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Original poster

So I have decided not to move to Yeovil - what's the verdict on Taunton?

115 replies

sushistar · 12/03/2010 16:51

Thanks everyone who replied to my last thread asking about yeovil. Taunton is looking like the place for us - so if you live there or nearby, what do you think? Would you reccomend it to a family with toddlers?

OP posts:
Original poster
sushistar · 12/03/2010 16:56

Or Bridgewater?

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morningpaper · 12/03/2010 16:59

yes Taunton has a lot of pros over the other options you are looking at

let me find an old post, this is the sort of thing I am blabbing about all the time

morningpaper · 12/03/2010 17:00

here

Owlingate · 12/03/2010 17:06

No to bridgey it smells of the cellophane factory. Taunton v v dull. What about Frome or is that too far North?

Original poster
sushistar · 12/03/2010 17:20

Thanks morningpaper - didn't realise you actually lived there! Gone off yeovil. Bridgewater looks lovely in terms of the architecture - why is it so cheap? Is it rough there? What's wrong with it apart from the smell of cellophane ( owlingate).

Taunton would be better from jobs I guess, being better - we REALLY don't want DH to have a long commute if he can help it.

I really have no idea what its like living in a town - I lived really rural as a teenager, then London since then. morningpaper, could I find an activity every day of the week to do with the boys in Taunton? Does it still feel like you are living close to the countryside?

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morningpaper · 12/03/2010 17:26

oooh lots of questions

where will your DH be working?

Bridgewater looks lovely in terms of the architecture - why is it so cheap?

Yes it is lovely in terms of architecture but there is very little there in terms of employment or things to do. No swimming pool or anything. A lot of deprivation. It's like the outskirts of Swindon...

could I find an activity every day of the week to do with the boys in Taunton?

How old are they? I expect so, yes. There are lots of clubs and groups and all sorts, really. The Boys Brigate and Scouts are all heaving. There are lots of children here.

Does it still feel like you are living close to the countryside?

Not really, but it's a 10-minute drive to the quantocks or the blackdowns, or other lovely places. I drive for 20 minutes into work and have the most magnificent view of the Somerset levels - I practically crash every day

nowwearefour · 12/03/2010 17:29

look up Ilminster. I think it is FAB

Original poster
sushistar · 12/03/2010 17:30

DH is looking for work - he will probably get work with the council or a charity (he works in housing/social care), so much more likely to find local work in a largeish town. He will travel if he has to but he'd rather not. Also I don't drive and although I'm going to try to pass my test (again!) when we move, I do need and want to be able to walk to everything we need. Boys are 2 and 2 months.

What do you think of frome? It looks too small. I am so scared of moving somewhere and being really isolated!

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morningpaper · 12/03/2010 17:37

Frome is too isolate IME but I also came from London. I like being in walking distance of everything too. It's good for transport links e.g. rail in the centre of town.

Gosh yes toddlers and babies - lots and lots of things on. All sorts.

Housing and charities - lots of that here actually, feel free to cat me and I can talk about it.

Original poster
sushistar · 12/03/2010 18:35

Thanks so m,uch for your opinions, it's really helpful. I'm one of theose people who need to talk things through to come to a decision!

Would love to hear about the housing/voluntary sector in Taunton - it's the kind of work I'd like to go back to as well once I've finished having babies!

It's tricky beacuse a nicer town like Taunton would mean a less nice house...

How different do you find it to London? Also, do you go to church? We'd love to find a church with other young families in it when we move. Sorry for so many qs!

Nowearefour - ilminster looks too small!

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OrmRenewed · 12/03/2010 18:40

" Bridgewater looks lovely in terms of the architecture - why is it so cheap? Is it rough there"

Ha ha ha!

Yes it's a bit rough. I live here and I am clearly as rough as a badger's arse . It has it's problems but it's OK in many ways. However I probably wouldn't recommend it for a newcomer to the area - you might get put off for life.

Generally it is a very pretty area. I am happy here but am easily pleased.

Taunton a better bet.

