Moving to Wiltshire

[Rachee82]

Hello I'm moving to the Wiltshire area and I'm lost on choice , The more expensive area and pretty Area of Salisbury or renting a bigger house on the edge of Trowbridge. I have three kids and a 17 year old that's used to being able to pop on a bus to get to the shops of school. But we are looking to foster and more rooms and a bigger house is a must but Salisbury as i Have mentioned is more expensive but also still well connected To London. Then there are schools I don't really know about catchment area in Trowbridge and how kids get to school if you live a bit more out in the sticks. I have one child going to primary school and one starting year 6 and another that wants to go to Wiltshire college.......... IM STUCK!!! Help. 🤔🤔🤔🤔

Have a look at Chippenham, preferably in the catchment for Sheldon or Hardenhuish.
There's a Wiltshire College campus, opposite the train station. Direct trains to Paddington and more locally, Bath and Bristol.
I would only look at Trowbridge if you are catholic, the other 2 secondary schools are significantly less good.
Bradford on Avon is very pretty, good secondary school but your older DD would need to travel to College, short bus/train to Trowbridge college, or a lot of the local kids get the train to Bath College.
If you want pretty, also look at Malmesbury. Beautiful tiny town, excellent schools, but poor public transport for the older teen.

Oh and re transport, as in many rural area there are school buses.

Thank you. Where I was looking was a 2 /3 miles outside Trowbridge. As I don't like the look of the area it self. I think my daughter is going to have to learn to drive as soon as possible. Do school buses come go to different areas?
I'm also looking at Salisbury. But it's so much more expensive and Bath isn't close.

It's all so confusing.

Hi there

Salisbury has the only grammar schools in Wiltshire. I've known people move there specifically to be in the catchment. Agree with the above post that St Augustine's is the only really good school in Trowbridge. Chippenham schools both good, but Chippenham and Trowbridge are not middle-class towns if that matters to you.
Salisbury, Malmesbury. Bradford and Marlborough are leafy and middle-class. Devizes is a mixed bag.
There's a good new state school in Marlborough - St John's - with a popular sixth form. PM me if you like!

I can mix with middle class and the roughians....... being that I'm from
London class doesn't really matter to me just hate scummy people. The house I wanted just outside of
Trowbridge has now gone (we are renting for now). I'm over tomorrow and will be seeing a house 3 miles
Outside of Warminster and one just north of Salisbury. Worried that one in Warminster is a little to remote for my 17 year old. I feel I'm going to be a taxi service if I don't pick Salisbury.

Depending what side of Warminster you are, Westbury has good train links to Paddington. Wouldn't recommend schools in Westbury, though. There are plenty of free school buses that serve rural areas, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.
For a 17-year-old's social life I'd recommend Salisbury or anywhere that links to Bath (Trowbridge or Bradford, by train). For secondary schools I'd recommend Salisbury grammars (if your middle child is currently finishing Y5 then probably not too late to do the 11 plus??) Chippenham, Marlborough, Bradford. Not sure what the non-selective schools are like in Salisbury, because obviously the grammars will cream off the top sets.
It's a funny county, ranging from quite deprived towns to super-posh.

The deprived areas and the over privileged areas in London are all expensive. But I agree it is an odd county. The house I'm viewing tomorrow is Hill Deverill south of Warminster. It's all basically down to more house and more driving there. Or less driving and more expensive house in Salisbury with really good
Schools. I have had enough of adulting now. It's still cheaper then the alternative and the schools in London are not good.

I didn't like Westbury much it looked really rundown. But there is a free school in Frome I was looking into.

Frome is a good area. Still got the trains to Bath, good schools and lots of artisan shops.
Wiltshire generally is a little odd (meant kindly, we moved here 25 years ago from London)
But it's a great county. I don't think The Deverills are particularly well served by public transport, and most 17 year olds do learn to drive (ime) so they have more independence.
I love Salisbury, but Bath has more going on for teenagers. Also Salisbury is the only area in the county with Grammar schools, for the rest if us it's not an issue that's even in the radar. There are some excellent comprehensives. But do your research.
The area around Warminster is very much focussed on the families of armed forces.
Trowbridge has improved hugely in the last few years, there's a lot investment happening currently. The area around the cinema is very family friendly, and there are some great independent pubs and restaurants, plus easy access (20mins by train) to Bath. It's just that the secondary schools aren't that great.

Sounds to me like Salisbury might be the best move for all of you as a family ... wish I lived there!!

error - Trowbridge cinema, etc, has certainly made that a nice area, and we go a lot - but have you been in the town centre recently??

Oh I love Bath. I'm hoping I can find something in the surrounding towns or villages. I also think my daughter will prefer Bath to go to But then Salisbury has connections to Southampton and we could go to Bournemouth. Gosh..... it's a pain. I really appreciate your input.

Renting or buying? whats your budget? And requirements? Let us locals have a look for you!

Direct train from Bath to Southampton via Trowbridge 😄

Renting and looking for 4 bed and maximum is 1300 pcm. I love this site. I have never used it before. Everyone's so very informative in really grateful.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-65779760.html
How about this in Chippenham. In catchment for good schools and close to station for trains to Bath, and walking distance to Wiltshire College.

Salisbury is really good for 6th form colleges - not just the Wiltshire college. Also there is the possibility of 6th form entrance to the Grammar schools

Not only do you have Southampton and nice coastal places like Bournemouth as you have pointed out, you are also close to the New Forest to explore it at the weekends, and you are not a gazillion miles from my favourite county in England - Dorset with the sheer loveliness of Swanage, Corfe Castle, Studland etc

Warminster is not simply a garrison town, yes you see soldiers in town but not masses! There are good primaries and Kingdown secondary is good.
Frome has the middle school system which you may like or not. Trowbridge is still quite rough despite lots of redevelopment in recent years. Salisbury is lovely but can be very busy.

It's funny really Chippenham is the one place I haven't really looked at. Mainly because I was looking at a village location. But it could possibly be my answer. Although I do like the south.

House is really nice. That would cost the earth in London.

TidyPidy as you say Warminster is a garrison town, and I personally have always liked the town.
But it's not for everyone, nor is Trowbridge 😊

I'm not far from Chippenham. Schools are good and the town itself isn't bad. It's well located for Bath, Bristol, Trowbridge etc. Trains run to London and the South.

Marlborough is lovely but pricey. I like Devizes but schools aren't as good as Chippenham.

Most towns in Wiltshire aren't urban sprawls like other counties, they're quite small and self contained and it's rural in between!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-65779760.html
You can use this table to look at GCSE results for Trowbridge/Warminster, or key in Salisbury or Chippenham for results in other local towns.

Aargh!! Sorry, try this link!

www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/li/gcseresults/

Do you know what Hiperton Marsh is like?