Nice places to live in East Midlands

[wintersun21]

Hey all,

I'm looking at relocating to the East Midlands from the South East.

Keen to find a nice town with access to a city such as Leicester, Peterborough or Nottingham.

So far Oakham is our favourite.

We have a child not yet of school age but schooling is a priority for us - but private school isn't an option.

Our budget is around £375k and would like a 4 bed semi or detached.

Any areas to look at would be fab.

Market Harborough. Melton Mowbray ruddington or Beeston near Nottingham. Between Nottingham and derby - breaston ockbrook. Duffield is very popular near derby

Stamford

I’d be careful with school catchment areas. Duffield has just had a terrible OFSTED inspection, recently crossed that off my list.
I’d look at towns and villages around Grantham/Bingham/Radcliffe in Nottinghamshire. Ruddington mostly gets you in to Rushcliffe Spencer Academy but not everyone gets in.

Stamford is a beautiful place, also Oakham, Uppingham, Oundle, Market Harborough

Duffield/Belper. Both have plenty going on with good bars & restaurants. Duffield is a large village and Belper is a small market town with a great high street. Both have easy access to the Peak District and good rail links.
Wouldn't worry about the Duffield secondary school's ofsted if your child isn't school age. It was outstanding for a long time and results are excellent. They were downgraded on a safeguarding type issue so I imagine it will all be sorted by then.

That budget is going to be tight these days. Exh has just paid that for a 2 bed in the city, villages are more. Look at places without stations perhaps as they tend to ge a bit less.

Definitely Market Harborough

Although they’re lovely you wouldn’t get a 4 bed for your budget in Oakham, Stamford or Harborough.

Or Duffield. You might in Beeston.

This. Nowhere near. Probably not Uppingham either.

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There are several modern detached 4 beds on Rightmove in Oakham.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86036991#/?channel=RES_BUY

You could also look at Barleythorpe which is a small village in walking distance to Oakham centre with loads of new builds.

Try looking between Newark side of Nottingham. Good access to Lincoln, also only an hour or so drive to York (A1), plus a direct train to London from Newark Northgate. Well priced, and excellent travel links!

Grantham? Only an hour direct into London. 20 minutes from Oakham, 45 minute drive to Nottingham and 45 minute drive to Peterborough and 40 minute drive to Lincoln.

It has two outstanding grammar schools and comps, as well as lots of primary schools.

Not too close to Newark though because it's a shit hole.

I grew up near Loughborough in a village called Woodhouse Eaves, which is lovely but expensive.

Tbh I much prefer the Charnwood Forest area to North West Leicestershire and heading up to Derby which can be quite tatty and deprived

I’m in a village near Oakham, I recommend it. But it depends what you need and it’s not cheap.
Feel free to pm if that helps. I don’t want to say exactly where I am as it’s a small place!

There’s lots of lovely villages along the A1 around Newark / Retford

I can't totally disagree with you, but it does have some pretty places and lovely little independent shops. And a nice big Waitrose and M&S Foodhall. You know it's not a total loss if they feature in a town 😂. I have a small affection for it, and you can't knock the house prices when you consider how commutable it is to the north and south! But yes, I'd look at villages around Newark (Lincoln side, or north of Newark up the A1) as opposed to in Newark itself.

@Shmithecat2 I grew up there so I know what it's like. My DH thinks it's a nice, quaint like place. I can appreciate people think it's nice by how it looks, because it is really.

But it's different when you grow up there, know what goes off there and what the people are like.

It's a good location though.

I've lived in or near Newark on and off since 2010, so I have some idea of what it's like to live in. It's no different to any other town really - good bits, shit bits 🤷‍♀️

@Shmithecat2 it wasn't a nice place to grow up.

We just paid it for a 4 bed on the Long Eaton/Toton border - could have found some 4 beds for the budget around Bramcote/Sandiacre/Trowell/Stapleford/Toton - we weren't looking further afield than that personally because we have various things tying us to those particular areas.

I do a lot of work around Newark, and with the people I work with - it tends to be the more interesting bits of the area... it's much the same as most areas - some lovely... some dicey as hell and the huge pain in the neck of the train lines meaning you can get stuck waiting for signals for ages and ages.

Depending on the age of your kids - huge issue with the current Y6 cohort around Nottinghamshire getting sent ridiculous distances to a really "interesting" school in terms of how badly you can fuck up Ofsted - that cohort have been big and had school place issues throughout though.

Market Harborough ticks all your boxes but think you will struggle to get a 4 bed with your budget. There are some villages outside of Market Harborough that are cheaper if you're willing to travel 10 minutes by car though

Somewhere like Oadby is cheaper as its really a suburb of Leicester now, but is its own town really. Some great houses on rightmove within your budget there.