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Original poster

Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, any nice areas to live?

26 replies

Elmosgirl · 24/06/2008 19:18

Does anyone know anything about Peterborough, my DP's job has just been relocated here. We are currently living with my parents about a half hour drive away but we really need to find a house in the city.

I know it fairly well for shopping in the centre but know nothing about which residential areas are good or not so good.

Anyone have any opinions of where we should / shouldn't look.

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shellye · 25/06/2008 14:34

I live in Peterborough. I have lived here since 2002. There are lots of developments around. I lived in Hampton Hargate for a couple of years which I hated. We now live in a small village, Ailsworth.Great village. I would stick to the villages which surround Peterborough. Stamford is a great place about 20 minutes away, again, nice surrounding villages.

woodenchair · 25/06/2008 15:34

Do you want to live in Peterborough itself or in a village?

Original poster
Elmosgirl · 25/06/2008 16:51

Well my DP doesn't drive so if it was a village it would need to have good public transport into Peterborough.

I'm not too fussed but think DP would prefer to be in the city.

Shellye - Why did you hate Hampton, I have only ever driven past it on the road to Yaxley, never actually been into the estate.

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shellye · 25/06/2008 17:12

We moved into Hampton at the very early stages. It just got too big. Not used to living in a development. Its handy if you have kids as there are schools and shops close by and presumably good bus links into the town. Village life for us is better.

Original poster
Elmosgirl · 25/06/2008 17:45

Shellye - I can imagine, I have been away from the area for about 5 years. I drove past at the weekend and was amazed at how big it has got.

I might consider there although from the roads it looks like a LOT of houses all piled in and I guess pretty small gardens as well.

But having shops schools near is a bonus, as I said DP can't drive and I really want to cut down how much I use the car.

So anyone else got any opinions of any areas...anywhere you would really avoid?

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woodenchair · 25/06/2008 18:10

Bretton centre has been updated recently, there's now a new sainsbury's, next and boots there. Orton Centre is currently getting face life, new supermarket and flats, a friend said a tkmaxx is going there. Don't know if I'd want to live too near there though, it's not great a night time.

If you want a villagey feel orton waterville village is really nice, orton hall is nearby which is nice.

Where's your husbands job? would it help him being near work if he doesn't drive?

Original poster
Elmosgirl · 25/06/2008 19:29

He is a chef in the city centre. So as long as we have good bus access to the city centre and preferably direct so he wouldn't have to change buses.

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woodenchair · 25/06/2008 20:38

That's what I was wondering if he would have to change buses.

What sort of house do you fancy? New, old, street, estate? Also, do you have to worry about school yet? How many beds? Sorry for the questions, just trying to see what you like

have you thought about renting? you could try different areas of the city.

Original poster
Elmosgirl · 25/06/2008 21:27

It will be 3 bedrooms, with a garden, although not bothered about size but def a garden rather than just a back yard.

Not bothered whether new or old house.

Oldest DD is nearly 2 so don't need schools yet.

We are fairly quiet and would like to live in a quiet area, I don't leave house much in the evenings but I wouldn't want to live in areas that can be dodgy at night.

I just want a reasonable house, in a nice area with other quiet people, where I can leave my car outside without fear of it being nicked by morning.

Yes we could rent but it would still mean signing a contract for 6 months / a year, is a long time to realise your in a horrible place that you don't want to be also we rented in our last area (Leeds) we have lived in 5 or 6 houses in the last 5 years. We are now bunking up with my parents, I am sick of renting, I want OUR house. I have two children under 2 and am fed up with dragging everything round from house to house. I just want to settle somewhere now.

