teenagers struggles with boredom or start using drugs..
That the weather is actually worse then London...

I really don't want to believe this..
Are teenagers luckily to find it difficult?
Are people no accepting of 'new comers'?
Can I have some advice please from people that has made the move and also from local people?

Thank you in advance
Giada

OP posts:
GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 28/04/2022 21:31

What will you do for work? Do you have a job you can do from Cornwall or will you be looking for work? There isn't a lot of it and what there is isn't well paid.

I've lived here all my life, I'm late 30s, and I wouldn't live anywhere else. But Liskeard is pretty high on the list of places I wouldn't want to live! (also St Austell, Camborne, Callington)

Why did you settle on Liskeard? (and St Cleer?! Having never been there?) if you say what you're looking for or what attracted you then we might be able to help find somewhere nicer that ticks the same boxes.

Are your teens outdoorsy? Will they be surfing and hiking and cycling etc. Or will they want cinemas and tech and stuff?

In terms of being 'accepted' - I wouldn't worry too much. So long as you're friendly and involved you'll be fine.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 28/04/2022 21:33

But you really really need to be able to drive. Really.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 28/04/2022 21:41

Bodmin is improving quite a lot i think. It used to have a bad rep but not so much anymore. Has a train station too.

ThatDreamSheep · 28/04/2022 21:41

fourofwands · 28/04/2022 20:27

There's a Trago in Liskeard...definitely worth leaving London for

😂😂

pastypirate · 28/04/2022 21:48

I'm from penzance and I live in Plymouth and keep a home down the lizard.

Cornwall is lush but liskeard is a v random choice.

Op you will find what you need in cornwall no problem but for teens I would look at truro and Falmouth. Falmouth is a university town with lots to do.

Liskeard is a small town with not much going on.

ChairCareOh · 28/04/2022 21:49

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at the user's request

CornishTiger · 28/04/2022 21:53

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 28/04/2022 21:41

Bodmin is improving quite a lot i think. It used to have a bad rep but not so much anymore. Has a train station too.

Which is a complete pain to get to unless you have a car!

PriamFarrl · 28/04/2022 21:56

Would you consider any other areas of the country?

I’m from the West Country but now live in the East. It rarely rains here (it’s not rained in a month). Just over an hour to London on the train, an hours drive to the M25.

it seems very odd to seriously consider moving to somewhere you’ve never visited. So why no think about other parts of the country?

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 28/04/2022 22:05

CornishTiger · 28/04/2022 21:53

Which is a complete pain to get to unless you have a car!

Show quote history

Well there is that! Grin

Like I said, you gotta be able to drive!

SilverHairedCat · 28/04/2022 22:17

This is today's news:

BBC News - South West suffers from 'profound' social inequality, study finds
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-6124198 1

crackofdoom · 28/04/2022 22:19

Giadar
Cornwall is not flourishing, it's the poorest county in England.
Regarding being welcome as an Italian though...there is an Italian woman in our village, and she has quickly become part of our community.
But...how can I ever encourage someone to move down here?? Recently I attended a meeting to support not one but FOUR single parent families from our school, all of whom are being kicked out of their rented accommodation because their landlords are selling up, and all of whom are having massive problems finding somewhere else 😪

Wagsandclaws · 28/04/2022 22:30

I'm Plymouth born and grew up in the Exeter area. I have family In Cornwall too but as lovely as it is I wouldn't live there.

We have lived in the south east but I wanted to come back to the south west so now we live in the Somerset mendips about 25 mins from Bath.

We have Bath and Bristol close by and whilst we love a rural lifestyle my soon-to-be teenage sons will have plenty to do and places to go.

Maybe look at Wiltshire or Somerset OP, Cornwall would be a massive culture shock for you I think.

I also agree with other posters that you need to really, really do your research as well as be able to drive if you were considering Cornwall - it's not really like you see on tv or hear about from tourists that you might meet.

Winter is very, very different in the south west.

lakeswimmer · 28/04/2022 22:39

OP the places you're suggesting are small and seem very random, they're not places you know or have visited. You might be better choosing a decent sized market town/small city surrounded by nice countryside and with good transport links to a big city. It would be less of a culture shock for the whole family.

