Nicky & Dave

Hi,

I'm researching area's to move to when we get back to the UK next year, ideally within a 20-30min drive of Egham/Staines, which is where my family are.

I moved away from the area in 2001 and it's changed an awful lot in that time. Egham can be a bit rough and I wasn't impressed by the schools locally so I don't really want to move back there.

A good quality primary school is the most important thing. Secondly, somewhere that is reasonably 'countrified' or with easy access to some big green spaces etc - I prefer to be more rural than town.

I was thinking maybe outskirts of/ or around the Windsor, Chertsey or Woking areas? If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Cheers,
Nicky

JustBecause

We used to live in Holyport on the outskirts of Maidenhead, 5 mins from Windsor. It has a very typical English village green with duckpond & pub, & most of it backs onto farmland so has a rural feeling. It does have a primary school but no idea how good it is. A couple of nice little shops. Some streets had some chav types. Some would get M4 noise & some only if the wind was blowing in a particular direction. There may be a bit more aircraft noise now - that is something to look out for in that area. Windsor is dreadful.

There are loads of nice village-y places in between Maidenhead & down to Egham, also out to Ascot way (but then you get to Bracknell!) I should imagine most schools should be good in the area as a well-off area.

Nicky & Dave

Thanks JB, and thanks for your kind words on my other thread. Never thought 4 years ago I'd be in this position! Holyport sounds lovely - I didn't drive when I lived in the South-East, and hence tended to stick closer to London, so there are probably loads of lovely places really close to where I want to be!

sjz

It may depend a lot on how much money you’ve got to play with. I have a friend who lives in Egham and he and his family think its ‘OK’, he wants to move to Sunningdale eventually but can’t afford to right now. Quite a difference in those two places…

JustBecause

I used to work in Ascot, right by Sunninghill & Sunningdale: all very well-to-do places. Quite a few long leafy village roads on the edges of the villages with huge mansions & gated drives. We once went to Egham for our work xmas do & altho it is nice enough the very centre is, how shall I put it, "less desirable" !

Oh, btw Nicky, the main traffic problem I used to encounter in the area when driving was getting stuck behind horses, farm vehicles, carriages (as in horse & carriages practising for the racing season) or military vehicles (from Windsor barracks)!! Not bad as far as traffic problems go but not so good when very late for a meeting at work!!

john5655

I was born and brought up in the Staines area and my mother and brother are now both living in Egham (don't worry, I think the place is awful too!)

But my mother previously lived in Englefield Green (highly desirable primary schools, but in a secondary school catchment area that is not so good), just a mile or so away, and you are on the edge of Windsor Great Park, one of the most wonderful parks imaginable. If you can be on the fringe of this park you will always have that country feel. However, as mentioned, as soon as you move out from the M25 along the A30 property prices climb astronomically. It's only two miles at most before you reach Wentworth for example, then Sunningdale, etc.

When planning our relocation I really had to get away from that area. I certainly couldn't afford the house prices even in Egham for a sensibly sized detached house.

That's why I'm in Devon and living inside an even more wonderful park, Dartmoor.

Lorry1

OMG...memories!

Bracknell - lived there during my teenage years and went to school in Sunningdale (very expensive). Bracknell is a total dump now of course but it used to be OK. It is very built up now and their is alot of youth crime in the area.

Chertsey - lived there for a few years after I finished school. It is OK for a small town. I had my first daughter there and always generally felt safe walking around with her. It is close to Virginia Water and Windsor Great Park.

Staines - went shopping there alot and it is quite a nice town. I guess you have to research the nice areas.

Woking - Worked there for a couple of years, it is a big town with a mainline railway station so very busy and a bit rough I think.

There are alot of nice areas in Surrey, it is a good County to live in.

Good luck

ann m

Bagshot!

Lorry1

OMG! I can't believe they closed down Pantiles nightclub to build appartments! lol
Yes, Bagshot is nice and village like.

Nicky & Dave

You didn't go to Magna Carta did you?

Yes, agree that parts of Englefield Green are lovely but there is a lot of student rentals in the area, which makes finding an affordable house to rent difficult. Plus you have the huge council estate up there and it's very rough.

I'm renting a holiday house in Chertsey for 3 weeks when we arrive back in Sep and I'll get myself sorted out with a second-hand car as quickly as possible so I can start driving round to suss out some of these places.

Not really looking forward to going back to the SE but family are all there, and it's going to be hard enough doing this on my own so I know the support will be very welcome.

I think that I'll aim to stay local to my family for a year - that gives plenty of time for the novelty of us being around to wear off.......and then I can look at moving back to Yorkshire.

john5655

N&D

OK, you know the area well and seems you have plenty of time to plan.

So, here's a couple of other suggestions to look at; Laleham and Shepperton

I was living in Ashford (another location to avoid) during my school years and went to Hampton School. My nephew attends Magna Carta so I have enough info to confirm your view of schools in this area are valid.

Also, your views on Englefield Green are very astute. There's a smallish council estate tucked away in the corner which I'm sorry to say results in some unsavoury activities (and just to avoid any flames here, I was brought up in a similar council estate). The local pubs, bar one, are a no go zone. The students aren't such a problem and they only rent out those few houses that are converted for student accommodation. Rents (I'm assuming you will rent for the first year given your last post) aren't that high. My mother's former house was a 2up2down terrace which recently sold for £230K but would have got only about £900pcm in rent (not near a railway station). The next door neighbour was a professor at Royal Holloway.

Tr1boy

These places are a bit too far east for me to comment. I'm in Godalming which is very nice and regularly drive to Hampton Court to go to the bike shop (Sigma Sport), which takes about 40mins. I have a friend who lives in Fetcham which seems nice.

There are some nice villages in the Woking area but can't say I know too much about them. Personally I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Windsor as the few times I've been right into the city it's been absolutely overrun with tourists which was quite pleasant and vibrant but can't imagine having to deal with that all the time. (be like living in Manly)

Nicky & Dave

Ditto growing up on a council estate.....and that's why I don't want to live near one again! I hadn't considered Shepperton or Laleham, and maybe even the older side of Staines is worth looking at.

It just feels like I am taking a step back here. I wanted to get away from the area I grew up and it's a slightly bitter irony to be going back there. Not sure how I feel about it yet. I'd love to move back to Yorkshire but I feel I owe my family some decent time with me and the kids, considering I've not been around for nearly 10 years. I guess I'll take it one step at a time, and at least stick with the SE for the first year. If I still don't like it, I can move. There are lots of possibilities!

Anyway, thanks everyone for your idea's - lots of idea's for places to research for costs of rentals and schools etc.

Nicky
x

Nicky & Dave

Thanks Tr1boy. Godalming was a place on my list but I thought it would be a pretty expensive place for rentals etc. It's prime commuter belt, isn't it? It's a lovely area to live.

Have you got kids at school locally? Or do you know how the schools rate in the area?

Tr1boy

It's not cheap that's for sure and we were working in London we probably would have settled somewhere else but we both work in Guildford so it's very convenient.

We don't have kids so an apartment does us, but we did look at houses. We live in a very modern top floor security gated apartment within walking distance of town and it is GBP 1050 pcm. I'm not sure what your needs are but you wouldn't find a 3 bed house with off street parking and walking distance into Godalming for less than GBP 1300pcm, but you definitely would in the outlying villages like Elsted or Milford.

Godalming is on the fast line to London so it's pricier here but commuters love it because they can get a seat, unlike those in joining in Guildford or Woking.


PM me if you want to know anything specific and I can find out.
Not sure about schools but I'd be surprised if there were any bad ones, it just doesn't strike me as that type of area. The is of course Charterhouse for the well minted.