Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
Aug 30th 2015, 9:00 pm
#1
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Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
Hi All,
So we are moving from Canada in January to the uk and would really like some help choosing an area.
This is what we are looking for- close to the sea, good amount of work (construction) and good schools.
I know its what everyone prob wants, but I don't know the UK, only London so in the dark here abit.
We are currently looking at Dorset, kent and Swansea. would love some feedback on these places and maybe others I may have overlooked.
Thanks
So we are moving from Canada in January to the uk and would really like some help choosing an area.
This is what we are looking for- close to the sea, good amount of work (construction) and good schools.
I know its what everyone prob wants, but I don't know the UK, only London so in the dark here abit.
We are currently looking at Dorset, kent and Swansea. would love some feedback on these places and maybe others I may have overlooked.
Thanks
Aug 30th 2015, 10:13 pm
#2
Was in Canada, now home.
Joined: Aug 2011
Location: Devon
Posts: 3,388
re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
Your header says Dorset, east sussex, but your post lists Dorset, Kent and Swansea.
Are you interested in Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex?
What do you want to know about these places?
Are you interested in Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex?
What do you want to know about these places?
Aug 30th 2015, 11:05 pm
#3
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re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
apologies......i didnt finish the header...i got abit ahead of myself.
Im interested in all of them, as i know nothing about any of them. I am moving my family over so its a big deal and want to make the right decision. Like i said in my post i was looking at Dorset, Kent and Swansea so far as these are area others have told me about and they are on the coast, BUT i dont know anything about them, hence looking for more info. I should have been more specific in my post- i dont know anything about west/east sussex so any info with regards to moving there and finding work and raising a family would be great.
Please keep in mind that i am totally green to the UK- and thats why i am on the forum- to look for help and advice.
Im interested in all of them, as i know nothing about any of them. I am moving my family over so its a big deal and want to make the right decision. Like i said in my post i was looking at Dorset, Kent and Swansea so far as these are area others have told me about and they are on the coast, BUT i dont know anything about them, hence looking for more info. I should have been more specific in my post- i dont know anything about west/east sussex so any info with regards to moving there and finding work and raising a family would be great.
Please keep in mind that i am totally green to the UK- and thats why i am on the forum- to look for help and advice.
Aug 30th 2015, 11:25 pm
#4
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Posts: 38,612
Re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
Hi and welcome to BE.
I have altered the title for you so that it shows as intended.
I have altered the title for you so that it shows as intended.
Aug 31st 2015, 7:54 am
#5
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Joined: May 2007
Location: England
Posts: 4,212
Re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
What I would do is make a list ...lol...sorry but just as a starter to see what is really important to your move...ie work then do you want to live in a town, village, city, do you want to be near the sea/coast, do you have to be near family/friends, is weather important to you ie if so maybe the South East might be a start as it's usually drier than other areas, if you are on a budget then you will have to look at areas you can afford and then try and narrow it down from there, it might help. Good luck there are some great people on here who will know the area's you may narrow down and also help more.
Aug 31st 2015, 8:01 am
#6
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Re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
If I were starting afresh and looking at search areas in the South/West with possibilities, I think that your choices are good ones.
Swansea is a tough one for education because it's in Wales and there is a requirement to learn some Welsh which might add pressure that you don't want. I'm just not sure what the quality of schools is in the Swansea area.
Kent has some excellent state schools, particularly around Tonbridge/Tunbridge Wells and in Thanet (the last is coastal) and East Sussex coastal areas offer good schools. Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells are in prime London commuter country and property prices there and on much of the Hastings line to London through them are high.
Dorset is mostly very rural and the best schools are in the Bournemouth/Poole area though there are good colleges here in Weymouth and near Dorchester. Just over the border in Devon there is an exceptional state secondary school at Colyton.
Construction work in the Swansea area would lean towards heavy industry, particularly east in the Neath and Port Talbot areas while the other search areas one would think to be more residential (housing) construction. I will say that an awful lot of construction workers tend to be rather nomadic and drive good distances to find work, such that workers around here actually live in Somerset.
Carmarthen(shire) and The Gower are beautiful areas around Swansea, as are some areas around Llanelli itself.
If I were looking for good schools and coastal life in Kent I would probably focus on the area east of Canterbury towards Sandwich and Broadstairs in Thanet to settle, though I might also consider Walmer/Deal and St Margaret's at Cliffe (the last of which would gives access to heavy construction in Dover). Unfortunately, much of the rest of Thanet (Ramsgate and Margate in particular) is rather run-down and Dover itself doesn't appeal to all tastes. Faversham has a good state secondary school and has some very attractive areas and is coastal but housing costs are often impacted by London commutability. Kids can train-it from more outlying areas to reduce those housing costs.
