Considering move to villages near Durham with easy bus links

[Salome61]

I'm a 69 year old widow, this is my tenth year of being alone. When my husband died I had to downsize from our large rural property, and I am now in a very quiet surburban side street in the same coastal village in Northumberland. I feel very safe here and know most people by sight, but I am so bored. I have lost my confidence driving, and get the bus regularly rather than drive, the bus stop is a ten minutes walk away.

I am thinking of moving. Does anyone know the villages just outside Durham please? I'd like to be able to get a bus into Durham easily.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/165272894

for example; on the high street. Half your budget.

And nowhere near her son.

Thank you for the suggestion of Whickham. I caught the X30 from Newcastle to Stanley and we went through there. I have become so unfit and fat - my beloved sheltie died and then I stopped vaping - and the hills worry me.

@Salome61i live in whickham and am terribly lazy. I never walk up any of the big hills. The main village is on a flat and the main bus routes are there. I would stick to houses around the centre there rather than on any of the banks. Roads to look out for are broom lane, whaggs lane, front street, Cornmoor road. The lovely terraced cottage another poster linked is in a really lovely central position and not on a hill, round the corner from the bus stop.

Thank you. I’m feeling sorry for myself today, the labyrinthitis has returned. I still have some Sturgeron but they are out of date. Woe is me!

Do you actually want to live in a village? Why live somewhere where you have to catch a bus to do anything? I'd look at the bus route between Durham and Stanley and start your search along the bus stops.

Chester-le-Street is great for transport and shops and healthcare. Has lots of churches and related communities if you would find that helpful. Has choir and similar too. The Riverside Park is lovely. You could get a nice house for your budget.

Thank you. It is a strange feeling to be free to be able to move anywhere. When my husband died and I had to sell I did want to stay coastal when my beloved dog was here as he loved the beach, we went every day.

I passed my driving test in 1977 when I was 20 and am sorry I’ve lost my confidence already. It is the speed plus I know my eyes don’t work that well in the dark. I can still drive short distances in the day and get to our big supermarket, the vets etc. I’ve got my daughter’s cat while she’s in Canada.

If your eyes don't work that well in the dark do you have cataracts? That might help with the confidence. I'd get a modern little house in Durham itself if I was you.

Durham itself is v hilly mind you

Lanchester is a really pretty village. Great cafe and a bus direct to Durham plus close to Stanley. Wolsingham and Hamsterly also pretty but not sure about the bus links

That would be the hourly 101 between Stanhope and Bishop Auckland. To get to Stanley, OP would then have to spend 45 minutes on a bus from Bishop Auckland to Durham (or 40 from crook to Durham but those are less frequent) and then another 30 minutes on the bus to Stanley. Probably takes longer and is more of a clart on than from where she is, now.

What about Sedgefield? Great community and regular buses to Durham.

Thanks all for your helpful advice, it is so interesting. My son phoned today and seems happy I am thinking of moving nearer.

As for driving in the dark, I am 69 and don't have cataracts. The optician told me as you age the rods at the back of the eye that receive light start to deteriorate unfortunately.

Sedgefield is lovely and a great community but the busses are a faff. To get just a couple of villages over you need to go into Durham and back out again.

Like other have mentioned, with that budget you could be much close to Durham like Neville’s Cross, Gilesgate.

Would you not consider Stanley to be closer to your son?

If budget stretches, would you consider Durham itself?

Sedgefield is no good for getting to Stanley by public transport. It's a nice enough village (almost a town) but it's better with a car.

I love the idea of Durham city but would worry about ending up living next to students, plus not sure how much community feel there is. I guess there's lots of opportunity to get out and do stuff though. There will be meets ups and social opportunities around the library, theatre etc. Actually, with the trainline down to London, maybe that's a great option for you if you want to visit Twickenham at all?

How's the labyrinthitis? Hope you are feeling better @Salome61 .

Thank you all very much for your advice. I’m having a horrible time with this labyrinthitis but it’s only on one side, so I can still drive.

I joined the Lancester fb page and it looks a busy place. A developer seems to have flipped a property and he’s advertising it on there - I”ll be interested to see it when it goes on the market.

Good luck with your search.

We lived in Langley Park which had excellent links to Durham and a direct bus to Newcastle. Very welcoming place with lovely people - it's a while since we've lived there though and I think the buses have changed.

Lanchester felt like the back of beyond to be perfectly honest - we went there occasionally for community events.

Thank you very much.

I am feeling very odd at the moment, I could live anywhere in the country. My daughter is in Canada for a year, but has bought a house in Belfast. It’s a strange feeling.

Talking of strange feelings I’ve just heard the skid in the snow in a Hertz rental car over Christmas, which caused damage, is costing me £1745. If you rent a car from them get the Super Collusion Waiver so you don’t pay the excess.

Can I ask why Durham and not Darlington? Darlo has a lot more people and far fewer students than Durham. The weather is also mildly better than Durham, where I hear it never stops raining.

It rains no more here than anywhere else in the region.

Every time I go to Durham it’s glorious sunshine! Maybe I have been lucky?

Have you thought about Washington? The village of Fatfield has the Arts centre that has so many activities for seniors. There’s a direct bus to Stanley 45 mins