Should I move to Ilfracombe??

[Lizbo]

Does anyone live in or near Ilfracombe? This is my first posting to Mumsnet. Me my DH and two DD's aged 8 and 5 live in Bham. We have recently found a lovely house just outside Ilfracombe which has space to develop holiday lets. My heart is telling me to do it but my head is being practical and considering schools. We are a bit spoilt for choice in Bham/Solihull - smaller comprehensives, grammar, girls schools. The primary schools all look quite good down there but the secondary schools in Braunton and Ilfracombe look huge and I can't find any good recent reviews on them. Shall we just go for the dream and be by the sea or give city life another 10yrs! Any thoughts or helpful tips would be so appreciated. Thx

Well, living on the coast would be fabulous, and that particular coast is great - the beaches are wonderful, but bear in mind that the weather is not always great! I don't know how you feel about beaches in the rain/wind/snow/howling gales etc

I live in South Devon but we usually camp near Ilfracombe at some point during summer.

Devon isn't well funded as far as schools are concerned, in fact I think Devon gets less per pupil than anywhere else in the UK, but you'd have to check that.

Unemployment is very high too, but I'm not sure how it compares to the rest of the UK - no one's having an easy time, are they? Water rates are the highest in the country.

Are you thinking that you would make a living from holiday lets? Bear in mind that you don't get very long to rake in enough to live on for the whole year. Think about difficult customers too.

I lived in Ilfracombe for 27 years, and moved away 3 years ago.

The schools in North Devon are pretty bad to be honest. There is zero choice - you have one school in Ilfracomve, one in Braunton, 2 in Barnstaple, 1 in South Molton and 1 in Bideford. Braunton is the best of a bad bunch.

It is a pretty poor area socially - Ilfracombe iirc the poorest area of Devon outside inner city Plymouth, and there is a high level of unemployment and drug problems in the town.

Yes it is beautiful there and it is a relaxed way of life, and there are pockets which are more affluent and nicer to live in(Croyde, Goergeham, areas of Braunton etc) however I realy would not recommend Ilfracdombe as a place to live tbh.

Wow mumsnet is amazing! Cant believe I've had two replies already!!! Thanks so much for your advice. My biggest concern was schooling and I think you've helped me make a big decision.

If you have any more specific questions feel free to ask Lizbo

Yes MN is great.

this is a no brainer as far as Im concerned, give me Devon any day of the week.

Really interested in this thread - we too live in B'ham & recently had a holiday in Ilfracombe & loved it - we are about to put our house on the market but after reading people comments I'm kind of worried ! We have an almost 4 yr old & hubby is a self employed plasterer ... Eek what to do ???!!!

Did you move?

Hello, we are in the same position we have just put our house up for sale and we looking at moving to ilfracombe from Wiltshire. We have a 6 and 2 year old. Are the schools good? Are we making the right decision?

Blimey Gerrof. Oh how I miss 2010.

Maybe start a new thread Char? This one is 11yrs old.