Moving to mid Wales

[Sofiah]

Hi all, hopefully posting this in the right place.

My husband and I are wanting to relocate to mid-Wales with our 1 year old daughter and would love some advice! We currently live in Yorkshire suburbs but we're definitely countryside people and would like a better quality of life. We love Wales, we go multiple times a year and love to hike.
I was thinking mid-Wales along the English border as property is v.reasonable and it's not so remote that we can't get to grandparents and family. We're both learning Welsh and working towards working fully remotely.

Any recommendations on nice villages we could visit to get a feel for? In an ideal world we would love to live somewhere with a good primary school and a community feeling. We want to get involved and know our neighbours, whilst still being fairly remote. Not really fussy about location.

Any tips or advice would be fantastic, thanks all in advance.

Only because I used to live near there but Brecon has a lot going for it. Right in the middle of the national park, an hour to Cardiff and half an hour from a Waitrose (Abergavenny). It has a lot of lovely villages on the outskirts to choose from which are close but quite remote - Bwlch, Talybont on Usk - try the postcode LD3.

Crickhowell is in that area too, it has a great community feel and a stunning high street.

It’s really great that you’re learning Welsh and as a fluent speaker myself I hope you continue. Pob lwc.

You and your DH will be the only ones speaking Welsh on the borders! Honestly wouldn't waste your time with that unless moving to somewhere more Welsh speaking. I would look quite carefully at the healthcare provision, whilst that might not be a priority right now, it is pretty awful in Mid Wales so I would be inclined to be nearer Kington/the English border so you can get to Hereford with ease at least.

Apologies can't help with much else, I'm sure there are a number of good villages with good primaries, but secondary school provision is pretty odious in mid Wales too, so again you may be better looking at Kington/English border (not too sure what it's like there but you certainly don't want to be schooling in Powys at secondary).

I completely agree. DM recently moved to this area and it’s stunning. Meets all your requirements, OP. We’re looking forward to moving local to them once the DC have finished crucial education stages

Brecon is beautiful. I live in Merthyr but we regularly go for walks around the town and do some shopping. Lots of very pretty places around Brecon.

Also, DM gets Waitrose deliveries from Abergavenny to her Wye Valley village, so no need to go there unless you want to.

Kington/Hereford are also gorgeous. I fell in love with Hereford when we popped up there. Gorgeous small city.

Learning some welsh language could never be a waste of time...it will enrich you culturally and stimulate parts of your brain to delay dementia etc. win win

@Yolo12345 well sure waste was probably harsh, just didn't want the OP to think she'd be popping into Tesco and be able to get into a conversation in Welsh around the mid wales Welsh border as it's very unlikely!

Montgomery is beautiful

Thank you all some great advice already! We hadn't looked as south as Brecon, I had been looking at Welshpool around there as an option. Crickhowell looks amazing.

We're loving learning Welsh and want to do our best to integrate so we don't seem like tourists but part of the community. I hadn't thought about healthcare provision, with the little one and maybe a new bubba in the next few years think it's something to think about. Also would love to move somewhere where there is a mix of all ages. I think some of the more rural parts might leave our little girl without much to do as she gets older.

We actually love Dunoon in Scotland as it's where my sister lives but so cold in the winter and so far away from family. But would love to find somewhere with the same feel.

@Sofiah honestly OP Welsh isn't even a second language if you're looking at the towns/villages along the A44 in Mid Wales up to the English border, most don't even have welsh accents never mind speak it. So if your only goal in learning Welsh is to integrate I would research the community before spending the time to do that, other areas or absolutely would be more appreciated. That said if you do live in Wales your children will have to learn it in school so it may help to know a bit for their homework.

Healthcare provision is more accessible south the closer to Abergavenny you get, and logistically nearer much better road and rail networks, but with that comes higher house prices.

We moved from the south east to Llanidloes, and we love it here. Very friendly area with a real community feel. My teenagers are doing great at the local school, and I’ve never had a problem getting a doctors appointment! You do have to get used to travelling further afield for certain things, and we are a little way out of town so do need to drive to get to shop/bus stop/drop kids in town. Not a great deal for teenagers to do, but it’s a safe town for them to hang out in. They often get the bus/train to bigger towns with friends, and in the summer they will go out for walks or camp out.
Nearest hospital is about a hour away.
Most children living out of town get the school buses to both the primary and secondary schools, so don’t even have to do the school run anymore!
Great countryside and lovely views everywhere.

LD3 is pretty Welsh-speaking and just gorgeous. It's cheaper than places right on the border

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You certainly hear Welsh spoken in Newtown. Maybe not extensively, but it is there.

As others have said Montgomery is a lovely little town.

My mother in law leaned Welsh when they moved to Newtown. She speaks it everyday for 99% of communication in shops, clubs, farms, social things, they speak Welsh at the doctor's and even in court (she is a magistrate). My wife went to a Welsh language school there. Whenever we go on outings, people seem very pleased to find Welsh speakers in the less Welsh speaking areas. It defo wasn't a waste of time for her.

I visited Llanidloes recently and thought it looked like a great place to live, glad to hear it is!

We were quite taken with Rhayader when we visited.

I live in Knighton and really enjoy it here. All the small towns and villages in the Powys/Shropshire/Herefordshire area are lovely and picturesque there is just a whole lot of nothing in between. Fields of sheep and chicken farms. That being said there is always something going on but with a bit of a rural theme. Vintage tractor shows, Apple festivals, Flicks in the Sticks.

Hiya, I live near Welshpool and not far from Montgomery. Love it here I was from a small town in England previously so adjuated well. I am a country bumpkin at heart.

Quality of life much better here small town with lots of villages around and a friendly place. Always stopping to talk to people and we have gotten to know local posities and shop keepers. I been here 4.5 years had DS in Mongomershire Infirmary was a wonderful experience. The midwives are more natural and holistic right up my street.
Amazing we can get Gp apts same day/ next day.

But lack of shops many closing down. Our nearest shopping center is Shrewsbury then Telford / Chester.

Some gorgeous walks and waterfalls not far from us. 1 hour from Aberystwyth. Lots of Dams and wonderful forrests. Hafren Forest is straight out of a Magical Fairy Tale!

The only concern is emergency care nearest is Shrewabury and Telford good transport links and so Ambulances get there within 30mins but still a distance.

There is barely any rentals where I am but lots of lovely - but rather expense properties. We are lucky to rent in a very nice part of town paying only £500 a month 2 double bed with Garage.

@Wyndam I missed the recent tractor show. Where are events advertised. I don't have facebook / instagram only Twitter. My DS adores tractors so sad to have missed it.

Llanidloes area does sound exactly like what you’re looking for but in terms of healthcare you would need to go to Aberystwyth for A+E/hospital. They do have a midwife led unit in llani though