In East Sussex, the area around Eastbourne would seem to offer the best possibilities. At the western end of the county, the Lewes area, though attractive, is rather expensive as it is commutable to London and very close to extremely popular Brighton. Between Eastbourne and Lewes the near-coastal open country is exceptionally beautiful.
In Dorset it's a tough one, as the county is known to be a retirement hotspot which makes property prices higher than the average and retirees have a very different perspective. The Isle of Purbeck (Swanage, Studland) is very attractive but I'm not sure about schools. To cover schools and construction jobs and access to the sea I might choose somewhere close to Poole, say near Hamworthy or towards Wareham. For coastal beauty, the Jurassic Coast, Chesil Beach/The Fleet, the slightly inland downlands and the unspoiled coastal villages towards Exeter are hard to beat, particularly because they are so accessible.
BTW, just over the county border in Somerset would seem to be a good search area for the combo of access to construction (Yeovil, Taunton) and some good schools (area around Street in particular) but I'm not sure how close to the sea you need to be - there the closest would be Burnham-On-Sea.
Swansea is a tough one for education because it's in Wales and there is a requirement to learn some Welsh which might add pressure that you don't want. I'm just not sure what the quality of schools is in the Swansea area.
Kent has some excellent state schools, particularly around Tonbridge/Tunbridge Wells and in Thanet (the last is coastal) and East Sussex coastal areas offer good schools. Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells are in prime London commuter country and property prices there and on much of the Hastings line to London through them are high.
Dorset is mostly very rural and the best schools are in the Bournemouth/Poole area though there are good colleges here in Weymouth and near Dorchester. Just over the border in Devon there is an exceptional state secondary school at Colyton.
Construction work in the Swansea area would lean towards heavy industry, particularly east in the Neath and Port Talbot areas while the other search areas one would think to be more residential (housing) construction. I will say that an awful lot of construction workers tend to be rather nomadic and drive good distances to find work, such that workers around here actually live in Somerset.
Carmarthen(shire) and The Gower are beautiful areas around Swansea, as are some areas around Llanelli itself.
If I were looking for good schools and coastal life in Kent I would probably focus on the area east of Canterbury towards Sandwich and Broadstairs in Thanet to settle, though I might also consider Walmer/Deal and St Margaret's at Cliffe (the last of which would gives access to heavy construction in Dover). Unfortunately, much of the rest of Thanet (Ramsgate and Margate in particular) is rather run-down and Dover itself doesn't appeal to all tastes. Faversham has a good state secondary school and has some very attractive areas and is coastal but housing costs are often impacted by London commutability. Kids can train-it from more outlying areas to reduce those housing costs.
In East Sussex, the area around Eastbourne would seem to offer the best possibilities. At the western end of the county, the Lewes area, though attractive, is rather expensive as it is commutable to London and very close to extremely popular Brighton. Between Eastbourne and Lewes the near-coastal open country is exceptionally beautiful.
In Dorset it's a tough one, as the county is known to be a retirement hotspot which makes property prices higher than the average and retirees have a very different perspective. The Isle of Purbeck (Swanage, Studland) is very attractive but I'm not sure about schools. To cover schools and construction jobs and access to the sea I might choose somewhere close to Poole, say near Hamworthy or towards Wareham. For coastal beauty, the Jurassic Coast, Chesil Beach/The Fleet, the slightly inland downlands and the unspoiled coastal villages towards Exeter are hard to beat, particularly because they are so accessible.
BTW, just over the county border in Somerset would seem to be a good search area for the combo of access to construction (Yeovil, Taunton) and some good schools (area around Street in particular) but I'm not sure how close to the sea you need to be - there the closest would be Burnham-On-Sea.
Last edited by Pistolpete2; Aug 31st 2015 at 8:22 am. Reason: Faversham has a good state secondary school......
Aug 31st 2015, 8:12 am
#7
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Joined: Aug 2011
Location: Devon
Posts: 3,388
Re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
I know East Sussex very well. IMO it is a very good area to live, but you might be put off by the cost of housing.
Sep 1st 2015, 3:00 am
#9
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Joined: Aug 2015
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Re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
What I would do is make a list ...lol...sorry but just as a starter to see what is really important to your move...ie work then do you want to live in a town, village, city, do you want to be near the sea/coast, do you have to be near family/friends, is weather important to you ie if so maybe the South East might be a start as it's usually drier than other areas, if you are on a budget then you will have to look at areas you can afford and then try and narrow it down from there, it might help. Good luck there are some great people on here who will know the area's you may narrow down and also help more.
Near family and friends-this does not apply we don't have any!