For example, I grew up near Chester which is an attractive city but also close to Liverpool and Manchester.

MrsPussinBoots · 28/04/2022 22:44

Have you considered Torbay? Beaches, woodlands, close to Dartmoor, between Exeter, Totnes and Plymouth for shopping, bowling and 2 cinemas! Plenty of playgrounds for kids. Most of the key supermarkets within easy distance. And not too far from the Trago at Newton abbot.

00100001 · 28/04/2022 22:50

Confused😐

WonderingWanda · 28/04/2022 23:00

There are so many lovely places to live in Devon and Cornwall, I can't fathom why you have chosen Liskeard or Minehead. They would go on my list of where to avoid along with Paignton, Bodmin, Cambourne and Redruth. Why Liskeard, I"m intrigued.

Purpleheadgirl · 28/04/2022 23:16

Slightly irrelevant or Cornwall itself, why would you consider moving three teens unless a) you need to, b) you all want to and c) you have thoroughly researched the place! That will be a nightmare in terms of schooling even if the school you find is amazing. The earliest they are are 13 -round here they start GCSEs going into year 9 so 13-14. Anyone older will already be starting either that or A levels. Even the same exam subject, with the same board, may have been taught in a completely different order so they may end up missing a huge chunk of the subject. They will have friends and social groups and yes, their views can't dictate such a decision, but need strongly considering

TheFormidableMrsC · 28/04/2022 23:24

I totally understand the better quality of life thing but don't understand why you'd choose Cornwall if you've never been there. I love Cornwall but I wouldn't want to live there. I know somebody who massively regrets the relocation and is really struggling now. This is not to say that it would be wrong for you. However, you need to spend time there, really get a feel and do your research. I also love Devon but know that wouldn't work for me. Dorset, however, I'd move there in a heartbeat.

RiverSkater · 28/04/2022 23:26

Why would you do this to your teenagers? The vast work opportunities in London compared to Cornwall for a start.

Will they embrace country living?

TheFormidableMrsC · 28/04/2022 23:28

Also avoid Newquay. It was absolutely awful when I went there. I mean no disrespect to the people of Newquay though. It was just a string of unpleasant experiences and awful weather. That's another thing, it's very wet in Cornwall. Went in the middle of August a few years ago and it was torrential for the entire week. Also cold. We had to go and buy clothes as we were completely unprepared

Organictangerine · 28/04/2022 23:29

I know the West Country pretty much inside out

and have lived in basically every county lol

Cornwall is quite extreme to live in. It’s very very cut off. Quite insular. Beautiful, but there really isn’t an awful lot to do unless you’re happy to spend 100% of your time outdoors or at the beach (eg if your a keen horse person). There are a lot of drugs and bored teenagers.

i think somewhere like the outskirts of Exeter might be more up your street? A surrounding village by the sea?

Marcipex · 28/04/2022 23:38

Liskeard is a dive, sorry. Most of the cheaper options are pretty dreary , to be honest. Bodmin, St Austell, ditto.

Truro is quite nice imo but I am used to rural. I don’t think it will impress a Londoner.

The second homes issue is huge. And yes, many people are parochial.

StageRage · 29/04/2022 06:03

What stage are your teens at with schooling?

It is no improvement to the quality of life if you move schools when they are in years 10, 11, 12,13, and stuff up their exam chances.

Life with teens in rural areas can be tough if you move to an area where there is no public transport and little for them to do. You become a taxi service. Narrow lanes with no pavements are not good for walking home after dark, or cycling.

But then I loved bringing Dc up in London. (Average / low salary, S London)

Onlyrainbows · 29/04/2022 06:32

I made the move (albeit 8 years ago). It sucks. The cinema is the size of my TV. I find it boring and wouldn't say unwelcoming, but hey I still haven't made any friends. I sometimes have to travel for work and it's always 6+ hours. The flights from Newquay are never conducive to a working day. We went to Devon (near Dartmouth) and we wished that Cornwall was more like it.

superram · 29/04/2022 06:42

It is highly unlikely it will improve quality of life for your teenagers. Stay where you are until they finish school.

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