Guildford mumsnetters - advice on areas of Guildford greatly appreciated!

[Twirl]

I am in the process of trying to convince DH to move to Guildford when we return from overseas and I am trying to build up a good amount of knowledge so I can win him over ! Please help me! I attended a College there years ago so have a very sketchy knowledge of dodgy nightclubs etc but am trying to convince DH on the merits of bringing up our young family there. Our children will be reception and Year 2 when we return so we are looking for good schools. DH needs to be able to walk to the main train station to commute into Waterloo. What areas of Guildford should we be investigating please? We are ideally looking for a 3 or 4 bed house under $500,000. Thanks for any help you can offer!

Anyone please???

Um, I don't live in Guildford any more but I am still quite close and used to teach there.....

I'd say Onslow Village is a good area to consider. The schools seem to be well thought of, and I think you should manage to get a house fro under £500000. Its probably about a 15 min walk to the station and has lots of green space etc for running around.

Other areas are Burpham or Merrow. Again good schools, good facilities, but probably a bike ride to the station.

Have you considered living in any villages around Guildford? Many have good train links with London and good village schools. Milford, Witley, Clandon, spring to mind.

Let me know if you need any more help!

walking to guildford station really means living on the Farnham Road side of town, which is a bit variable but you should be able to get something for under £500,000. Check out Rightmove.com www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-10374411.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy here is a good example.

there are lots of great villages outside guildford that go direct to Waterloo - look round Worplesdon station, brookwood station, Farncombe, Godalming, Clandon, horsley, effingham

I love guildford and the area around it

I assume you mean £ and not $?

I live top end of town (by the Downs), my husband cycles to the station - or on a lazy day to London Road Station - about a 10-15 minute walk to the main town centre (uphill on the way back). Lots of well respected schools here - however you get very little for your money which I think is a big consideration - will be interesting to see how it goes prices are Not rising but no big falls either and things are selling.

Farnham is not cheap, but better value than Guildford.

55 minutes to Waterloo.

We are in Guildford - near the station would be Wodeland Avenue area, smallish gardens but spitting distance of the downs. Most of the central guildford primary schools are good.

www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-18310790.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy

www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-17529307.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy

Nicer would be the Pewley Hill area - then you might be able to get a three bed for £500K. Highly sought after schools - Pewley Down/Holy Trinity or St Nicholas (Catholic)

Children playing up - i will return

Agree with Kaz re schools - it might be worth checking them out most of the popular ones (private and state) seem to be quite over subscribed around here.

I moved here last year from Godalming - this is a really nice town and also has good schools - Busbridge has a fab reputation (but again popular) the Bargate wood area is quiet and should fit budget. I'll get off your thread now....

Sorry for being offline - the time difference problem of being abroad! You are probably all in bed now too.
Yes I did mean pounds not dollars!
Thanks so much for all your advice on areas, much appreciated. Are there any bad primary schools to be avoided?
Thanks

Hi Twirl

Yes there are a few to avoid. Personally I wouldn't want to be looking anywhere in the Stoughton, Bellfields, Park barn areas. School names have changed abit over the past few years, but it used to be Westborough, The Grove (I think), Stoke Hill. Will keep thinking!

Boxgrove is supposed to be good too. I second Pewley Down, but expensive housing.

Godalming is a lovely place to live, with some great schools.

I live in the centre of town and lve it. Dh walks to the station from here and both kids walk to school ( although both schools are fee paying).
Pewley is a very popular well respected school but is the other side of town from the train station. Onslow village has been mentioned and my friends daughter is very happy at school thereThe houses around London road are really variable and the nice ones - up Epsom Road etc are expensive.
When we made the move here four years ago we just had to get over and sort the wheat from the chaff. Friends have rented locally first before buying which might be worth considering there is a reasonable amount of rental property locally.
I absoloutely love it here and my kids are really really happy. Being in the town centre means that the shops, resterants, cinema, 2 theatres, the leisure centre and the river are all walking distance. But do consider local villages which still have good rail connections to town but offer better value for money.

When are you returning? Presumably you have checked with LEA as you'll be too late for this september admission into Yr R, although some schools will have vacancies at Yr 2.

I grew up in Wonersh.. which is a gorgeous village between Guildford and Cranleigh. It was a beautiful area to grow up in and only 4 miles from Guildford, and about the same distance from Godalming.

Neighbouring villages Bramley and Shalford are also lovely

I went to school in Godalming, they are all pretty good.

I use two local private schools also and walk to them from the Downs area (Top of town) - perhaps Pagwatch and I know each other - happy to share views on the schools if this is the way that you decide to go....

hmmm surreylady.

DS1 is 14, DD age 5 ....?

Ds 9 and DD 6 (yr 1)........