With regards to the area and if we can afford it or not- well to be honest , we have no idea, and i cant make that decision when we get there as we will have 1 week to find a home, school for kids etc,so i need to decide now where we are going. Also i should add we are not in the position to buy a house. We will be renting. I am looking for a safe area to raise my children with a good school. (like most parents).
Sep 1st 2015, 5:20 am
#10
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Joined: Aug 2015
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Re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
If I were starting afresh and looking at search areas in the South/West with possibilities, I think that your choices are good ones.
Swansea is a tough one for education because it's in Wales and there is a requirement to learn some Welsh which might add pressure that you don't want. I'm just not sure what the quality of schools is in the Swansea area.
Kent has some excellent state schools, particularly around Tonbridge/Tunbridge Wells and in Thanet (the last is coastal) and East Sussex coastal areas offer good schools. Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells are in prime London commuter country and property prices there and on much of the Hastings line to London through them are high.
Dorset is mostly very rural and the best schools are in the Bournemouth/Poole area though there are good colleges here in Weymouth and near Dorchester. Just over the border in Devon there is an exceptional state secondary school at Colyton.
Construction work in the Swansea area would lean towards heavy industry, particularly east in the Neath and Port Talbot areas while the other search areas one would think to be more residential (housing) construction. I will say that an awful lot of construction workers tend to be rather nomadic and drive good distances to find work, such that workers around here actually live in Somerset.
Carmarthen(shire) and The Gower are beautiful areas around Swansea, as are some areas around Llanelli itself.
If I were looking for good schools and coastal life in Kent I would probably focus on the area east of Canterbury towards Sandwich and Broadstairs in Thanet to settle, though I might also consider Walmer/Deal and St Margaret's at Cliffe (the last of which would gives access to heavy construction in Dover). Unfortunately, much of the rest of Thanet (Ramsgate and Margate in particular) is rather run-down and Dover itself doesn't appeal to all tastes. Faversham has a good state secondary school and has some very attractive areas and is coastal but housing costs are often impacted by London commutability. Kids can train-it from more outlying areas to reduce those housing costs.
In East Sussex, the area around Eastbourne would seem to offer the best possibilities. At the western end of the county, the Lewes area, though attractive, is rather expensive as it is commutable to London and very close to extremely popular Brighton. Between Eastbourne and Lewes the near-coastal open country is exceptionally beautiful.
In Dorset it's a tough one, as the county is known to be a retirement hotspot which makes property prices higher than the average and retirees have a very different perspective. The Isle of Purbeck (Swanage, Studland) is very attractive but I'm not sure about schools. To cover schools and construction jobs and access to the sea I might choose somewhere close to Poole, say near Hamworthy or towards Wareham. For coastal beauty, the Jurassic Coast, Chesil Beach/The Fleet, the slightly inland downlands and the unspoiled coastal villages towards Exeter are hard to beat, particularly because they are so accessible.
BTW, just over the county border in Somerset would seem to be a good search area for the combo of access to construction (Yeovil, Taunton) and some good schools (area around Street in particular) but I'm not sure how close to the sea you need to be - there the closest would be Burnham-On-Sea.
Swansea is a tough one for education because it's in Wales and there is a requirement to learn some Welsh which might add pressure that you don't want. I'm just not sure what the quality of schools is in the Swansea area.
Kent has some excellent state schools, particularly around Tonbridge/Tunbridge Wells and in Thanet (the last is coastal) and East Sussex coastal areas offer good schools. Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells are in prime London commuter country and property prices there and on much of the Hastings line to London through them are high.
Dorset is mostly very rural and the best schools are in the Bournemouth/Poole area though there are good colleges here in Weymouth and near Dorchester. Just over the border in Devon there is an exceptional state secondary school at Colyton.
Construction work in the Swansea area would lean towards heavy industry, particularly east in the Neath and Port Talbot areas while the other search areas one would think to be more residential (housing) construction. I will say that an awful lot of construction workers tend to be rather nomadic and drive good distances to find work, such that workers around here actually live in Somerset.
Carmarthen(shire) and The Gower are beautiful areas around Swansea, as are some areas around Llanelli itself.
If I were looking for good schools and coastal life in Kent I would probably focus on the area east of Canterbury towards Sandwich and Broadstairs in Thanet to settle, though I might also consider Walmer/Deal and St Margaret's at Cliffe (the last of which would gives access to heavy construction in Dover). Unfortunately, much of the rest of Thanet (Ramsgate and Margate in particular) is rather run-down and Dover itself doesn't appeal to all tastes. Faversham has a good state secondary school and has some very attractive areas and is coastal but housing costs are often impacted by London commutability. Kids can train-it from more outlying areas to reduce those housing costs.
