HELP!! Want to move to Newmarket area ..... any info on villages greatly appreciated

[TheGabster]

Basically, been living overseas for 8 yrs and finally moving back to the UK early next year. Woohooo.

But it means I am out of touch and have no way of checking out villages for pubs/shops/bad industrial influences etc. (there is only so much you can do online).

Newmarket area looks good as near Cambridge for work for DH and not too far from family for me. Have only one DC so far (DS, 11mo) but planning on more. Having been looking at lots of villages but would appreciate some insider info as have to find somewhere to live a.s.a.p and obviously physical viewing villages/houses is not an option until we are back in the country and we kinda need to find somewhere to tell the removal company to deliver to before then!

Pppppplllllleeeeease help me!

we looked at Cambourne when we were buying, but that's 8 years ago and it was v new.
You get quite alot for your money, because there is such alot there.
They are meant to have built facilities but don't know if they have. There is a Morrisons and a big hotel.
The road to Camb (A472??) has been dualed, don't know how busy it gets.

"Dotty P" - oh yes, forgotten all about them. Will settle just for Tescos on line at the moment - have nothing like that here. Have been following the plight of woolies with sad face though as missed them too, and can't believe the useless way POs are disappearing - they are the centre of the community! Here, even the smallest village has at least a subPO.

Yes, I have been surfing rightmove , but going to have to speak to some actual agents now I think. If anybody has any recommendations/contacts would be gratefully received.

Would recommend:
Moulton - 7mns to Newmarket, 35mns outskirts of Cambridge. Very good (OfSTED) primary school, pre-school, pub. excellent village shop & P.O., lots of community activities in the village hall, pub with restaurant.

Or Stetchworth (20mns Cambridge) - very busy village community centre (with parent & toddler group, P.O. and small shop), popular day nursery, good local primary school, pub, good local walks.

Would avoid Red Lodge. Soham has a good Village College, lots of shops/pubs/takeaways, but think property prices deflated due to the sad connotations of the placename.

Ely a nice town, with a real mix of housing, a lovely riverside with cafes and pubs, and a beautiful cathedral, good shopping, but in the middle of the fens, very flat and reputation for being a bit insular.

Hope this helps. Cambridge itself might be more affordable now that the housing market has slumped a bit. Have heard of some very cheeky offers being accepted recently.

Took our toddler and large dog walking on newmarket heath on boxing day, doggy heaven, miles of open fields and lots of other canine friends, your dog will thank you if you choose newmarket!

I'm near Bury, in one of the villages and I love it, Bury is far from busy, not compared to Cambridge or Ipswich!
Mildenhall is an awful place - lived there with my mum - just no!
Cambourne is very modern but a nice place. I travel past it a lot and the road is actually pretty good since they dualed it, and it's not far off the A14 for travelling to other parts of the country.
Newmarket is a nice place, off there this evening as it's the closest place for any kind of nightlife!

I used to live about 15/20 miles southeast of newmarket. (south of bury) long melford way
Theres some lovely villages there but it may be a bit far out for you

I went rollerskating at the rollerbury once. Happy days.

Still remember the drive in Newmarket direction, with the massive sugar beet silos.

The area between Newmarket and Saffron Walden has several nice villages - the largest being Linton, which has: mini-supermarket, newsagents, hairdressers and barber, large health centre, three pubs (two with restaurants) an Indian restaurant/takeaway and a Chinese takeaway (and several other services). It has pre-schools, Infants School, Junior School and Linton Village College (11-16) - I think the Infants and the Village College are currently rated as Outstanding by OFSTED. There are several other nice but smaller villages in the area such as Great/Little Abington and Balsham.

Don't use Cheffins estate agents, they're absolutely awful!

sorry I got really over excited! you are looking at rental arent you
lol! I just wanna go home!!!

We live in a village near Saffron Walden (Wendens Ambo) and dh commutes to Cambridge - very easy drive. The A14 on the other hand is notoriously bad.
Our village has village shop, pre-school (from 2.5 years) but no baby group, lots of dog walks and regular buses to Saffron Walden/trains to Cambridge and loads of community activities.

Thanks for all your replies everyone!

Ratbunny - don't worry I quite understand. Divorce is the pits. But yes, sorry, am only going to rent for now. For one thing DH has no permanent job in UK yet so not really mortgage material.

Millarkie - insider info on Wendens Ambo greatly received. Am def. leaning towards Saffron Walden area (its nearer my family) but ..... will have to see.

All these replies are so fab. Love MN!

There is an incredibly long thread on Saffron Walden on mumsnet - quite a few Mners have moved here over the last couple of years..you could try bumping that