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Original poster

Where would you live in Devon?

48 replies

PastaFasool · 15/07/2022 10:39

Me, DH and DS are currently living in Bristol, but considering a move further west into Devon. DH is from Plymouth and he has family in various parts of Devon and we'd love DS to grow up closer to his family, as unfortunately it looks like we won't be able to have more DC.

Does anyone have anywhere they'd recommend looking with:

  • A train station - that's a must for us, so rules out quite a lot of places in Devon!
  • Decent primary and secondary schools
  • Some buzz / life - obviously nothing as busy as Bristol, but not a sleepy village feel
  • Near-ish to the coast - doesn't have to be right on the sea though, just so long as we can get there within about 30 minutes

Anyone like living in Exeter or area around there? Any other nice towns people recommend? Thanks in advance for the help!

OP posts:
Imthedamnfoolwhoshothim · 15/07/2022 10:52

I loved in Honiton. It was incredible and I would recommend it to anyone. Yes it appears quite but you can be in Exeter via the train in 15 mins max

Letterspostname · 15/07/2022 10:53

Totnes 100%

thegcatsmother · 15/07/2022 10:59

Tavistock, you can get a train in Plymouth. Over the bridge, Saltash has a train station, and it's easy to pop into Plymouth.

Wotsitagain · 15/07/2022 11:12

Are you avoiding Plymouth specifically? Because it seems to tick all your boxes

Crikeyalmighty · 15/07/2022 11:14

I think Exeter would tick the boxes or maybe Totnes

sopsmum · 15/07/2022 11:22

Oh god dont go to tavistock unless you like the rain and sitting in the car.

Kingsbridge has very good schools and you can do in under an hour and 40 from bristol on a good day (if you might want to come back to visit). Friends live in ivybridge and that seems very affordable but also really close to coast and exeter / plymouth.

emmetgirl · 15/07/2022 11:29

Exeter- I live in the depths of
Cornwall but I love Exeter

DistrictCommissioner · 15/07/2022 11:32

Where do you want to get to on the train?

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 15/07/2022 12:05

I lived in Exeter for a while in my 20s and absolutely loved it.

Dobbysgotthesocks · 15/07/2022 12:08

There is a huge hosing crisis in Devon just now. People like myself are being forced out of our homes because incomers are willing and able to pay more for housing than those of us who already live, work and have invested in the community here. Devon does not need more people moving in.

Original poster
PastaFasool · 15/07/2022 12:13

Thanks all, that's some excellent suggestions! I quite like Plymouth, probably because I'm always on holiday when I go, but DH would prefer somewhere else - he does love Devon but has a lot of associations with Plymouth from growing up as a bored teenager there. He loved getting out into the countryside but not so much Plymouth itself.

Totnes and Exeter definitely sound like places we should be looking at more. Trains, ideally we'd like some links to Bristol, Reading, and London - I have to travel to Bristol and London for work a couple of times a month, and my family are near Reading.

Budget is probably up to £650k for a 3 bedroom house with garden, so we're not able to afford any of the posh foodie towns in South Devon, but that's fine with us.

OP posts:
Original poster
PastaFasool · 15/07/2022 12:16

@Dobbysgotthesocks I do totally understand that. For us, it's about moving back to where all my husband's family are, and where they've been forever - we're not looking for a holiday home, and we know Devon's not all cream teas and holiday lets, it's a real places with real issues of social deprivation, lack of employment, etc.

OP posts:
DistrictCommissioner · 15/07/2022 12:37

I do get that Dobbysgotthesocks, but on the flip side we are desperately short of GPs, Health Visitors, physios etc etc - we need some people to move here…

Original poster
PastaFasool · 15/07/2022 12:38

@emmetgirl your username made me laugh out loud there!

OP posts:
Original poster
PastaFasool · 15/07/2022 12:40

@emmetgirl Although my father in law calls the tourists grockles rather than emmets.

OP posts:
thegcatsmother · 15/07/2022 12:51

sopsmum .....and yet Tavistock is lovely today, and you don't have to sit in the car; go and sit in Dukes, Cafe Liaison, or The Kitchen, or browse round the pannier market if it's wet.

I wouldn't touch Ivybridge with a barge pole with all the new housing going up there. Too crowded by far.

thesunwillout · 15/07/2022 12:53

Grockles is Devonian.

I live in Kingsbridge it's only 20 mins to Totnes for the train.
40 mins to Plymouth

I like Totnes to visit but wouldn't want to live there. Would drive me insane with all the competitive spirituality and lentils.

I say that as quite a spiritual and lentil type person!

Your budget is pretty good tho.

How about outside of Plymouth towards the Moors?

Desmondo2021 · 15/07/2022 12:59

There is a lovely town called Crediton about 7 miles from Exeter. Excellent schools, beautiful town square where the hub of the social side of town happens. A lovely park and sports centre. Good train and bus network, into Exeter in 10 minutes. And for your budget you'd be looking at 4/5 bed luxury detached houses with beautiful gardens so you would be quids in too!!

NeedAHoliday2021 · 15/07/2022 13:21

I love Exeter - prefer it to Bath and Bristol (we live right in the middle of all 3 but usually go south these days for shopping). My parents are in East Budleigh and really like it. Has a nice feel to it. There’s budleigh salterton and exmouth to the East of Exeter.

dubyalass · 15/07/2022 13:33

I like Exeter and Tavistock; you could also look at Exmouth and anywhere on the line to Exeter. Okehampton has a station now too. If I had to choose, I'd go for Tavistock for easy access to Dartmoor and the coast but I'm in Cornwall so the rain doesn't bother me 😁

Whoever was grinching about incomers: the OP's husband is from Devon! And bloody good point about needing people to move in to fill job vacancies. I'd far rather people moved down here to live, rather than the second homers and Air BnBers - they're the ones wrecking the housing market.

APurpleSquirrel · 15/07/2022 13:35

With your budget I'd probably go for Exeter. However, I'd also recommend looking at maybe Taunton or Wellington (Somerset, but near the Devon border). Wellington is lovely & should get it's railway station back in the next few years.
Uffculme has one of the best secondary schools in the country too.
You can be at the coast in under 40mins, go from Taunton to London in under 2hrs; have the M5 for easy transport links; Exeter is 30mins by car; Bristol, North Devon & Plymouth in under an hour too.

LadyVictoriaSponge · 15/07/2022 13:44

Topsham sounds perfect for you though I don’t think 650 will get you a family home the size you want. Totnes is a good bet but I think it’s gone downhill in recent years it isn’t the town it once was, but the town itself is beautiful and it is very central with excellent transport links.

ShanghaiDiva · 15/07/2022 13:48

definitely Exeter: schools are reasonable, sixth form college is rated outstanding, decent road and rail connections, easy travel to moors/beach.
topsham is very nice, but expensive
alphington?
one of the clyst villages?

Rainbowbaby13 · 15/07/2022 13:53

I love Ilfracombe (north Devon) but it's quite hilly but I had some great holidays there and the harbour is lovely

emmetgirl · 15/07/2022 14:01

@PastaFasool ha ha I've lived here for 5 years so it's my little joke with myself. Aren't grockles the Devon equivalent?

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