In East Sussex, the area around Eastbourne would seem to offer the best possibilities. At the western end of the county, the Lewes area, though attractive, is rather expensive as it is commutable to London and very close to extremely popular Brighton. Between Eastbourne and Lewes the near-coastal open country is exceptionally beautiful.
In Dorset it's a tough one, as the county is known to be a retirement hotspot which makes property prices higher than the average and retirees have a very different perspective. The Isle of Purbeck (Swanage, Studland) is very attractive but I'm not sure about schools. To cover schools and construction jobs and access to the sea I might choose somewhere close to Poole, say near Hamworthy or towards Wareham. For coastal beauty, the Jurassic Coast, Chesil Beach/The Fleet, the slightly inland downlands and the unspoiled coastal villages towards Exeter are hard to beat, particularly because they are so accessible.
BTW, just over the county border in Somerset would seem to be a good search area for the combo of access to construction (Yeovil, Taunton) and some good schools (area around Street in particular) but I'm not sure how close to the sea you need to be - there the closest would be Burnham-On-Sea.
we going to look deeper into Kent and east sussex next few days and il be back to ask a couple more questions. Thank you so much again!!
Sep 1st 2015, 5:23 am
#11
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Re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
it would be great to get some info on the coastal areas in east sussex and schools. I was looking at eastbourne, is there must construction working going around there or close by?
Any info or other areas you think i should consider let me know, thanks in advance
Sep 1st 2015, 8:24 am
#12
Was in Canada, now home.
Joined: Aug 2011
Location: Devon
Posts: 3,388
Re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
I can't comment knowledgeably about the construction industry. There is a property boom going on, and my perception is that there is a lot of new building; but I'm a 62 year old retiree, so what would I know?!
I think schools are generally good. Their performance in the league tables looks good.
Eastbourne is a popular place for retirement, but I think it is a good town for families too. It has a good range of shops, and the railway line goes to London.
I think schools are generally good. Their performance in the league tables looks good.
Eastbourne is a popular place for retirement, but I think it is a good town for families too. It has a good range of shops, and the railway line goes to London.
Sep 1st 2015, 8:58 am
#13
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Posts: 6,148
Re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
So I have a list- kind of! lol...... so work is important, but if there is no construction work around not a huge deal as my hubby could commute if need be. Being on the coast is very important to us and good weather would be a huge bonus, as im coming from Canada -45 in winter and before that Ireland so was rain all seasons lol. With regards to town, village, and city...would prefer a town thats close to a city or a big town that has some activity and stuff to do for the kids ect. Also my mother will be coming with us and will eventually move into her own place so would be nice to be in an area that she has stuff to do too and meet people.
Near family and friends-this does not apply we don't have any!
With regards to the area and if we can afford it or not- well to be honest , we have no idea, and i cant make that decision when we get there as we will have 1 week to find a home, school for kids etc,so i need to decide now where we are going. Also i should add we are not in the position to buy a house. We will be renting. I am looking for a safe area to raise my children with a good school. (like most parents).
Near family and friends-this does not apply we don't have any!
With regards to the area and if we can afford it or not- well to be honest , we have no idea, and i cant make that decision when we get there as we will have 1 week to find a home, school for kids etc,so i need to decide now where we are going. Also i should add we are not in the position to buy a house. We will be renting. I am looking for a safe area to raise my children with a good school. (like most parents).
Sep 2nd 2015, 3:49 am
#14
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Re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
I can't comment knowledgeably about the construction industry. There is a property boom going on, and my perception is that there is a lot of new building; but I'm a 62 year old retiree, so what would I know?!
I think schools are generally good. Their performance in the league tables looks good.
Eastbourne is a popular place for retirement, but I think it is a good town for families too. It has a good range of shops, and the railway line goes to London.
I think schools are generally good. Their performance in the league tables looks good.
Eastbourne is a popular place for retirement, but I think it is a good town for families too. It has a good range of shops, and the railway line goes to London.
Sep 2nd 2015, 3:53 am
#15
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Re: Dorset, Kent, Swansea and East Sussex
I'm in Ireland myself now and I don't know where you were, but I can tell you that Dublin gets on average less rain than Swansea (as an example). If you want more sun, then Hastings might be an option. Unfortunately a lot of Kent is rundown these days and the nicer parts are very pricey. Canterbury is still nice, but I would avoid Dover, Folkestone, Maidstone, Margate etc. It really is a dump in some parts (sorry to say). The UK still has some great parts, but I wouldn't just focus on weather, because overall it's still an oceanic climate. The big problem I see in the south are low salaries vs. high housing costs, unless you are willing to work in London and commute.
we going to take swansea off the table now.
so looking at kent, east sussex and dorset.
wow this is tough, as a parent you want to make the right choice and choose an area that's safe for your kids and good schools but cant afford to live like a king either. lol