Thinking of moving from epping London to Glastonbury with family

[Francis1983]

Hi everyone.

I need some advice.
I have been thinking of moving from epping London to Glastonbury for the last year.

i have always lived in London and Greater London my entire life but since having a baby I feel like I need a bigger place and more time with her. Currently I work full time 3 days in the office and 2 at home , my job is in fashion so it’s demanding.
I know having a child under 2 and working full time is demanding but I feel like I’m such a shit mum that is always burnt out from trying to keep up.
I have always wanted to get some chickens and a dog and just live a bit slower and have time for gardening and cooking and just not rushing about as much as I do now to pay bills.
I don’t use London like I once did and find I avoid it at weekends as I have to work in the Center in the week.
my partner actually lived in Axbridge for 5 years before we got together although is actually originally from Ghana.
his works head office is in Weston so he can more to that office from London. I would have to give up work or try freelancing.

we have community here my family and friends are near by but I don’t see them much in the week mainly my mum once a week the rest I see once a month if that.

I really like Glastonbury and spent a lot of time there when my partner lived in Somerset before we have the baby.
I like the alternative vibes.

if we sold our flat here we could buy a 3 bed house in Glastonbury with garden that would need work but it would be much bigger and I could get some chickens and a dog lol and our mortgage would be so much lower.

what my main worries are is would we be outsiders there are people welcoming especially to mixed families in Glastonbury. Here it’s not a problem at all, no one even cares but I have read people can be very unwelcoming in Somerset to foreigners lol.

then with my daughter she is so little now so I’m sure making friends and all that won’t be a issue in nursery etc but as she gets older and now are there things to do like play groups and things for older children .
here we have so much available to young people and children.

look forward to getting some advice.

thanks.

That part of Somerset is very, very white. We lived in Frome and there were fewer than 5 children in the school of 300 that were from any other ethnic background.
I know a mixed-ethnicity couple that moved from London to another town in the area. I don't think that they would say that they have had a particularly bad time, but they definitely feel like they stick out. Being a bit cynical, I think that they've been ok because they had enough money to buy a nice house in a really nice area.
I don't think that Glastonbury is a bad town to live, there are plenty of 'normal' people there too. It's not a particularly nice commute to Weston though, so if he had to do that everyday, that would really put me off, and I'd try and move somewhere closer or even Weston itself.
We actually moved from Frome last year as we found it lacking in things for the children as they are growing. It was great whilst they were toddlers, but teenage life in these towns looks really limited.

320k max would be ideal . Which is why I say get something that needs work

@Francis1983 consider some of the larger, well connected villages.

Farrington Gurney for instance is on the A37, has a farm shop and a small school, 20 minutes drive from Bath and 30 from Bristol, is on a bus route into Bristol, etc etc. And this is for sale at the mo in your price range.

3 bedroom terraced house for sale in Main Street, Farrington Gurney, Bristol, Somerset, BS39 (rightmove.co.uk)

He did really like it but his personality can tolerate isolation, mine and my daughters can’t .He struggled to make friends when he lived there and had some strange things happen to him , like every time he went into Waitrose he as followed around hard by security, or the new neighbours asking him is he had stolen lights of there barn 🙈or another neighbours building structures on there property right up to his barn window blocking his window views. The owner that he rented the barn from is still in a legal battle about this . These are not really big things but they are definitely strange in my opinion.
Btw my partner is not the type to steal or commit any crimes 😂

I’m an old hippy but Glastonbury is too much for me. Fucking weird definitely sums it up.

Where are you ?

I live in South Bristol, and agree that Bristol is very expensive. I like visiting Glastonbury, but as others have said it's very white. It's also quite remote, even though there are good buses. I am thinking of moving to Weston once my daughter has finished her GCSE's. It's becoming quite a vibey place, and it has great transport links. Just noticed this thread was posted in May last year - what did you decide, if you did?

I would expect Glasto, if not super diverse, to at least be more welcoming of diversity than surrounding towns and villages. Neighbouring Street has Millfield School with an international (super wealthy on the whole!) community, so it's not as if people will be pointing and staring.
Be aware that Glastonbury has recently become a magnet for 'van lifers' and there is a disproportionately large homeless community. You may be fine with this, just something to be aware of. There is quite an underbelly to all the bohemian idealism, I would live there as an adult but not sure I'd want to bring up dc there.
Street and Shepton Mallet both very close by, if duller. Somerton is nice and about 15/20 mins away. I love Castle Cary but, while it's close enough to see the Tor from high points, it oddly doesn't seem to have a direct bus to Glasto. (That might have changed.)

Gah, didn't notice it was a thread resurrection! But also curious to know what the OP decided...

OP your DH might be able to cope but if your children are mixed race I’d seriously consider staying within the confines of London.

Your DDs may not be able to cope with the abuse.

I live in on the tube in London in the suburbs.

My kids schools have always had very mixed ethnic diversity.

However one has gone to secondary outside the M25 and it is so very white. Only one mixed race boy in a year group of 90. There’s not even a fully black person.

Ive also moved from London to the country but we hated it and eventually we moved back.

im sorry I’m the only one probably saying the grass is not always greener.

Id look at your current set up and ask if you were a SAHM which is what it sounds like you want to be, where you are, is it doable?

Under 5s are incredibly hard work. Life will get better ❤️‍🩹

ZOMBIE thread alert 🚨

I lived in Glastonbury for 18 months 20 years ago, and have revisited regularly. It was, and remains, very woo. You will probably have to accept, for example, anti vaxxers in your friendship group as a matter of course, along with a whole plethora of wild beliefs (that's what drives me mad about the place).