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ranting · 25/06/2008 21:30

Fletton, Woodston and Orton Longueville are all walking distance to the town centre.

woodenchair · 26/06/2008 08:47

Agree with all of those, orton longueville is nice. Orton waterville village I mentioned before is nice if you want to pretend you don't live in the city, but your dh would need to get a bus into town.

sunnylabsmum · 26/06/2008 10:21

second the vote to look at the villages around. We used to live in Stilton which was on an hourly bus route into p'boro. Also Yaxley is on the same route. The buses stop first at Hampton if you need a Mall fix. We loved the village as there were 4 pubs, a school, hairdresser and mobile library once a fortnight. We intend to go back when we are finished overseas,, unless a gorgeous cheap house presents itself in Oundle, which we both love!!

Good luck

Original poster
Elmosgirl · 27/06/2008 12:55

Thanks everyone.
Although no-one has mentioned anywhere to steer clear from, is that because there is no specific areas or becuase you don't want to offend someone else who might live there?

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shellye · 27/06/2008 14:36

Clearly there are a few people from the area, so I wouldn't want to offend anyone. People have their own individual tastes. I hate city living but love villages and the rural life. Others want to be at the centre of things. It also comes down to money. The more you have to spend the more likely you can afford to stay away from the dodgy areas. I have not lived in Peterborough long,only since 2002 but I know where I would not live. That quite honestly does come down to money.

ranting · 27/06/2008 21:24

Ok, (braces oneself) personally (and I grew up in Peterborough and my parents still live there), I wouldn't live in Bretton or Orton Goldhay or Hampton (sorry, I know there are Hamptonites on here but, I remember it as clay pits and I would worry that my house would subside, or collapse into a hole). So that is the whole truth, the only place I would want to live in Peterborough, in all honesty (and I did think of moving back there for a nano second) would be Oundle. .

woodenchair · 27/06/2008 23:46

Would you hate me if I already lived there?

wonderstuff · 27/06/2008 23:52

I used to live in Helpston, which was a really sweet village, has a bus service to p'borough and stamford, but VERY quiet

shellye · 28/06/2008 08:44

Agree with Ranting, she has been honest. I wouldn't live in the Hamptons or anywhere in Peterborough for that matter appart from the villages. Helpston is next door to me and is very nice. There is a good village school there too! Oundle is lovely, again with excellent surrounding villages. No city is perfect and there are always places to avoid where ever you live.

NotHereorThere · 28/06/2008 09:27

I live in Oundle.

Agree good place to live and bring up children.Everyone I know likes living here.It is lovely.We would not move.Surrounding villages are pretty with good places to eat out and nice countryside to cycle/walk. Lots of my friends live in the villages around here although I prefer living in a small town rather than a village as they are very quiet (but peaceful too).

I work in Peterborough but would not live there.We rented in Parnwell when we first moved which is not (at all) considered a good area but we had no problems while living there - wouldn't buy there.As my in laws live in Orton Wistow we did look at buying there but I'm glad we didn't now although Orton Waterville,Longueville and Wistow (not goldhay) are condsidered OK areas.
Some people I work with live in Werrington and they are all nice and I should therefore think this is a fairly good area - but have only visited them not lived there.

Hampton is really just a massive housing estate and I too would have some reservations about the site it is built on and long term value of houses (considreing the amount being built) although it is right next too the big shopping centre.Think there was something on the local news about lack of school places/medical? as development of local facilities has not kept apace of the amount of houses being built.

Have friends in Yaxley out of the city and they like it there but agree Peterbrorough isn't the most attractive city to live in itself and the surrounding places out towards Stamford or Oundle are the most sought after to live in - but therefore the most expensive.Stamford isn't an easy commute into Peterborough unless you drive although is a highly sought after town especially in the last few years.

Can get a bus in to Peterborough from Oundle (think 2 an hour and takes about 1/2 hour) although obviously not the same as living in the centre for convenience.

