Info on Marlow, Henley, Thame, Chalfonts

[Spanielmad]

Hello, we are thinking of moving into South Buckinghamshire for DH's work. Been looking at the impossible school situation already and earmarked a few areas with good (but oversubscribed) secondary schools.
Before I drive over to visit the area (we are a few hours away) I need to narrow down which towns we might like, as I can't visit them all in a day or two.

We like to be near or on the outskirts of a small town with stuff for my kids (young teen boys) such as a leisure centre, sports clubs, we like hiking in the hills/woods, I'd like a nice town with boutique shops, cafes, art galleries, art clubs etc. Low crime and peaceful would be good too- goes without saying.

Can anyone tell me anything about these towns? What are they like? I already know most of them are pricey- but would like to know more about atmosphere, crime, shops etc....
I have only done online research so far.

Henley,
Shiplake,
Marlow (my fav at the moment but hard to find a house),
Chalfont St Peter,
Chesham,
Thame.

Any thoughts very welcome!! Thank you

Yes, was wondering whether it was worth driving over for open evenings considering they are usually jam packed, hot and not that informative after all.... perhaps better to just make an appointment....

those trips sound amazing, yet expensive.
Nice to hear they are all safe contries, sometimes you hear schools organise trips to countries that I wouldn’t consider very safe....

I've lived in Chalfont St Peter for 10 years and just want to say that travelling from Chalfont St Peter to Stoke Poges can take up to 25- 30 mins in rush hour (I used to do this route most days). Traffic in Beaconsfield can be really awful during rush hour too. Travelling from Marlow/ Henley and further out to Stoke Poges could end up being a very long journey for your husband so it might be worth trying these journeys in rush hours. Chalfont common side of the village will be affected by the HS2 so those house prices in Chalfont are reflecting that in their current price. My neighbour's children and people I know whose children are at Chalfont community college got A* and A grades they needed for their uni courses so I don't think it's as bad as some people have made it out to be. Also Seer Green, Penn, Jordan villages might be worth considering. These are lovely areas to live in and property is in high demand, so it won't be easy to buy around here. Gerrards Cross near the train station is great but you probably won't get a decent sized house for less than 1 million. The Duke Wood area is an estate and nothing much there. A lot of people are put off by it due to it being too close to Slough and can hear the traffic from M4. Chalfont St Peter is getting better, a new Marks and Spencer and Costa is opening soon here which is pushing up the prices. There are a few outstanding schools too. Some parts of the area are better than other esp when it comes to schools. The traffic from Amersham to Stoke Poges will be awful esp with the HS2 affecting some roads around that part.

Hi Sparks, that is brilliant info, thank you! Sounds like Chalfonts/Gx is still best for commute as my other locations (Marlow, Thame) are even further away!
thanks for the HS2 warning - didn't realise it would go through Chalfonts - I just had written down south of Amersham and north of Missenden, but of course drawing the line towards London would bring it near Chalfonts. Will have to stick to Ch.St.Peter and south of there.
When we are nearer to buying we will see if we can try to do an evening commute to test the waters (well, roads)
Thank you!

Nice to hear something good about the Community College. Will have to go and have a look and gather even more opinions.

Any luck with ringing the schools for places op?

Hello lovely mumsnet group! We are planning to relocate in Thame this summer. Are there any areas we should avoid? We are looking into a property close to Roundhead Dr atm. Is this a nice area for a family? Your help is very much appreciated. Many thanks!

Hi Nancy. This is such a massive thread that posters are unlikely to see your post right at the end. I’d suggest starting a new thread