Relocation to the south west- Uffculme area

[walkinthewoodstoday]

Hi,
I am seriously thinking about relocating (with husband and children) to the south west. I grew up North Somerset but don't want to live in the sedgemoor area. Bridgwater etc is not good. I thought that Devon/Somerset might be good, but also worried that my children will hate it. One is too young to know but the eldest is approaching secondary school age. Are there clubs and things for her to do? If you live in and around Uffculme, where do you tend to travel for supermarkets etc.

What sort of place do you currently live in? My DD has told me categorically not to move rurally. But she is quite a townie. I would love to though.

Small city but rural county

Just interested to hear from people who currently live there what it's like day to day. I think it's probably a bad idea to move for the sake of it and on paper everything is good here but I need to entertain this for a little bit

Be prepared to spend your life in the car ferrying children around. On the plus side you generally know where they are on the minus side they have very little independence.

I'm in south Somerset and there is one bus per day from my village to the nearest town and I think that is only Monday to Friday.

@user1497787065 did you grow up there? What prompted you to move? I don't think we can do it as too much upheaval.

I was born and bred in a seaside town with lots of independence, long bike rides, summer spent on the beach. This was the 70s and we had lots of freedom.

I met my DH and had our children who grew up in the house we are in now. We have a pub and a PO, no streetlights, no pavements. Apart from posting a letter there was nowhere for the DC to walk on their own.

We chose to live in a rural village so felt that we had an obligation to our DC to be available to drive them to any activities, friends, etc

My DC are now adults and out DS can't imagine that we should live anywhere else where as our DD who now lives in a city cannot understand why we would stay here.
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Buses are really poor. Good schools and both tiverton and Wellington about 15 minutes in the car, Cullompton about 8 minutes, all 3 with good supermarkets. Quiet village with lots going on, nice pub with superb food, lots of dog walking routes. Definitely need a car though and not a lot for teens to do.

I grew up in Tiverton and it is a large town with plenty to do. Lots of sports if your child likes sport. Canal nearby for love walks on flat if you like walking/have dog. Tiverton has market.

I think I want to like it more than I do. I would want to live quite rural but then have the issues of school catchment as can't afford the private schools unless massive compromise on house. Think I'm just longing for home but need to accept moving back isn't going to be a time machine

Uffculme school is very highly regarded locally. Uffculme's not really all that rural tbh - it's right near the M5, and a very easy drive to Cullompton, Tiverton, Wellington, Taunton, even Exeter.

Or you could do it the other way - move to a small town (Tiverton, Wellington, Honiton, Axminster) or find a nice area of Taunton or Exeter, and then you're just a short drive to beautiful countryside (dartmoor/exmoor/coast/blackdown Hills etc etc) for weekends.

I think you need to do a lot of research as a lot of the towns mentioned are no better than Bridgwater and I know both Devon and Somerset well.

That's depressing as I find Bridgewater and burnham on sea and weston dire. I also know Wellington fairly well, but not so much cullompton, uffculme, Hemyock etc

I know the area well. Uffculme, Bridgwater and Tiverton are dreadful. Wellington and Milverton are pretty good though.

But the state school in Wellington is very poor, as is wiveliscombe which would be the state school if one lived in Milverton.

@RobinRobinMouse what is so poor about Uffculme in particular. Wellington is OK but wouldn't want to live in the town and schools an issue.

What about Lyme Regis?
Lovely town with really good secondary school.

Will look into that but for some reason thought that it was a grammar school and not sure my eldest would get it

What's your budget OP?
I love online house hunting!

Colyton is probably the grammar you're thinking of. Lyme Regis has a comp.

Would recommend Exeter or surrounding villages

Uffculme is not dreadful!! Schools are great, close to motorway yet really quiet. Culmstock good too as is Hemyock, although further from main roads. Not cheap to buy in though and not usually much on the market although Uffculme has 2 new estates going up now.

I live in Wellington - the state secondary is Requires Improvement but has a very good new head & according to friends who have kids there is really improving. Wellington is a lovely town - completely incomparable to Bridgwater! All bar one primary school is Good. Lots going on locally, clubs, activities, community events etc.
Uffculme is a lovely village but public transport is limited. The school is very well regarded but be aware it hasn't had an OFSTED inspection for nearly 10 years. You'd definitely need a car.
There are plenty of clubs/activities locally - some you'll need to travel for some though. Access to the coast/moors/countryside is great; as is the main train line to London (from either Tiverton or Taunton) & M5 with access to Exeter, Bristol & Cardiff & further afield.
Tiverton, I find a bit run-down despite all the new housing developments; Cullompton is quite small; Taunton is the county town & quite large with some good/bad areas.

@APurpleSquirrel and it still has Buy and Save despite everything!

ahh yes the tardis that is Buy & Save. And Waitrose & soon a Lidl.

I'd move to Winchester/Marlborough/Hungerford/Newbury if I was going to move south. Devon is over rated IMO (and I grew up there).