It is difficult to recommend Peterborough as I suppose living in a city isn't for me and Peterborough doesn't have the advantages some citys carry which outweigh the disadvantages and therefore I probably have inbuilt prejudices.

deaconblue · 28/06/2008 13:57

I live in Yaxley and you get a lot for your money here imo and the access to city centre is pretty good. Oundle is lovely but bus would take ages and houses aren't cheap. werrington village is lovely but werrington centre not imo. You could do a lot worse than one of the streets near town park eg Broadway or Park Road- walk to city centre and the park is lovely, some nice 30's 3 beds to be had

ranting · 28/06/2008 20:21

Woodenchair, god no, after all, when I first left home, I rented a room in Paston!!

My parents actually live in Yaxley but, as someone else said, Peterborough is a difficult place to like, I don't know why that should be, but it just doesn't have any redeeming features (god, that sounds unremittingly bleak) but I now live in the flat wastes of bedfordshire and I suppose that's not much better but, funnily enough I DO like it here. It's a personal preference thing, I guess.

BTW, Yaxley is quite nice and your OH could bike from there into town, my dad used to, takes about 1/2 hour.

woodenchair · 28/06/2008 22:49

NotHereorThere, wouldn't it be spooky if we new each other!

Elmosgirl, we're not doing a good job of selling peterborough to you are we! I haven't in the city for about 10 years, but I live nearby and have friends who have only just moved out. If you want areas to stay clear of, well you couldn't pay me to live in alot of the estate areas, Orton or Bretton, they are quite rough, especially around Orton Centre. Some of the areas around the city centre aren't great, Eastfield road springs to mind. A mate ended up with a slab through his car window while he lived there! Longthorpe is nice, but you don't get as much for your money. I good guide, is that if the house looks cheap it may be in a rough area.

Ranting, I've always said the problem with boro is the lack of a uni. I think that's what gives alot of cities a good mix of people when you are young. It was always too townie for me for nights out when I was younger. Now the only place I would go would be the brewery tap.

Tinkerisdead · 28/06/2008 23:03

I grew up in peterborough too and im back there all the time as only moved a year ago. Avoid, Bretton, Orton Goldhay and Orton Brimbles. Orton Wistow is nice though, its close to orton waterville village but cheaper housing and good links to the shopping in hampton.

If you want to be closer to the town centre, look for fletton and Longthorpe and Netherton which is cheaper but not rough.

You absolutely do not want to be anywhere near Welland or Parnwell really, i actually lived in the town end of parnwell which was lovely but if you get it wrong and are backed onto welland! You will know about it. Dont care if i offended anyone as i grew up in orton, it was a hell hole and i fought for a better life to move away, which i did.

Second what others have said in being in the villages but if its town centre you want, longthorpe and netherton are prob best, Dosthorpe is also okay in that they are all mostly 30's houses and you get huge huge amounts of house and garden for your money, close to town.

good luck in the move :-)

Cezzy · 28/06/2008 23:17

I grew up in Whittlesey which is about 7 miles out of P'boro. Its not as nice as some of the villages to the north heading towards the Deepings or Stamford but has schools and enough shops etc to get most things. There used to be a regular bus service 3 times an hour - I don't know how regular this is now, but you may find that for a small town you are away from the big estates of Peterborough and it is a bit cheaper than villages like Helpston which although lovely are pricier. As with all places tho' there are parts of the town that are better than others but this should be obvious from driving round. Good luck.

Original poster
Elmosgirl · 30/06/2008 20:30

Thank you all so much for you honesty. To be honest I think you have all confirmed how I already felt. I grew up close to the area (Huntingdon)so knew Peterborough just not what it's like to live in.

I really wanted to move closer to be near my parents so they can have a closer relationship with my children. It's fine living with them but now i'm here I just cannot imagine settling.

I have come down from Leeds and am missing it desperately, I feel like a part of me (and our family) is gone nowhere down here really compares.

I think we will be moving back up there, I just know I won't ever be happy here, it's not home anymore. Am devasted it means I will be leaving my family again but the A1 isn't to bad a drive I guess.

Thanks again, you really have made a difficult decision a lot easier. Luckily we only rented in Leeds so hasn't involved to much hassle in not being able to decide.

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