relocating to derbyshire/ Nottinghamshire...help needed, please.

[Boo100]

Hi, Can you help me????????????????!!

My husband has been transferred to Derby with work which means us leaving our lovely home, weeks into my son's first half term in reception. Husband is willing to commute up to 40 mins but we don't know where to start looking. This is a really reluctant move for me as I am really settled here, esp with the school in our village. Any advice on villages that are in this magic 40 min radius or excellent primary schools you would recommend I have a look at, would be so appreciated. Top requirements are excellent school, village within 40 min of Derby.

Thank you so much in anticipation of top tips from Mums in the Midlands. x

If you can afford it go to Duffield area, two fab primarys there, Little Eaton or Belper are quite nice too (and Belper has Fresh Basil, a lovely deli!), if you need cheaper Ripley is ok, they're all north of Derby. Draycott is on Notts Derby border and OK, to the South Melbourne is nice. Personally I wouldn't go to Derby itself, I have a friend who teaches there who has managed to get his dd in catholic school, as he wouldn't want her going to the school he teaches at another friend down there has paid for private....(Darly Abbey) HTH's

If it is a village that you want to move to, I would recommend Repton, Kings Newton, Weston on Trent, Ticknall.

Some parts of Derby are really ok - Darley Abbey, Allestree, Mickleover, Littleover, and those areas all have excellent primary and secondary schools with good OFSTED reports.

There are a few villages I would personally avoid, but not keen to mention them as wouldn't want to offend anyone who comes from/lives in those places.

Thank you for those thoughts. Husband left home this am for new job, to return at weekend. At least I can feel I'm doing something positive to help. Thanks again.

Just a quickie about the Belper/Ripley area - the recent BNP gathering was held within that area and there is alot of support within that area for the BNP.
Just something you might want to think about.

Sorry - that sounds very negative - I have frinds living there who like the area alot, but my DH's non-white friends who work around the area have had alot of difficulties.

There are some nice villages along the trainline that runs north to Matlock. Is Bakewell too far? Good schools there, also at Cromford, Starkholmes, Lea and Matlock.

Belper is not a BNP stronghold, you don't have to worry about that, its HEANOR you need to worry about and pappy Langley Mill, the old Notts/Derby border pit towns, if its any help the residents of Ripley have opposed the BNP rally licence being granted for the last two years and no doubt will do again this year (why they let that go ahead and cancelled the Rock and Blues is anyones guess ) I'm not saying Ripleys great mind, but its not bad if you need cheaper accomodation.

PS: The BNP rally is at Denby and the local residents hate it being there, but can't do anything about it.....

Avoid Belper, Ilkeston, Heanor and most ex pit villages.

Why are people saying avoid Belper? I'm lost on this one, its nice!

Which bits?

Belper not as nice as once was-has gone downhill in the last few years IMO

Whats your budget?

The villages towards Ashbourne are lovely. Ashbourne is a nice, market town and lovely countryside round there. Clifton village has a good school.

Heated are you local? Belper is nice, it has good schools, nice farmers market, high street, Ritz Cinema, restaurants, River Gardens have been done, housing is nice, though a bit more expensive than some other areas. Very yummy mummy area.

Catchment area of Ecclesbourne Secondary School in Duffield always used to put a premium on house prices. I'd suspect that the feeder primaries are also good. It is also close to Derby whilst being on the way out to lovely countryside.

hi I come from the midlands and went to school in Derby (private though). We lived in a village called Rolleston which is on the outskirts of Burton - Derby side, v near the A38 which we drove down to school every day! My dad worked in Derby. His journey prob took around 40 mins.
My school was in Littleover which is ok, also Mickleover was ok then. Ashbourne is nice, we used to cycle there often!

Frizbe, Dh's close-knit family are scattered in this direction, going back generations, & it's where FIL originates from - still has a very strong accent - but I've obviously missed out all the nice bits of Belper

Boo100, there are some lovely, lovely villages with beautiful stone buildings all over Derbyshire, often with good primaries, but unless you are going to go private, look very carefully at the secondary option; they have more than their fair share of poor schools.

Heated, there are some very nice bits of Belper IMO, I'd rather be living there than where I am living!

Ashbourne is really nice and very desirable. Anything in Ecclesbourne catchment area is good. If you're looking notts side of derby then breadsall and morley. Breaston on Notts/Derbyshire border is also very nice with great infant/primary (15 mins into Derby and 5 mins off M1).

Thanks for those thoughts- I will be looking out for those names on a map! Our budget is around 300k and don't see us going down the private route so will take the tip re secondary schools..

Has anyone any ideas about South Nottinghamshire too?

To be honest I'm burying my head a bit as I really don't want to move. Re-starting son in another school makes me feel sick- that's a post for another day though. Thanks so much again. Keep the tips coming!

Don't know it very well but some of the villages south of Nottingham are quite small (Thrumpton, Barton in Fabis), Gotham is quite nice and has a school, not sure about Kingston on Soar and Ratcliffe on Soar tho.

Also what about the villages in North Leicestershire? - both Kegworth and Castle Donington are OK, not sure about how good the schools are but both villages have shops, buses etc, Lockington and Hemington are nice too but smaller especially Lockington which doesn't have a school although I think Hemington does.

A couple of things I would say about living south of Nottingham is that the commute to Derby could be a bit of a pain, not sure what the drive up the A50/A6 is like but going along the M1 and off at J25 along the A52 can be really busy. Also the A453 which takes you to the M1 is generally vey busy in the morning. Not sure how easy the commute from Leicestershire would be.

Also the villages in S Notts/N Leics are under the flight path for East Midlands Airport so it can be quite noisy, especially in Kegworth as the planes are literally just a few hundred feet over the houses, although I guess you get used to it! Also Donington Park racetrack is near Castle Donington although not sure how many days the racetrack is used.

There is a new train station (with car park) at East Midlands Parkway, which is right next to Ratcliffe on Soar power station and I think trains go from there to Derby, as well as to Nottingham and Leicester.

These areas are also quite pricey as they are in prime commuter belt for Leicester, Derby and Nottingham. It is a nice area though and the countryside is quite pretty.

Hope this helps a bit - the East Midlands is a nice part of the world to live in and there's loads of stuff to do due to being so close to three cities and some lovely countryside!

Thanks maxmissie, we have driven round South Notts but not done the commute yet, so will have to try that.

Have you now moved to Derbyshire? I'd be interested to hear how you got on as I am a relocation agent for Derbyshire and have my favourite spots - just wondered where you finally landed?