We're in Whitby, but we're not sure yet if it's for us. We were visiting relatives down south and visited Swanage. It seemed really nice, and with quite a bit for a small place. It's a bit cut off, but no more than Whitby, and with various ways of getting to Bournemouth and Poole for city stuff.

Anyone here have any opinions? It's pricey. We saw that!

Bev

sorry just wanted to say so happy for those folks who have moved back to UK and also slighly envious sorry don't know anything about Swanage..

Where are you, Fulwood?

Bev

BevM in Arizona where lived since 1988 (never liked it) and right now finishing my second degree. I graduate in December. Want to move back to UK for a trial period (maybe even for good) but feel I may need to work in my degree field for a few months before I do this. It's not for the material aspect but just to get degree and then maybe not work in field immediately I may lose all that knowledge I worked to so hard to gain. The UK doesn't have any positions from what I understand in my field. I will be a speech pathology assistant. Really miss England.. Home for me in UK is NorthWest but if settle in UK would prefer Scotland..Good luck..And to be really honest confused about whole darn thing and just sometimes feel like packing up and moving there and to heck w/everything

Swanage is a very nice small coastal town but in my view if you like a bit of life or have young kids things to do are limited - do you have kids if so how old? We often visit Swanage for days out - it is very very busy in the summer and very dead in winter - I would not choose to live there as it's just too small and quiet (in winter for me) shopping and facilities are limited- West Dorset and the Purbecks are certainly a beautiful part of the world but in terms of places to live if you like a bit of life I would choose Bournemouth or Poole.

Thanks for the feedback, Pommybird.

We're in our sixties and the kids are grown up and gone, so that's not an issue. Generally we like a quiet life, but if we were there we'd hope Poole and Bournemouth would be close enough for occasional stuff. Closer than anywhere similar from Whitby, that's for sure.

Bev

Hi Bev - in that case I think Swanage would suit you well - just one word of caution access to Bournemouth/Poole is either via chain link ferry from Studland to Sandbanks which in the summer is VERY busy - you can wait for an hour or more in the queue - or the longer drive round via Wareham which takes about 40mins - 1 hour on a good run but longer in the summer with the nightmare traffic in that area - if you don't mind that I would say go for it! The fish and chip shop by the beach in swanage is gorgeous!!

Im from Poole but now living in Perth Aus..
I wanna come home!
Sorry reading old threads about Dorset.
Best place ever you have everthing there you need other than the sun!

I'm a Bournemouth born and bred girl. I'm doing the exact same thing.

I don't really know Swanage, I think I went there once for a meeting. I did live in Bridport for a year and that, to me, is an ideal small south coast town. This was twenty years ago, so it may have changed, but it had several excellent pubs and local shops rather than national chains. It is a mile or so walk to the beach and there is beautiful countryside in that part of Dorset. Property is still relatively reasonable in Bridport and nearby villages. However, my wife & I are seriously looking in South Devon (Exeter, Torbay, Teignmouth etc.) because property is really quite affordable there. I myself was seriously interested in Whitby and Saltburn and even Northumberland -- but realistically I know I could not persuade my wife to move up north.. she really suffers from the cold and definitely resents cold weather in the summer!! So I think we'll confine our search to Devon.

Bevm, good luck in your searches and keep us posted!

(Edited to say; it was thirty years ago I lived in Bridport, not twenty!! At my age one decade slides into the next!)
(Edited yet again to say I just realised the original post was a year ago. Sorry if some of my ramblings are thus irrelevant. In fact I think you actually moved to Dawlish, or was that someone else? Sorry about the confusion, again, probably age related!)

Robin, as I posted elsewhere, we've bought a house here in Dawlish.

I think a number of people are looking in this area. We might end up with a MBTUK club. We'll just have to pick the pub.

Bev

Thanks! I have a curate's egg of a memory.. good in parts, completely gone in other parts. Sorry about my ditzy post yesterday.

Actually talking about mental heath issues, my wife is quite taken by the old lunatic asylum in Exminster as a place to live (or rather, own a second or holiday home.) There are always a few on the market, some way out of our price range but some quite reasonably priced. Me, I would get a little terraced house in St. Thomas, Exeter or Teignmouth, with a bit of garden and be quite happy. We'll see!

We are in Bournemouth, and think it's just great. plenty of places to go and things to do. There is an opentop bus from here to Swannage. Bus services round here are very good.

Wow! had to take a double look at this....Swanage!
We are trying to get back 'home'. I've wanted to since day 1 here, but have stuck it out for over 7 years for the family. Oh, what martyrs us mums can be.
We really want to make our way back to Romney Marsh, in Kent but it's hard. The longer you are out of the country the harder it seems to get back. One opportunity has turned up and that is in Swanage. We have been on holiday there years ago and liked it but can barely remember it. I'm sure it would be lovely for myself and husband but we need to consider our teenage kids. Ideally I want them to be out of troublesome areas where teens can go haywire, especially at night. But they need to be able to go where there is 'life' for them. Mind you after NZ anything is livelier! (I too need to experience 'life' again....I feel that I've been in early retirement and with no friends or family around).
Another opportunity is in Eastbourne but looking at the crime map, I'm not too keen.
By the way the kids are 17 and 15yrs.
Do people return,usually to where they came over from? Or is it best to try somewhere else? Main reasons for returning are family and friends. Family will be a couple of hours away from Swanage instead of at least 24hrs.And friends.....I've been back a couple of times and it hasn't felt as though I've been away. But..have we moved on and will it be the same actually living back there? People were still sitting on their same seats in the pub since we'd left.And no-one is really interested in NZ .I think I would find making friends easy anywhere in the UK. Oh.... it's all so confusing it makes my head spin!!

I know what you mean

Swanage is a lovely wee town but it does get crowded in summer. Just like all that coastline really.

The teenagers might find it a bit limiting depending on what they are into but there is a train service into Bournemouth and Poole for when they are old enough.

If we were able to settle and work in Swanage ourselves, I would be giving that very serious consideration.