Moving to Truro

[Ontheup2]

Good morning!

DH and I are starting to talk again about moving to Truro. I grew up in Penzance and all my wider family is in the Penzance area (part of the pull). We currently live in the Home Counties north of London, with London based jobs (although think we can manage work-wise).

I don’t want to move to Penzance as it’s just that bit too far and don’t want to end up back where I started exactly!

How is Truro these days? We’d probably finish primary at private school and then look to state secondary - any feedback on schools would be appreciated.

we’d be looking at housing on the A30 side of Truro so we can get to PZ more easily. Kenwyn area might be helpful for the train station.

if you have made the move from upcountry - would love to hear thoughts about the pros and cons for you, and how easy it has been to find your tribe / make friends. I struggle to call myself Cornish anymore as not properly lived in the county since I was 18!

i could go on, but will stop there!! Any advice welcome!!

Different age range to you as much older but a family member (originally from the northwest) moved to Truro via Bodmin, Lostwithiel and Fowey. At a guess when they were the age you are now when they lived in Lostwithiel and were very happy there. Fowey was the achieved dream after holidaying there when they were a child. They loved living there too (as did their children) but eventually the hills got too much and they moved to Truro, which they say will be their last move.
They have settled and been accepted everywhere. Being churchgoers may have helped plus the fact they both had jobs which involved a lot of community involvement.

Thank you. Good to know they’re happy.
I’d like to think that I could make new friends with similar interests - I like going out for dinners and hoping I can infiltrate or make my own group somewhow! We’re not church goers but DH is sporty and I imagine meeting people through school. Which is why it might be better to move sooner rather than later. I don’t think I’d be happy to move once the children start secondary school.
I wonder whether it might just be too big a move for me to get comfortable with in the near term - financially we’d probably be better off staying where we are.
but I keep doing the “what if”…

Truro is such a great place to live with kids and especially older kids due to the amount of stuff going on and the great transport links to places like Falmouth - the train to PZ is of course also very easy. I'd live somewhere close enough that you can walk into town and then you won't be playing taxi for the next 10 years or so :) you specifically mention the Kenwyn area which is lovely but if I had older children walking home potentially in the dark I'd prefer somewhere with more street lighting - very niche intel, sorry! Also if you're thinking of state secondary schools I'd think carefully about catchment areas. I would pick Richard Lander over Penair any day of the week, though I'm sure others might disagree. We live near Truro High and the area is brilliant and very social, easy access to countryside and easy walk to the Thomas Daniell pub and into town. Property is better value for money than over in Kenwyn as well and RL catchment. Happy to answer any questions about the area!