Buying around Kings Lynn area

BeauBelle

Hi everyone,

My DH is applying to transfer his job to Kings Lynn from Essex. We love Norfolk (DH parents moved there 5 years ago) but do not know the North Norfolk area at all.

Does anyone know of any nice villages that are within a commutable distance of Kings Lynn that have good schools. We have a DD who will be 3 this year and a DS who is 7 months so schools are a major factor in the move as well.

We need a 3/4 bed semi or detached with a good size garden and have £200k to play with.

Many Thanks for your suggestions and advice

Kate

PasturesNew

I'll say one thing: rising sea levels ... the Fens ... the Wash .... check the environment agency website and see what bits might be left over in event of a big flood

Kittenonthekeys

Although I don't know the villages surrounding Kings Lynn, I did a reccy to Kings Lynn itself a couple of months ago when we were looking for a property to buy and with certainly no offence intended to anyone who lives there (especially as everyone I met was really friendly) I would give Kings Lynn town a very wide berth. I was truly shocked at the depressing, run-down town centre - it looks like no one has cared about it for many years. A once-beautiful Georgian town with a still-intact historic core has been completely ruined by insensitive 'planning' and plug-ugly buildings plonked down just about anywhere, regardless of the existing buildings and surroundings. So sad. As I had gone there on my own, I took some pics of it to show Mr. Kittenonthekeys and he could hardly believe it. Property is cheap there and I soon found out why.
Although not a village officially but actually like a big village, I would think one of the best places within commuting distance of KL (that I personally know of) is the lovely cathedral city of Ely, Cambridgeshire which is about 28 miles from Kings Lynn - don't know if that would be near enough for you; you'd probably be able to buy a new(ish) house of the type you want, about a mile from the town centre on your budget. The older properties within the town centre tend to be a bit more expensive but you could be lucky. Good property tends to get snapped up quickly.
Transport links are good - National Express runs a direct train service from Ely-KL.

june.elizabeth

I live 20 miles from Kings Lynn towards Norwich, there are a lot of very nice village locations between Kings Lynn and Norwich. I don't like Kings Lynn very much nor the area toward the fens. It depends if you want to live in a village or a town. My town is a small market town with good schools and facilities. If you want to know any more please pm me

jack_spratt_2

Kings Lynn town centre has improved no end in recent years with most major shops there but I would avoid Kings Lynn .
My personal opinion from spending time on holidays in North Norfolk is to consider the area around Fakenham ( which is a typical market town but unfortunately like most towns has empty shops)this would give easy travelling distance to Kings Lynn 21 miles ,Norwich 25 miles,and Holt 12 miles and the North Norfolk coast 30 minutes

Kittenonthekeys

Really? What was it like before it improved? :eek::eek:
It's bad enough now!

Tuscan

theres a rural village called Manea nr March Cambridgeshire right in the fens thats very nice and quiet but quite remote, we have been looking there our selfs.

lincroft1710

Kings Lynn is actually in WEST Norfolk

If you like fenland type villages go west of KL into the area known as Marshland, the Terringtons, Tilneys, Wiggenhalls and Walpoles. You're best looking in the area bounded by Downham Market, Swaffham, Fakenham, Wells and Hunstanton though. Manea is about 25m from KL and in middle of fens.

If you want bigger towns for shops Cambridge is 45m, Peterborough 35m, Norwich 45m. All on direct routes.

jack_spratt_2

Kittenonthekeys wrote: »

Really? What was it like before it improved? :eek::eek:
It's bad enough now!

Like any town there are places you would not want to live and those that are okay !! if you think Kings Lynn is bad I suggest you have not been around the country very much .
The town centre has just had a multi million pound refurbishment
It is quite correct that it is West Norfolk !! I would avoid the fenland villages myself as there seems less demand for property in that area .
As stated Fakenham, which provides easy access to north Norfolk and Norwich and Swaffam which provides easy access to Norwich have villages around them which are pleasant

Kittenonthekeys

Of course there are far worse places than KL and I'm sure I'll be corrected if I've got this wrong, but it struck me that the town centre was run-down, dingy and depressing with little respect or thought given to the beautiful historic buildings around it; many of which, I guess, would have been demolished to accommodate the hideous 60s architecture.
I thought the streets around the Cathedral / College / Customs House were wonderful and atmospheric - then I saw an ancient Tower with a 60s Gala Bingo Hall slap bang next to it.
Whether or not I've been around the country very much doesn't make it ok to just plonk ugly buildings down indiscriminately in an historic town centre and fill it with smelly hot dog stands.
Just looks like no one cares about the place.

dander

I've only been to Kings Lynn as a tourist, but I liked it!
My thought about that area is that the roads are really clunky. I would test drive any commuting routes you might use before making a decision because with no dual carriageways and quite a lot of lorry/caravan traffic in the area you'll find you can't count on travelling your miles very fast.