Marlow vs Maidenhead - Help!

[0630bitlost]

Hi all, we are moving closer to DHs work and have a choice between Marlow and Maidenhead. We've seen some lovely places in Marlow and love the town but its pricey and we keep getting outbid on houses. We started looking at Maidenhead but, I'll be honest, its really not so nice! We've found some lovely houses but we're not so sure on areas and in particular schools.

What are the good primary schools in each town? I've heard good things about Marlow schools except for Foxes Piece, is it really that bad? I know nothing about the schools in Maidenhead. DS is 18 months old so its a big consideration.

Also heard talk of a big regeneration of Maidenhead, is it actually happening? and is it helping? Any local knowledge from anyone would be highly appreciated before we make a very expensive mistake!

I grew up in Bourne End and went to school in Marlow so know the area well. Have you considered Datchet? On the Waterloo line for train, riverside, close to Windsor and Maidenhead for work/shops/going out. I had a very happy 5 years living there

@BananaPeanutToast SWB has part of its catchment over the border in Maidenhead. As a result some bright dc don’t remain in Maidenhead schools. If any parent wants a Bucks grammar, it’s best to live in catchment and GMS is a decent school. It’s an area with money, so of course the private schools are popular.

Def Marlow over Maidenhead.

If you have to go to Maidenhead for work I'd not look at Henley or anywhere that you have to cross the Thames as it is nightmarish at rush hour.
I wouldn't consider High Wycombe-and traffic horrific.

I'd go windsor over datchet.

I’m glad you liked Maidenhead @0630bitlost! We were also there yesterday, and my DD was reminiscing about how much we enjoyed living there - we now live outside High Wycombe, but we lived in Maidenhead for 8 years and brought up two preschool and primary age children there.
Yes it does have its scruffy parts - and the main high street is in dire need of regeneration - but we loved it. Marlow is very pretty but much too busy for my liking.
If your DH is working in Maidenhead, I think it would be an ideal spot to live.

@RedKiteMaidenhead thank you, that’s really comforting! I moved all over the place in my 20s without a thought. Now I’m dragging a DH and DS with me the whole prospect seems so much more daunting! Been quite isolated where we are now during the newborn days of DS so looking for somewhere to build a bit of a community before any more DC come along

@MrsMitford3 There are some lovely villages around High Wycombe with excellent communities and schools. The outer residential areas of HW are not bad places to live at all! We have friends and relatives who love HW. There is also Godstowe School and no one thinks that’s not a fantastic private school! Plus Wycombe Abbey of course. There is money in the villages!

West Wycombe is beautiful but I wasn't talking about surrounding villages-and the traffic on the school run to Godstowe is so off putting I wouldn't look at it.
Have sat in it many times-

Also not a fan of Wycombe Abbey-know loads who have been there-none terribly happily but of course this is all anecdotal from my friends DD's.

I also think the OP has a boy so these schools not relevant at this point.

Marlow and Maidenhead have very little in common apart from proximity. Stick to Marlow for sure.

@MrsMitford3 Well West Wycombe is one NT estate village! Have you never been to any others? Theres loads with village communities and schools. I did sit in the traffic for Godstowe and dd practiced her tables and spellings! We had time for a chat. Worth the effort for us. DD loved it there. However around that area of HW isn’t a great commute to Maidenhead but it’s a pleasant place to live.

Maidenhead is a perfectly decent. Marlow is posh. Do you want to to live in a nice place or a naice place? It comes down to money and personal taste and also practicalities.

Maidenhead is cheaper but Marlow is lovely. I don’t think Marlow is posh! A few roads but look at the area from the bypass into the centre and it really is not posh!

Anyone on this thread got any opinions on Larchfield primary school in Maidenhead? Its ’Good’ On Ofsted but it seems like it may have been pretty bad a few years ago

I grew up in Bray and we used to think Marlow was posher 🤣
Marlow is lovely but transport wise was / is a bit tricky. The train always used to be a bit of an ‘adveture’. the traffic always used to be awful.
Maidenhead now has the Elizabeth Line and seems to have had a lot of regeneration- it’s changed a lot since I left and escaped to Devon a decade ago.

@0630bitlost there’s a Facebook group called Maidenhead Gossip Girls - they could definitely give you the lowdown on the primary schools

Cookham has just been voted one of the best places to live in the south east: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj40xjdzwydo

Thank you! That sounds perfect

Larchfield primary doesn’t have a good reputation but if you are Catholic then St Edmund Campion Primary school is also in that part of Maidenhead and is very well regarded. They may take non-catholics too but I’m not sure.

The Furze Platt Infant & Junior schools are excellent but you will need to be in catchment as they are very popular (my child goes there). In another part of Maidenhead Oldfield Primary School is also popular and you will need to be in catchment for there too.

You absolutely can get into Bucks grammar schools from living in Maidenhead if you live around the Furze Platt areas- I know kids who have gone there and more who will be going this September.

We’ve lived in Maidenhead for over a decade and it’s definitely not got a small city like you mentioned earlier. Like anywhere there are pockets of nice and not so nice areas - Furze Platt areas are mostly nice, I’m not keen on Cox Green but some love it there.

The town centre is about to undergo a long overdue regeneration and the shopping mall is about to close down and be demolished and replaced by a new complex for shops, restaurants, office space and flats. There is quite a few nice restaurants down the very far end of the High St. The river is nice to walk along and there is Boulters Lock and Ray Mill Island which is nice to take the kids to feed the ducks, have an ice cream/coffee near the river. Good transport links to London and Reading too.

Maidenhead and Marlow are poles apart in terms of wealth and High St prosperity but it depends on what you are looking for and your budget, but there are plenty of nicer areas in Maidenhead. Cookham is another possible alternative for you to look at - we visit often but you’ll find house prices are high like Marlow.

It depends where in Maidenhead and where in Marlow.
You could look at villages outside them.

For kids, Marlow definitely has the edge over Maidenhead. Everything is close by and friends live near one another and go out locally. Both secondary schools are great (the grammar and the upper) and yes, Foxes Piece is a good school. Not as sought after as some, but the teachers arguably work harder because there’s less tutoring! But bits of Maidenhead are lovely too and it’s definitely on the up thanks to the Elizabeth line. Secondary school catchment areas are bigger than you think (Borlase used to stretch down to the A4) so check online. Lots of kids from Maidenhead and rural villages go to Marlow’s secondaries.

I'd choose Marlow.

I would look at Twyford/ Charvil/Wargrave/Hurst. It’s a quick journey to Maidenhead from any of these places and they are lovely places to bring up a family. They all have excellent primary and secondary schools. I would love to live in Marlow but I am past the stage of thinking about schools etc.