Anyone live in Salisbury?

[luckywinner]

Does anyone live in Salisbury? What's it like to live there? Is commutable to London? Are there any parts I should/shouldn't avoid?

We are considering a move to Salisbury from London. DH has a job that is not really doable anywhere but London, but family are from the area and I really miss them. Plus we are having a nightmare with schools at the mo and a move out of London seemed an option to consider.

I am fed up of London schools and living in a titchy flat!

Thats all, would love any advice or tips!

What was Westwood St Thomas has been rebranded as Salisbury High School, and (insiders inform me) the behaviour and results are slowly improving.

Otherwise there are good comps at Gillingham (Dorset - but commutable easily by train from Salisbury) and Romsey (ditto).

Housing: central Salisbury (inside ringroad) all quite nice, but fairly expensive - have a look at Park Street and that area. Streets off Castle Road area nice, but again pricey, but larger houses. Streets off Devizes Road & Wilton Road larger, and more affordable properties, but closer to Bemerton Heath (a large estate of mostly local authority owned housing).

loving the word titchy!

Looking at the link, I'm clearly misinformed re. Salisbury HIgh. Shame, I know people working very hard there to turn it around.

I don't really think it's accurate to decribe Devizes Road and Wilton road areas as "near" Bemerton Heath, I mean, Salisbury isn't very big so yes they are geographically near but feel very separate. I lived off Wilton Road as a child before moving to near St Martin's Road and when we were on Wilton Road Bemerton Heath seemed very separate.

Do not confuse Bemerton Heath (council estate) with Lower Bemerton - very handy for station - which is lovely village within Salisbury with a very nice primary school, St John's.

And frankly, "rough" in Salisbury just isn't particularly rough to anyone who has lived in a real city, even a nice part of a real city.

It isn't all bad. I have known several people go to Oxford from Westwood St Thomas. It can be done, I think the teaching staff have always encouraged high achievers.

Georgimama, I had a friend who lived in Lower Bemerton when I was at school and it was v nice. I didn't realise there was a primary school there.

I really like Salisbury, it has a really nice feel to it and think it would be a lovely place to bring up the dc. It is nice to hear so many nice things about it. My db turned down a place at Bishops for sixth form to go to Westwood and really liked it. That was sixth form though.

Thank you georgimama, I was beginning to doubt our decision to move here but then thought that I do see a city busy with 'normal looking' secondary age chidren that must go to a secondary school somewhere and they can't all be at the grammar school IYSWIM

Would agree that streets off Devizes Road/Wilton Road feel very different from the heath, but their geographical proximity probably reflects the difference in property prices between that area and say, Castle Road (where some of the properties are very similar size, style and age).

Would also agree that sending a child to Salisbury High is not the end of the world, there are some great kids there and some very dedicated teachers. It's just a shame that the GCSE results reflect the situation in the city vis-a-vis grammar/sec modern split - there are simply fewer very able kids studying there I guess, as many are "creamed off" by the grammar schools.

What about primaries though? Are there ones I should really avoid? Theoretically we could just prob afford private but I really wanted to look at the state schools, just in case dh's job goes wrong in this lovely financial climate, and I also think there is a lot to be said for your local primary school. We would def want to live in the city centre as I think I would have enough of a culture shock moving out of London to cope with a village.

Well, if you want to minimise your DH's travel time, it would make sense to live in the centre so he could walk to the train station and not have to bother with a car - the traffic in rush hour there is pretty horrendous and parking expensive.

Check out St Osmunds, St Marks and St Johns, Stratford-sub-castle not an exhaustive list but off the top of my head but a start

Have heard good things about Stratford Sub Castle primary too,

Oh, hello, can I resurrect this thread as we are moving to Salisbury in August for two years. Am very excited. Have 3 DS's, two going to St Osmunds. Anyone any feedback on this primary please? TIA

God no way strafford sub castle.
NO WAY.
and yes I would avoid all of wilton road for housing.

bump