It was pretty poor, and had quite a difficult mix of impoverished hippies on benefits, and working class Somerset locals, who are....very white and very set in their ways, shall we say 😬. The hippies used to refer to them as "rednecks" for a reason. However, in recent years the culture seems to have become a bit more open and middle class. I'm white, but my suspicion is that you wouldn't have any problems with prejudice whilst moving in the alternative circles of town, although the surrounding villages could be quite a different matter.

There seems to be a bit more of a buzz about the place in recent years- lots of good stuff going on especially for the young people, such as the development of the old Morlands factory into a community arts centre.

Op, these are not strange things, these are things that happened to him because he’s black. Why else would neighbours ask if he’d stolen things & he be followed around a shop like a thief? He’d have to live with these micro aggressions on a daily basis.
You may not find them big things - but he and your daughter will.

Ah, sorry just realised it’s a zombie thread…

Hi all,
It’s crazy that this post has come to light again at this point in my life. So, we found a house in Glastonbury—a really nice 4-bedroom, very central, and full of character. We were in the process of buying it, but when the in-person survey took place, things started to get a bit strange. The vendor began oversharing about her previous survey and the things she hadn’t addressed.
Initially, it still seemed fine, so we waited for our survey report. Unfortunately, it came back with a strong recommendation not to proceed with the purchase due to damp, structural issues at the back, and a sagging roof—all things we hadn’t noticed or smelled during our visits.
The estate agents tried to downplay it, saying the work wouldn’t cost much and it wasn’t a big deal. However, the surveyor told me over the phone that the repairs could run into the hundreds of thousands, especially considering the current cost of materials and labor. They also warned that fixing one issue would likely uncover more problems.
We’re far from rich, and the move was meant to ease us financially. Right now, we both work full-time in the city, and it’s a grind that leaves us with little at the end of the month after bills and nursery fees.
When the report came back, I felt really sad and completely wiped out at the end of last year. I don’t mind doing aesthetic work, but I’m not up for tackling structural and damp issues.
So, we’re still looking, but I’m starting to wonder if it’s a bit of a sign. I also feel like the estate agents treated us as though we were naive city people with money to burn.
Strangely, I’ve had three job offers already this year( never usually happens) , all with better salaries than what I’m on now. Although I don’t want to work full-time, I think I’ve come to the realisation that we’re not wealthy, and we’ll need to work hard to give my daughter a decent life.
One of the job offers is abroad, with an great salary and perks. It’s also in a beautiful part of the world, where my daughter could spend her days at the beach and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle I want for her. The downside is that I would have to work while my partner stays home with her, and we’d be far away from family, grandparents, and family, which I’m not keen on. It’s not ideal, but right now the pros seem to outweigh the cons. In this day and age, with the rising cost of living, it might be the best option for a decent lifestyle.
I do love Glastonbury and have started to look again (seen nothing I like ) , but I always had this worry it won’t offer enough for her as she grows older and that part of the country could be isolating for us as a family.
I’m really unsure about what’s best, so I guess we’ll just have to see how things play out in the coming months.

Thank you so much for your reply 😁 Wow, things have certainly changed! Maybe it is a sign - very positive news re the job and thank goodness you were savvy enough not to buy the house. Best of luck with your journey 😊

Do you know that part of the world ?

I live in South Bristol and visit Glastonbury from time to time. There is a fab gallery there that my Dad has exhibited his art there. I also contemplated moving there as I am a single parent and want to move, and can't afford / don't want to live in South Bristol anymore. However, I feel it's too rural, no trains although an ok bus service, but I don't think enough for my teenager to do. I am considering WSM. I need to commute to Bristol for work.

Thanks for the tip. i wish you all the best

@Francis1983 have you looked at Clevedon? It’s super close to WSM but has a totally different feel, is on the coast and has a very different pace to London/city/suburbia. It’s a small-ish town and has some alternative vibes, very friendly and being closer to bigger towns and Bristol is possibly less insular than somewhere like Glastonbury. I’ve visited a few times and have always harboured thoughts of moving there.

Obviously you might be totally set on this great opportunity abroad now, in which case, ignore me 😂

If you decide to move to Weston you will be in good company! My Dad lived in BS3, his neighbour’s sister has moved here now and another neighbour’s son has bought a flat.

I’m from Bristol , spent 20 years in Dorset and wanted to be closer to family but didn’t want to move back to a city so decided to try Weston now kids finished school. My plumber is from Horfield, another friend used to live and teach in Bristol.

Was really worried about the move as tried it briefly 25 years ago and didn’t like it but it has been really positive. You need to be a bit selective about where you are I think . We have a lovely house we could never have afforded in Bristol, quiet road with good neighbours who look out for one another. Can walk to loads of places including lots of open spaces and cafes or can drive and be at my friend’s farm in 10 mins or cousin’s in Clifton in just over 30 mins.

Lots of people have moved down from London too and there are loads of groups for various activities and lots going on. The station is really handy and 5 mins now rather than the 55 mins drive it used to take to get DS to his train on Dorset.

Neither of us commute to Bristol though and I have heard that getting out of Weston in the morning isn’t great. There are downsides to it but I feel much much happier here than in Dorset.

Loads of people are really negative about it but the reality is a fair few have wised up to the benefits and I think more will as time goes on . I see some parallels to how North Street was changing way back (I’m mid 50s and my grandparents lived there so I know it well). Good luck if you do decide to go for it and I hope of you do that it is as positive for you as it is for me. Never thought I would say that and there are on posts on here from me being very negative about it as been on MN for 21 years.

Thank you so much for your kind words! I am really invested in making the move. I think it will be a really good and refreshing change, and I will still be close enough to my parents in Bristol to visit and help out.