Moving to Cambridge, help!

[Cluelost]

Hi All, I know there are lots of moving threads already, I've probably read them all and still going round the houses with our decisions! My family and I are relocating with my role to Cambridge. My partner works from home, I have a 4 year old due to start school in September, a 1 year old and another baby on the way. So schools are important. Also, we have a German shepherd and like getting outdoors so access to green space is a must. We would like a fairly large family house (4 beds, office space, garden, parking), budget is around 800-1mill. I'll be working central Cambridge 3 days per week.

We liked the sound of cambourne but we're worried it might be too little going on(?). Histon sounds brilliant but we might be priced out? Central Cambridge we feel might be too much hustle and bustle for us.

We are at a complete loss! Please help!

I think 20minute commute would be long enough either by bike or train etc. at the moment my commute is closer to 45/50mins and it's not great, my partner does nearly all the kids drop offs...

Do look at that house I linked to in Newnham when you come up. It’s where I would like to have lived when my children were the ages yours are, if I’d known about that area and could have afforded it then. Use street view to get an idea: there’s a small swing park and a playing field in the middle which I came across by accident. I don’t know who owns that house, I’m not pushing it for a friend. 😉 The more expensive one for sale nearby is a new build. It’s an easy bike ride to the station, much of it off road and part of it through green spaces where calm cows graze in the summer, and you won’t be restricted by train timetables.

Another house in Newnham has been listed today, in the area I would have liked to live when I had small children. Guide price at the top of your budget.

It says,”Although the property has been well maintained throughout there is still significant scope for prospective purchases to update and modernise to their own particular taste and standards.”

Thanks so much for following up! I saw that house come up, we're aiming to get ours on the market in the next few weeks and then we can start arranging viewings We went down to visit last week, we felt like we might get slightly more for our money West Chesterton area, just north of jesus Green. There was one on for 1.15 that I really liked the look of, but I think it might have been just a stretch too far - it's sold now anyway!

Just wondering about shelford/stapleford. How easy is it to get into Cambridge from there with small children?

Great Abington am currently selling there

Shelford to Cambridge 7 minutes on the train.

I don’t like Cambourne at all. The vibe is weird and the bits of it I’ve been to look run down. The school is good though.

Given what you’ve said I think Swavesey would suit you well for house space/value and access to the countryside on the doorstep for the dog but the minor down side would be the commute as even with the guided bus you’d still have to get through town to get to the station. Cambridge traffic is notoriously terrible!

If you want a swift commute then there’s lots of places to the south of the city with smaller train stations but I suspect you’d need to compromise on the house size more than elsewhere (in general it costs a bit more than places to the north of the city) and it would be more of a drive and walk the dog in the Gogs situation than off we go out the front door in to nature.

Waterbeach New Town and Northstowe are the new Cambourne in that they’re modern developments. Better for access to work than Cambourne though as there’s the train station or busway. Benefits include house size and access to countryside but both are/will be towns rather than villages. I’d say WNT pips N given your office is near the station. Btw there’s plenty going on in Cambourne but visually it’s such a weird place and the only one of the places you mention I wouldn’t recommend.

Chesterton has a village-like quality despite it being a suburb and it’s certainly bikeable to the station. Green spaces but not countryside. Not sure you’d get all you’re after house wise sticking to budget…

Best of luck with the move, Cambridge is a nice place to live with lots going for it despite all the traffic and congestion!

You’re right that you’ll get more for your money in West Chesterton than Newnham. I’m just attracted to that ‘estate’ off Barton Road because it’s so quiet, green and spacious relative to most areas in Cambridge. It’s an easy off-road cycle to the primary school and Lammas Land, which is an enormous green area with a play park and, in summer, paddling pool and tiny free swimming pool.

West Chesterton is similar to the area just a bit further east, between the river, Victoria Road, Chesterton Road and Elizabeth Way. In the ‘80s it was known as the ‘Muesli Belt’ and lots of families lived there.

You certainly pay a premium for living in the city.

The Abingtons are nice but transport into Cambridge is a bit sparse. No rail link, and the buses definitely take more than the 20 minutes the OP would prefer.

if it was me I would do Histon / Impington -amazing schools, great facilities, guided bus and regular buses, IVC is one of the top schools in the South East - close to Cambridge centre. Very dog friendly- country walks etc - it’s really worth it

I was once offered an assisted move by my company to move to Cambridge with a very generous relocation package. Cherry Hinton looked ideal, being relatively affordable and good transport links into the center and indeed a colleague (who took the move in my place) settled there themselves.

Would be interesting to know what the long-term plans for the airport are.
Marshalls have cancelled their relocation to Bedfordshire so is the airport to remain in operation (which would scupper any plans to develop it) or are they going to move elsewhere?

I also don’t like Cambourne

Very easy. Only one stop on the train from Shelford station, or there’s Trumpington park & ride at the end of the road. You see tons of people cycling with their kids into Cambridge from Shelford and Stapleford too.

Is it cycle paths from stapleford to Cambridge, we'd have very small children and wondering if it's safe. Cycling where we live isn't really a thing but my nearly 4 year old loves her bike and will happily cycle on paths for ~1hour

There’s cycle path alongside road from trumpington into central Cambridge.

not sure from stapleford to trumpington.

hills road has cycle paths alongside it but they are next to the road as well.

Yes, Cambridge is well set up for cycling so lots of cycle paths (either on road or pavement) but also there are sneaky little cycle paths off the main routes and on the guided busway. Loads of people do it with children, it’s a major way for lots of people getting round the area.