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Do you live (or have you lived) in the Frodsham area?

30 replies

DitaVonCheese · 11/04/2010 00:24

Sorry if this isn't the right place for this thread, not sure where to start it. DH, DD and I are thinking of moving to the Frodsham area (Frodsham/Hapsford/Ince/Elton/Helsby) and I was just hoping for a little local advice and info on where's nice, where's not, local schools, that kind of thing. Drove through today and it all looked lovely Can anyone give me any insider tips?

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VinegarTitsOnaDiet · 11/04/2010 00:26

Frodsham is nice, i dont live there but know someone who does, i cant tell you about schools though sorry

MrsGeek · 11/04/2010 09:14

Frodsham is lovely, Helsby High School has good results so I guess that the primary schools are above average too. I'd live in Frodsham if I could!

DitaVonCheese · 11/04/2010 11:00

Thanks!

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KoalaSar · 11/04/2010 13:45

Frodsham C of E school is nice.

In general, the nicer areas are up the hill past the station (up Fluin Lane and that area). The areas behind the police station and library aren't so good (and neither is that primary school).

The house prices are good.

Have you considered Kelsall or Tarvin as well?

I like Frodsham but it's proximity to Runcorn is quite off putting - you can see all the petrochem works as you come into the village.

mumblechum · 11/04/2010 13:50

We lived there for a few months in the middle of a relocation.

It was quite a nice town, actually, wouldn't have minded staying if circs different.

We rented a house in Belmont Road (or was it Ave?) Anyway, it was quirte a nice area.

DitaVonCheese · 11/04/2010 14:16

Thanks for the help.

I have said no to Runcorn! Not had a look at Kelsall or Tarvin. We are over in Warrington at the moment (renting) but are being drawn to the Frodsham area as it's closer to DH's work, more rural and seems cheaper than round here.

Does anyone have any pertinent info on Hapsford? Bit of a long shot as it's so teeny tiny!

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rebl · 11/04/2010 18:36

Yes, live there!!!

Hapsford - we lived in Dunham-on-the-Hill until we moved at Christmas. Very nice but smelly in the summer (they don't just use cows manure on the fields round there).

Don't live in Runcorn but you know that!

Helsby - 2 schools Hillside and Hornsmill. The school that people like to get into is Hillside. This is because all the traveller children go to Hornsmill but tbh its each to their own. They're very different types of schools and all I can say is you need to visit them and make your own mind up on that one. They have similar ofsted reports. The feel in the schools is totally different.

Frodsham - The school that people try to avoid is Weaver Vale Community I think mainly because the ofsted is worse than the other schools in Frodsham. I've not been round that school though. Frodsham C of E (Overton) is highly oversubscribed and even living in catchment doesn't guarentee you a place. The Manor is a very good school as well.

Living around the area in Frodsham I don't know what your price bracket is but there are some really good value houses with good sized gardens (but some steep slopes) up on the estate round the manor school (all the roads have Lakeland names). The houses down in the estate at the end of Ship Street are your typical new build development type of houses. Not what we like but I know a lot of people like them.

What I would say is that for some reason Frodsham addresses carry a mark up on value that I'm not sure they warrant. Personnally I think you can get nicer houses and environment in Helsby.

Dunham-on-the-hill and Hapsford are lovely areas, its just the smell in the summer but then that doesn't last all the time, its only a few days a year I guess.

If you can afford to move out of Frodsham somewhere like Kingsley has some lovely houses and has 2 very good schools. Or Norley, slightly smaller village but still has a school, shop and pub.

rebl · 11/04/2010 18:58

Noticed you asked about Elton / Ince. I would try and avoid these if you can. They're really under the petroleum works, smelly. Also, although the primary schools aren't too bad the secondary are Ellesmere Port and they're not great schools. If you can afford to live the Frodsham / Helsby side of the motorway you are definatly better off all round and will get into Helsby High.

DitaVonCheese · 11/04/2010 19:19

Thank you so much, that was just the kind of thing I was after! Thanks so much for taking the time to write it all out, I really appreciate it

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DitaVonCheese · 11/04/2010 20:00

Btw, do you mean you moved from D-o-t-H to Hapsford or have you moved away from the area? We have seen a house in Hapsford that we like, just pondering it over as we don't know the area at all. It did seem to be expensive compared to Elton/Ince but you've explained that!

