Any advice about where to move to/avoid in the SW ?

Angela_D_3

Hubby has a new job, we can live anywhere with access to the M5.
Quite an area to choose from, so my priorities are outstanding schools, I want the best, any insider knowledge, I need primary and secondary, would pay if I have to but would rather not if I can help it.
Many thanks

Wickedkitten

You might want to say which general area of the South West your hubby will working in, no point in recommending places in Bristol if your hubby is going to be working in Exeter

Angela_D_3

He will be working in Bristol and Exeter hence the search is a wide one.

Wickedkitten

Ok, what about somewhere halfway between the two like Taunton?

Angela_D_3

The thing is it is literally the length of the M5 so Cheltenham to the tip of Cornwall in theory. Is Taunton especially nice, do you know anything about the schools ? It's so hard to focus on one area as I've no preferences at all and the main consideration is the schools, maybe I should get one of those house hunting companies ?

kazire

Umm Cornwall it's about 90-120 mins from west Cornwall to he m5

Angela_D_3

Yes good point, I've only ever been on holiday once to the area and now I have to pack up 4 children and our entire lives and find somewhere lovely to live, with good primary and secondary schools, it's doing my head in, I've got no idea where to start, hence asking for peoples experiences.

violettasomerset

What about North Somerset (but probably not W-S-M)? It's easy access into Bristol and only an hour on the M5 to Exeter. Nailsea is nice, it's mainly a commuter town with a decent shopping centre for day-to-day food and household goods, but has good schools, is only 10 minutes from the motorway, regular buses to Bristol, and is on the mainline to London for rail journeys. Clevedon is also nice, much nicer houses than Nailsea (more period properties) but a bit further to Bristol and that journey has to be done by car really. Yatton is quite good too, I think, again regular trains and buses, though I don't know about the schools. Backwell has a good school, it's just next to Nailsea. Avoid Portishead though, it's like a car park trying to leave to get on the motorway in the morning.

PasturesNew

Avoid Tiverton, it's known as Divvy Tivvy and I think has officially got the most inbred people in the country.

I had a boss who lived in Uffculme, swore by it. Lovely village. He liked it because it wasn't far from Taunton station if he needed to be in London for meetings.

When you're in the area, around about November 5th you MUST attend: Ottery St Mary Flaming Tar Barrels (always on the 5th itself), and Bridgewater Carnival (4th November this year I think).

andy208833

The villages North of Bridgwater Canington, Stogursey, combwich are lovely!! I should know i live there Haygrove school in bridgwater is very good, my daughters both went there with free bus service from the local villages. Avoid Bridgwater itself though.

What sort of budget do you have?

I work in Bristol and the commute is 50 mins in the morning approx an hour at night. M5 on a friday April - sept can be very bad though.

Bridgwater/Taunton would be a good middle point.

poppysarah

What's Glastonbury like?