Where to live in Torquay

[Hannahthepink]

We're moving to Torquay, and we're starting to look at houses, but although we know the town a bit, we're not very clued up on what residential areas are best.

We have small children so are interested in having a lovely primary school nearby.
It's also essential to be in easy walking distance to a nice beach.
We're moving from a market town with lovely independent shops, lots of community events and green spaces, and whilst we recognise that Torquay is a very different place, we would love to find a similar community minded feel somewhere.

Our budget is around £500,000, so seems to cover houses that we like in most areas of the town.

We really liked St Marychurch, and others have told us to look at Chelston, but we weren't quite as sure on that area.
If you have any tips on (dare I say it...) 'naice' spots that we can home in on I'd be really grateful!

I'm not sure of the name but if you go from Chelston towards Paignton, not on the seafront, there is a nice area and the schools are Preston or Oldway and I think they are better schools than Cockington or Sherwell from what I've heard. Also handy for the grammar schools if that interests the OP.

I don't live in Torquay but I do live in Devon and know Torquay a bit

@InTheMiddle23 not sure why that tagged you sorry!

@intothedeepblue not sure what was confusing about what I said?

I'm sure the OP would love to hear your suggestions then

Well, the whole area is surrounded by beaches. Some are sandy, some are shingle, so it depends what you mean by "nice", but all are accessible to anyone living in Torquay and generally within a 30 minute walk or easy bike ride (admittedly Torquay is hilly but nothing a fit child can't cope with).

I suspect with school and hobbies the kids won't have to time to go the beach every day, so being within 30 mins would be enough. I am not a beach person and don't see the attraction anyway, but if you want a beach, there are plenty of them.

Well if people are worried about drugs or ferral kidsTotnes isn't the place to go. I've seen far worse in Totnes than Torquay.

@CatCatGoose thanks, Brixham is definitely a possibility for us, (although house prices seem to have already got the memo there!) It certainly is a lovely place to be ☺️

If you're working in torquay I'd maybe not recommend Teignmouth after all, it's not a terrible commute, but shaldon bridge and the maidencombe lanes could add on time to a journey that would be 10 mins from say Paignton. If you're after nice, easily accessible beaches I'd deffo recommend Paignton near Goodrington or Broadsands. Lots of lovely houses there, good schools and some estates are waking distance to Churston grammar if that's what you're after. Also close to South Devon college for when they're older.

Or as I said in my previous post, Preston. Has a nice beach and I believe oldway and Preston primaries are good.

Totnes does have its problems compared to a few years it does attract athose seeking an ‘alternative lifestyle’ but it is far far better than Torquay, the two are worlds apart and that is reflected in the property price difference, Totnes is hugely desirable, Torquay not so much.

Thanks @Tazzzaaa, Cockington is definitely a lovely leafy area and going on the list. Chelston and Wellswood are cropping up again and again here, so great possibilities.

Brixham is lovely OP but yes the prices now reflect that.

@ChicaneOvenchips thank you, all good shouts!

Well Totnes is known as 'Glastonbury on sea' so if it's that area OP is moving from in Somerset, I doubt it would appeal! 😬

What about Shaldon, Kingsteignton or Newton Abbott still commutable
Personally plan to retire to torbay most likely PReston though that's 20 years and abit away

Thank you @intothedeepblue, that's really helpful. It's great to hear that you've had a positive experience there ☺️

The rainbow fun house (apologies for the Daily Hate Mail link):

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11124713/Former-Victorian-gothic-church-transformed-stunning-3-7million-family-home.html

I guess it is still a rainbow fun house... imagine how much running all those coloured lights will cost. And the heating?!!

Thank you @gatehouseoffleet, there are some names in there that I'd never considered, so interesting to hear them crop up here.
We do like Teignmouth, but are a bit put off by the commute from there, I think it might be quite slow, so we'd prefer the other side of Torquay if we're going out of the town itself.

@ancientgran do you mean Livermead? If so, then yes, that looks good.

@LadyVictoriaSponge Totnes is well known to us and is very, very similar to the town that we currently live in, and does nothing for me I'm afraid!

@Figgygal thank you, but we really want to be on the coast, so Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton are not really for us. Shaldon is sweet but a bit small, we're interested in having a bit more life on our doorstep 😊

@chesirecat99 oh the heating bills 😂 I think we'll go for something more modest!

The grammar schools don't have catchment areas so DC come from all over Torbay, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Exeter, Dartmouth, villages on Dartmoor etc. There are school buses. I would consider looking further afield.

If you want to be near one of the grammar schools, I would choose Brixham/Churston Ferrers.

The novelty of the beach will soon wear off. The nicest beaches and the ones that aren't packed with tourists tend to be away from residential areas.

But to answer your question, the nicer areas in Torquay are:

Ilsham Marine Drive
Chelston
Livermead
Wellswood
The Lincombes
Babbacombe
St Marychurch
Cockington
Preston (next to Livermead but in Paignton)

@chesirecat99 thanks for the info about the grammar schools, that's good to know.

I grew up opposite the beach, the novelty has never worn off and I have missed it every single day that I have been away from it. As soon as the sea hits my skin I'm home! Tourists don't bother me, and Oddicombe, Babbacombe, Corbyn beaches are all more than nice enough for me!

That list mirrors mine, so good to agree!

Depends what you find desirable, it is prettier that's true but the drugs are a terrible problem and Torbay kids laugh about how easy it is to get drugs there. It is the only place where I've ever had to stop and remonstrate with teenagers about their behaviour, once when they were vandalising a tree just off the High St in broad daylight, the abuse I got was something else and I grew up in an inner city slum so I can hold my own. The other time was when some little darlings were beating up a boy, he was 13 or 14 lying on the floor getting a good kicking. The thing that shocked me most was all the adults walking past turning their heads the other way, comes to something when the hero who rescues you is an old lady. What decent adult could walk past that? I know people who have left Totnes precisely because they wanted their kids away from Totnes and the school.

Yes I think that's it. I've always thought it had a nice vibe.

Well we obviously like the same sort of places. Definitely have a look at Livermead and I'd check if it is in catchment for Oldway or Preston as that would seal the deal for me if I had schoolage children. Good luck.