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fanjoboils · 11/04/2010 20:21

If you live towards the top of the hill coming out of Frodsham up towards Kingsley, you can go to Kingsley CP school. It's a nice school, one class per year group, doesn't seem particularly over-subscribed (although this may change if some of the smaller rural schools close down). It's in very large grounds - field, wooded area, tennis courts, etc. Kingsley village is also nice, as is Norley - both quite small and more rural and with nice community feel to them.

Nice things about Frodsham - it's a proper small town: little supermarket, nice butchers, veg shops, cafes, post office, banks, a few clothes shops, hairdressers and so on. Traffic is not a major problem, unless the motorway is blocked. Well positioned for motorway, Chester, Liverpool, Manchester, and airports.

Helsby is lovely, if you're not bothered about having too many local shops.

rebl · 11/04/2010 21:26

We're still in the area but moved from D-o-t-h. We're now more rural, Kingsley / Norley area.

Which house? Have you got a link?

DitaVonCheese · 11/04/2010 21:42

It's this one. It's not expensive in itself, it's just that it's completely unlivable in its current state (been empty for a while, had a leak and is full of mould, needs new kitchen and probably new bathroom etc) whereas the estate agent has handed us a pile of houses in Elton/Ince etc for the same price or less which we could move into tomorrow, so I was wondering why it seemed so much more expensive in comparison to those.

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DitaVonCheese · 11/04/2010 21:44

Thanks fanjo I liked Helsby a lot but was worried it was partly because it seemed like such a nice wholesome name

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Polgara2 · 11/04/2010 21:47

Have to say that yes, Frodsham is very nice (and overpriced in many areas) but would pick Helsby or Kingsley given the choice.

Helsby High School is a very good secondary school - it is also the only one for the area because Frodsham school has now closed down and semi-merged with Helsby (don't know if that has affected anything as it was quite recent).

I can't agree with the traffic statement tho! On market day (Thursday) and at peak hours the traffic through Frodsham can be an absolute mare! And especially as has been said if there is a problem on the motorway or surrounding area.

Agree don't go down by Ship Street areas and stick to the upper end of Fluin Lane if you can afford it.

And definitely don't move to Elton/Ince!

HTH and happy house hunting

KoalaSar · 11/04/2010 22:54

where are you renting in Warrington? I would choose some parts of Warrington over Frodsham any day - depends which bits!

DitaVonCheese · 11/04/2010 23:06

Lol, probably not this bit! We're technically in Latchford but five minutes walk from the centre of town/Mr Smith's (oh my misspent youth ). Which bits of Warrington do you like? We want to be somewhere more rural really: where we are now only has a paved back yard.

Have binned Elton/Ince estate agent particulars

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KoalaSar · 11/04/2010 23:26

Ah Latchford....

I like the south bits - Appleton, Walton etc - because I like countryside. Having said that, there are some nice bits on the other side of the town, I think, and money goes further there (eg Penketh - though the high school is dodgy!)

DitaVonCheese · 11/04/2010 23:30

Ah yes, Appleton and Walton are both lovely. Not much in our price bracket at the moment though, and I think DH would rather be closer to work. I am a bit torn because all my family is in Lymm but I've lived 200 miles away from them for the past 15 years so can probably deal with a 20 minute drive

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KoalaSar · 12/04/2010 10:54

...and Lymm's a small place - you might feel a bit hemmed in with the family so close by!

It sounds as though Frodsham might be just the place for you, doesn't it?!

rebl · 12/04/2010 16:56

Its a shame you weren't looking before Christmas. You could have bought our house for that much money and you could have moved straight in!

Where does your dh work?

DitaVonCheese · 13/04/2010 08:32

It is - we've only been looking for about a week! DH works over in Ellesmere Port.

Can you (or anyone else) recommend a local conveyancing solicitor?

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Polgara2 · 13/04/2010 09:59

Just another thought - Hapsford is quite near the motorway as well so check in the garden for traffic noise.

rebl · 13/04/2010 10:43

We used Hough and Company, found them to be very good.

Polgara makes a good point about the motorway noise but tbh there is traffic noise from the motorway or the main roads in most places in Helsby or Frodsham area.

DitaVonCheese · 13/04/2010 12:38

Thanks both. You could see the main road from the garden (just) but didn't seem to be able to hear that or the motorway. Will check out Hough & Co

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