Themasterandmargaritas · 12/03/2010 18:44

The best thing about Bridgwater is Orm.

Drive through it, quickly and don't stop. Unless you want to go to a very large DIY store.....

Original poster
sushistar · 12/03/2010 18:51

It looks so picturesque!
Rough how?

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JollyPirate · 12/03/2010 18:58

Ilminster is a beautiful place in between Yeovil and Taunton. Lots of cafes, good Indian and the best butchers in Somerset. It is smallish but it's not that tiny - they have a biggish Tesco there. Very pretty too.

Taunton is huge but I don't know it well enough to say what are the good areas and which are not.

Pekkala · 12/03/2010 18:59

I'd vote for Wells or Frome if you are flexible. You have made the right decision to avoid Yeovil - it is just awful (and I live there!)

OrmRenewed · 12/03/2010 20:54

Wells is lovely but quiet. My parents are thinking of moving their in their 80s...says it all

Bridgwater is a very deprived town. Light-industrial in an agrarian county. It was a docks town - very busy and prosperous until the early 1900s. Historically as significant place in the economy. Now it has some of the worst social problems in the south-west. But I will say in it's defence that people are really friendly here. And there is knee-jerk reaction from others in the south-west against he place - even if they hardly know the place And it's near the Quantocks and Sedgemoor. And there are nice bits - like Wembdon and Durleigh and the villages nearby are lovely.

Oi master! Nice of you to say that but if you come running with me we'll be starting from my home so you'll have to spend a bit of time here

Original poster
sushistar · 12/03/2010 20:59

Frome looks truly lovely, and wells looks nice too...

BUt...

  1. Are they too small for us? I don't drive, and I need to be able to walk to everything I need on a day-to-day basis, inluding toddlers groups and activities for the kids.
  1. There's not much chance of DH finding work in the town in either wells or frome... so that would mean a commute.

On the other hand, if we went there we could afford a really lovely house...

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OrmRenewed · 12/03/2010 21:43

No no no...Wells isn't 'nice' it's perfect! But very quiet and genteel. I had my wedding reception there in the Bishops Palace.

I really think you are better off looking at Taunton - not so pretty but it has most stuff you need and some good schools (according to my godson who got 11A* at GCSE )

Missus84 · 12/03/2010 21:48

My brother lives in Taunton, he likes it. And it's within commuting distance of Bristol too for a bigger job market.

Original poster
sushistar · 12/03/2010 22:01

Frome is so cheap! Like - 4 bed period gorgeousness for 200k cheap! Are all the period houses full of crack addicts (suddenly suspicious...)

Ohh, it's so TRICKY! I am really stabbing in the dark here - I don't know what living in a town is like at all, and I'm rubbish at judging size - like, I know Glastonbury and street and Langport quite well (family near there) and they would all be much to small. But I look at Taunton on the map and think... too big? And Bridgewater looks like the right size and is affordable but does not sound very nice... but is that just snobbery? But I don't want to move out of the grim end of London and end up living somewhere with lots of the same problems but just nicer architecture...

Help me!

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Sadlou81 · 12/03/2010 22:02

no jsut as bad if not worse
brideghwater shitteroonoid

Sadlou81 · 12/03/2010 22:02

dh used to work fo the polythene factory there

Original poster
sushistar · 12/03/2010 22:10

Bridgwater seems to be universally damned, except by Orm - but even then she's not 100% positive. Maybe I'll have to cross it off the list as well - tho some things I read said it's on the up...

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OrmRenewed · 13/03/2010 12:23

sushistar - ignore all these bigots Go and have a look. There are nice bits as I said. Most people who condemn it don't really know it. But it is similar to most small towns a bit down on their luck.

Best thing to do is visit and have a look. Same goes for Taunton.

EcoMouse · 13/03/2010 14:17

Of all the places I've lived, Bridgwater's my favourite.

It's just so quirky!

Every urban area has good, bad and ugly areas within it.

Taunton does have more going on than Bridgwater, due to it's size! Not due to some cultural or sociological deficit in Bridgwater

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