Moving to the Welsh valleys.

[Tootsiroll]

Hi all, long time lurker here looking for some input.

My partner and I live in Bristol, we've lived here for five years, neither of us are from here originally and both are in our early 30's. Our families are back in our respective home towns and we don't have kids yet so we're quite free to do as we please.

About a year ago one of our friends relocated to Wales, he was in the area last month visiting family and we had the chance to meet up. Long and short of it, he offered my partner a job working along side him. In all honesty I've never had the desire to move to Wales, it's never even crossed my mind to go there but it feels like it could be an opportunity.

Our friend now lives in Merthyr Tydfil and loves it there. He lives in a terrace which he describes as "Cosy" and he can't praise to locals enough for being friendly. While we don't have to live in the same area it would be nice to have someone we know living close by plus work would be on our doorstep so almost no commute for my partner.

However, look up Merthyr on Google and YouTube and what you get doesn't exactly inspire confidence. The Gurnos comes up a lot as does footage from a TV program called "Skint". It's also on lists of "Worst places to live" and "Turdtowns"

I guess what I'm after is some opinions from people who might actually live there or have some first hand experiance of it. The Gurnos Estate isn't Merthyr just like Hartcliffe isn't Bristol, there's good and bad places everywhere. Maybe someone might be able to tell me some of the better places as well as where to avoid? Am I grazy for even thinking about it?

I live in the Welsh Valleys and love it. However not all valleys are equal so be mindful of that.
I'm in Ystrad Mynach, I moved from a big city and I don't miss it one bit.
I love where I live because it's fairly open, some of the Valley towns and villages are at the bottom of the valley which can make it feel oppressive. There is a regular train service which was an absolute must for me even though I drive.
I love the scenery and walks around here and I love that property is affordable. Merthyr was just that bit too far out for me from the M4 and Cardiff.

Jesus christ don't move to Merthyr. I was born there and my parents made their escape when I was 5, none of us ever looked back! Rough as foxes and very cheap for a good reason. Look more towards Brecon, Abergavenny and the surrounding villages for a much much better life.

Agree re Brecon and Abergavenny. Even Ebbw Vale is nicer than Merthyr.

Ha ha, I was being polite in my post. The villages you have mentioned are nice but not cheap. If OP is looking for cheaper property I would recommend Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed, Nelson, Quakers Yard and Blackwood. But no Merthyr is not it 😂

Yeah. This.

Abergavenny, Crickhowell, Brecon or Monmouth would be my recommendations.

Is this an election thing?

Weston Super Mare is better than Merthyr-Weston has some surprisingly nice countryside surrounding it.

I know several people who moved there after divorce - The Valleys are cheap for a reason.

I live in the valley and if you are after a cheap house then go for it, if good public transport, amenities etc are important then don't.

The valleys have been neglected over the years by both the Senedd and Westminster, there's a reason they are always on the worst town lists.

I agree -the valleys are beautiful though but there's a reason the houses are cheap. I live on the SWales coast which is great but a trek from Merthyr

Agree with most.
There is a reason the housing is cheap in Merthyr.

But, if you are paying a mortgage or rent in Bristol, then you would be making a MASSIVE saving by going somewhere like Blackwood, and your partner travelling to Merthyr for his work.

Now come on everyone 🙄 it's not at all awful where I live. Some parts are, some are very picturesque. Some areas have one train an hour, the others have four per hour. You really have to pick carefully.

Thanks for the replys so far, I was expecting a negative response so no real surprise.

Oh, I wouldn’t be living in Merthyr itself, and if that meant a commute every day, so be it. Your quality of life in Abergavenny or Brecon would be soooo much higher, if you can afford the house prices. One caveat would be: is the Heads of the Valleys road still always closed at the first sign of snow? I remember always hearing that on local radio when I was a kid, but maybe the snow clearance is better now (or global warming has eliminated the white stuff). Once that road from Aber to Merthyr is closed you‘re stuffed.

Sorry, didn’t mean to be rude and insult where you live. The area as a whole is absolutely stunning, I love visiting. It‘s just the realisation that you could get your food from a Merthyr supermarket or you could have the legendary Abergavenny market on your doorstep instead - and Aber has the scenery too. It’s about quality of life.

Merthyr Tydfil has some lovely bits, and obviously run down bits. The villages surrounding Merthyr are probably more community feeling than the town itself.

Amenities are pretty decent with a variety of shops etc plus it has the bonus of being right on the doorstep of some of the most spectacular countryside you can imagine. Cardiff/M4 is a 20 minute drive in good traffic, or an hour on the train.

The market towns of Abergavenny and Brecon aren't too far away for an explore, but as others have mentioned, they have a price tag for living far higher than Merthyr.

Also, what other PP have mentioned about the closed in feel is very true. Across the mountain (and perfect commuter distance) is Mountain Ash which is a lovely place in general, but you lose the sun pretty quickly because it's right at the bottom of the valley. If you do opt to move there definitely try and choose somewhere that's not at the bottom of a steep valley.

I'd book into a hotel for a couple of days just to get a feel for the area. It's not terribly expensive and would be a good idea to spend time in the areas you're interested in.

For what it's worth...I'd sooner live in Merthyr than Bristol.

I live in Merthyr borough. Obviously it's not Brecon or Abergavenny or any of those "naice" places but I can guarantee you it's not anything like the TV (or Nigel Farage today!) want people to think.

I live in the valleys and love living here. It’s near Cardiff and the scenery is lovely. there is plenty to do here and easy to get to other places.

Check out Aberdare. Beautiful open valley. Good connection to Cardiff, although slow but you can still get there, and easy access over the mountain to Merthyr.

Bristol is nice, I've heard some nice things about that area from someone that lives there, we moved higher up in Wales & absolutely hate it cannot wait to move again. Don't move to a little clique village that's full of petty people who need to get themselves hobbies

I think I'm being distracted by the property prices, it's hard to see past a three bedroom house for less than half what a two bedroom flat would cost here. I understand there's truth to what people are saying about prices being cheap for a reason which is why I'm feeling so conflicted. I'm greatful for everyones insights because as I said, I have no idea what it's like there appart from what I've seen online.

Our friend thinks the Valleys are only going to get better now that Cardiff has a new Metro and the trains are being electrified with more frequent services planned. He also said a road (Heads of the valleys?) is being turned into a dual carriageway to improve transport links. I don't know enough about the area to comment but he believes high property prices will push Cardiff residents further up the valleys and eventually the commuters will bring money and business to the area.

Up until now I've not really taken the idea too seriously but my partner seems keen so we should probably do some more research to see if it's something we can and want to do.

I think your friend is spot on. Come help gentrify us.

In the meantime, I'll be chilling in my 5 bed house with massive garden and tiny mortgage.

Some of these replies are hysterical.

Merthyr has some lovely areas, Ponsticill, Heolgerrig, Cefn Coed.
And some less nice areas....

Great retail park... town centre much like any other town centre across the land. Some nice independent restaurants and bars.

Brecon beacons on your doorstep.

My house is in a quiet street, beautiful views, cozy and comfortable and a fraction of the price of 40 mins down the road in Cardiff.

Don't move to a little clique village that's full of petty people who need to get themselves hobbies

I take it you've not been to Merthyr ?

@Tootsiroll There's a series on Fridays on BBC called Iolo's Valleys if you want to get an overview of the way nature has returned over the pit heads. You'll catch it on iPlayer

Phew, I live in a nice area. Thanks @kimbo1980 for providing much needed validation.

South Wales is stunning. Do your research though because it's a helluva lot different to Bristol. As pp suggested do some mini stays to get a feel or you'll have a huge culture shock