is wisbech a good place to live

[jeezy1]

please help. i am torn. My DH has started a job in and around Bury ST Edmunds. We are keen to buy a house but as first time buyers we are priced out of Bury St Edmunds. We have a budget of 280 000 pounds maximum. we want a 4 bedroom semi or detached. Can anyone shed some light whether wisbech is a good place to live and to raise our dd who is 2 years old. I have seen some beautiful victorian houses within my budget but a bit skeptical. we cannot afford to initally rest therefore will have to reply on you good people. WHat areas can we consider that have got good transport links, good schools and good amenities which are not more than 1hour drive from bury st edmunds. We are coming from hull which is a big difference in terms of house

If you're on FB join the local town groups as there's usually lots of information to be found on these.

You don't want to commute from Wisbech to bury st Edmunds! It only takes one road to be shut (happening weekly on the a47 nearby thanks to crashes) and it would take forever to get anywhere!

thank you for replying. thats really helpful

Honestly it’s not great. There are better towns and some nice villages in the area. A47 can be a nightmare even if it isn’t closed

Oh and Wisbech has poor transport links. No train line ( nearest is March, Kings Lynn or Peterborough)

thank you for replying. back to the drawing board. I think i will have to consider Bury St Edmunds even though its a bit pricier.

We lived in wisbech for a while. Horrible place, no train station and just a very strange vibe to it. We live in Downham Market now. It is about 45 minutes from Bury St. Edmunds.

Wisbech is horrible. I would suggest Ely. It is a short drive. Quite pretty for the price. Has a train connection to bury st Edmunds as well. And has a private school which isn’t that bad that goes all the way through.

There are lots and lots of nice villages outside of bury but I'm guessing you with want that? Maybe you don't drive? The area in general isn't going to have good public transport as it is predominantly rural. Sudbury is a nice.little town about a 35 min drive from bury if you want a town but.do drive.

Wisbech has a bad reputation by Norfolk standards... & Norfolk standards aren't very high.

I live nearby and there are good and bad aspects. The commute would be a nightmare though so while property might be cheaper...

The route I would go would take you through the village of Welney and that route is regularly closed over winter (electric signs now which helps but still adds 40 minutes to your journey).

The other route is also very regularly problematic. Traffic aside there's accidents closing the road so regularly st the minute it is absurd.

I would definitely be looking the other side of Cambridge to Wisbech. You'll get more for your money here but you'd hate the commute.

Newmarket has a decent commute to BStE.

Isn’t Wisbech in Lincolnshire not Norfolk

Newmarket or Red Lodge?

Cambridgeshire technically

Actually, it’s Cambridgeshire, but close to the borders of both. It’s often described as Fenland which is, I believe, now officially the most miserable part of the UK to live in!

Wisbech is getting better. Please do not just stereotype from what you’ve heard or your standards. Wisbech has been my home ever since I was born. This town is perfectly fine to live in. Yes Wisbech does have its fair share of struggling people but they are being helped and more support is coming to the town. At least give Wisbech a try before saying no.

If the OP has a house budget of £280K then King’s Ely might not be on her radar.

There are a lot of beautiful villages between Wisbech and Bury, but at present Wisbech is a very deprived area.

For practical reasons, I would look at the roads and find a nice village that gives you two reasonable routes to Bury in case of closures/flooding.

I live in a village not far from Wisbech, and honestly I love the Fens. But it does take a little getting used to. It can feel a little like stepping back in time.

I 2nd Newmarket,. Or there are some lovely villages along the A143 towards Diss. I think I would rent in Bury initially and get to know the area.

Bol013 is right about the support in the town itself for people who are struggling. One of the lovely things about living more rurally is that people really do put themselves out there to help out if someone is in need. It's a multi-cultural community with lots of opportunities for kids to interact with kids from other countries. And there are some lovely little places in the town centre to visit. They've been talking for years about re-opening rail links, which could be an enormous boost for the town.

There are some lovely villages between BstE and Haverhill.
Haverhill doesn't have the best reputation, but it's not too bad and you'll get a lot for your money there. Villages like Clare are lovely, and Sudbury has a train station.
Also around Newmarket is nice.

Wisbech is too far from Bury to have a good commute and as others have said if the road is closed (which often happens on that road due to twattish driving) you have no easy back up. I’d look more Newmarket way. There’s some lovely villages on the outskirts and there’s a bit more going on there!

We used to live in bury, it’s a great little town. Loved it there. Wisbech... not so much. We then lived out in a village between bury and Newmarket, which was lovely but it was v rural so not so hot with kids.

Newmarket is alright, def second choice to bury. Clare is lovely, but I don’t know if it’s pricey compared to bury.

Wisbeach is a dive as is the most of the “fens” I would go for Newmarket or Ely. Do you have to have a 4 bed ? Would make your options better to go for 3.