Where to live in the SW?

[Relocatio]

I'm looking to move from London to the south-west next year.
I was initially hoping for Bath, or just outside but looking on Rightmove, it's out of my budget.

Ideally I would like a 3 bed detached, somewhere quite rural, but near a town/city.

Budget is maximum £500,000

Any ideas of nice affordable rural locations near Bath or Bristol? Or possibly in Wiltshire? I don't know the area well enough to know the nicer locations.

I'll need a decent secondary school for my son who starts September next year.

I have a friend who lives in Pewsey in Wiltshire. I don't know anything about the place, but she seems to like it very much.

The secondary school is going to be a risk. If he starts Y7 in 2025 then moving next year will be too late, you'll have missed the application deadline so will be limited to whatever's left - but the popular/most highly achieving schools are likely to be full.

Just wanted to mention this incase you built your plans around a certain school - if that's important to you, you need to move by this autumn.

Keynsham, between Bristol and Bath.

This one might suit.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145142891#/?channel=RES_BUY

That's kind of the opposite to what I'm looking for, but thanks 😀

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/143816009

Something like this would be ideal.

Malmesbury in Wiltshire

Yes, this is a problem. I did some research and could apply for schools before I move, with the help of a solicitor letter confirming a purchase .

Thank you, I'll do some research!

@Relocatio - have you put an offer in on that one?
Sounds just right.

No, sadly not! We're looking to move this time next year, as my son wants to finish his primary school here. That house is pretty much perfect, but I doubt many like this come up.

Maybe go for it - also, as pp have said, you need to get him a place at a good secondary.

Thank you, will have a look

This is looking good, and an outstanding state secondary!

My DB lives in Ramsbury. Lovely village with two pubs, a shop I think, and is close to Hungerford, Marlborough and Swindon.

Pewsey Secondary is not very good. Marlborough and Hungerford are nice and lots of lovely villages all around. Be warned though the good secondary schools may be very oversubscribed and you might struggle to get in if your son doesn't go to one of the academy feeder schools or you're not in the right place for catchment.

The villages around Devizes are nice and Lavington is a good school.

Try Corsham Wiltshire lovely town close to Bath. Good schools.

Radstock / Frome / Wells? Close to Bath

Pewsey is miles from Bath and in the middle of nowhere! Malmesbury is very lovely but the centre is more like a small village when it comes to the high street, you have to travel to Bath/Bristol/Swindon to do any decent shopping.

Hungerford, Pewsey, Marlborough don’t have great secondary schools.

Monkton Combe and surrounding villages are lovely, getting in to Bath from the south is much easier as there’s less traffic, from the west the traffic can be really terrible. Camerton is really pretty too.

Midsomer Norton, Bitton, Frampton Cotterell, Winterbourne. Or Wiltshire.

Marlborough is a really nice town.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145560434

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146101433

Wotton under edge is lovely, with a good secondary school.

Chippenham or Corsham

Salisbury/ surrounding area. There's also a boys grammar school

Would you consider as far as Exeter?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146513168

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145659650

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86583204

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/135813497

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146688419

Here is a lovely one in Wotton under edge.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145317716?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY