Moving from London to Gwynedd

[nathalieandhugo]

Has anyone made this move? Dh and I have been in the rat race for 12 years and have decided it’s time to give up our high stress, long hours, city jobs and cash in. We can sell our one bed flat in Zone 1 which we’ve just paid off and buy a family home in Gwynedd where we can start a family.

Obviously it’s a big change! But has anyone made the move? How was adjusting to such a big lifestyle change?

What will you do for work? Do you have any family or friends in the area?

Which part of Gwynedd are you looking at? Have you been there and spent time? We’re in the process of moving from Oxford to West Wales - mostly for work reasons but also keen to get out of the South East. We did do a lot of homework though and looked around a lot before deciding where and whether it was right for us, and we do have past family links to the area. Our children will be going to Welsh medium school. I think there is undue negativity towards Wales/ rural Wales on MN generally but I do think it’s worth going and doing your research for yourself in person.

I wouldn't, personally. I'm Welsh but worked there for a while and wasn't "Welsh enough"; I don't speak Welsh, although did learn for a little while. I hated it. I wouldn't move there as an English person. All schools are Welsh medium (which I don't disagree with at all!) but I found the community very unwelcoming to me as someone who didn't have family in the area, nor as a Welsh speaker.. It's also sooo far from anywhere, it was a nightmare! An hour to the nearest hospital to give birth, 2.5 hours to a childrens A&E, 2 hours to the nearest bigger international airport. And god it rained. Sorry OP, I wouldn't ever return to live, lovely though it can be for a holiday!

Are you Welsh speaking? Also, it's a very sparsely populated place, only Powys is less populated, and that can bring its own issues. A huge difference from London. The level of facilities available will be very different. Presumably that's what you're after though?

I should have added that part of the reason we want to move to Wales is to raise our kids in Welsh - DH is Welsh speaking from South Wales. And although I am French, I have been learning Welsh for about 5 years, but not too intensely!!

There's a big difference between visiting somewhere in the holiday season and living there in the cold, dark, off season in winter. Would you be working from home or looking for employment locally? Or starting up some kind of business? So many different variables depending on what your overall plan is.

Why not go and rent there for a year or two and see? The chance for my children to experience bilingual education is also a big draw for me. Dysgu Cymraeg has excellent courses, very cheap, great tutors.

A beautiful area! Hope it all goes well.

Gwynedd resident here! I wasn't born in this area but love living here and it's a lovely place to raise a family.

Are you looking at any villages / towns in particular?

Gwynedd is very beautiful but was advised by my colleague who has Welsh as first language and was born and raised in Gwynedd not to move there when thinking of moving to Wales. There are other areas which are Welsh speaking but not as remote-Flintshire has a large proportion of Welsh speakers and is closer to larger cities like Chester or Liverpool. Ruthin is a beautiful small town where you hear Welsh a lot but very friendly towards English speakers. Anglesey is traditionally Welsh speaking but that is changing now due to an influx of English. Very attractive beaches and towns-Menai Bridge would be my choice-even has a Waitrose! Also has better weather than around the mountains. Good luck wherever you choose!

I currently live in Gwynedd. We didn't move from London to Gwynedd but we moved here 17 years ago when our DD's were little and its the best thing we ever did. And yes, I am English and I moved to a very Welsh village and can honestly say they are the nicest and friendliest people I have ever met. My neighbours are all amazing and we are all friends and bringing our DD's up here has been brilliant. They are both adults now and are bilingual having learnt the Welsh language in school which I love. But bringing my children up here has been a privilege. The school class sizes are small so the children get plenty of their teachers time. They have had the walks, forest, woodlands and mountains to explore and the seaside within 30 minutes for great family days out. It has been a safe place to raise children and we live in the kind of village where everyone looks out for one another. I have never once regretted moving here. We love Wales so much that now our children have flown the nest we have the house on the market and DH and I want to move a little further North in Wales so we can explore a new area (one we have visited many, many times and again always been made to feel welcome) We have never even considered moving back to England. Wales is lush! 😊

I have some family there. It’s great

@Lulubellamozarella What a lovely post. OP, please note which posters are speaking from experience and which ones are just hearsay.

Love the expression ‘cash in’. Only a privilege southerners have I guess 😂