Cambridgeshire

scrummy_mummy_2

vansboy wrote: »

Just to bring this thread back to life, we've still not found a place ...YET.

But Chatteris has a tempting house, so if there are any more comments on this town, much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

VB

Outsiders, Tish.......you need to be very careful about buying in some villages that are actually in the the fens. Chatteris is actually surrounded by proper Fenland. Historically, villages like Ramsey, Warboys, Chatteris, Somersham, Ely etc were built on clay soils which crops up naturally amongst the fen landscape and so the bedrock of these villages is solid. Over time, the villages have grown out from the centres and spilled over what is actual clay bedrock, into Fenland (peat!!). The way to find out where one of the boundaries is is to locate the town's council estate...in the 50's the councils built homes on this land because it was right at the edge of the village (what was 'safe' land) and so got it cheap.
Since the 1970's there has been mass building in Chatteris and estates are being built outside of the 'safe' areas on Fen itself.....if you want to see what happens to a house built on fen and not suitably supported, look at the houses beside the A141 on the way in to Chatteris from Warboys...they really are leaning!
Another problem with the land is, even when a new development is built on boulder clay (as mine was in Warboys) the new drainage systems drain the land so well that the water table drops and the land shrinks....the Methodist minister's house beside mine had a crack in his back wall big enough to get his hand in because the builders had built on boulder clay and the land took 7 years to drain to the point it caused subsidence...even the porches of the small 2 beds (of which mine was one) separated from the fronts of the houses and the land sank about 18 inches in the 8 years I owned the house from new.

AVOID HAMPTON in Peterborough like the black death.....it's all been built on old brick works and any local will tell you that those houses are already subsiding....visit the ones that are about 6 years old down by the big Tescos and see for yourself! Look at the historical newspaper archives for the story about when the council were trying to get permission to build on this land in the late 80's....BE WARNED. It was big local news and still a bit of a joke that the outsiders buy them thinking they're great but they are just waiting to get sucked back into the land!

If it was me...I would buy an old house in one of the villages. I love Ramsey.
Biggin Lane or Hollow Lane for me and one day...oh yes one day...one of those places on Biggin Lane will be mine!!!! (I lived in the Maltings as a kid)

I want to go home!!!!!

shell2001

Sorry this is off topic but the pool at Ely may be nice but the changing rooms are filthy. The last time we went (about 2 months ago) the changing rooms were full of mum.

As for areas, we have lived here 3 years and we looked around. We drove through March and whilst I am sure like all places there are good and bad, we quickly turned around and headed back to Chatteris. I think chosing an area to live is very personal. We have 2 littles so night clubs etc for us is not on our list of wants/needs. What one person loves about a certain place another will hate. I would advise a trip or drive through potential areas and getting a feel for the place. Maybe popping into local shops etc.

I love where we are, I love the fact I go to the veg shop and he gives the kids a free orange or apple! We live in what most would probably describe as a non-desirable area (ex council house) but you know what, I look at all the new housing developments with their tiny gardens and house prices at twice mine and think "I quite like having over 100ft garden that is not overlooked by at least 8 other houses".

Hereward

scrummy_mummy wrote: »

Outsiders, Tish.......

I bet they have four fingers and a thumb on each hand...
:rotfl:

scrummy_mummy_2

Never a truer word....I went to school with a boy everyone (lovingly of course) called Flipper because he really did have webbed feet!...he came from Ramsey St Mary so it's not really surprising!
Least, that's what my mum's husband, whose my brother's uncles' son's lad by my sister said!!!

martin1018

But Chatteris does have the UKs official best 'Fish & Chip' shop.

Haven't tried them yet but keep meaning to. Hmmmmm

Tiger_greeneyes

Just south of St Neots is a place called Biggleswade. It's a particularly nice market town, with lots of smaller villages nearby. Old Warden is exceptionally nice, there's Broom, Ireland - in fact there's countless gorgeous villages. Being in Mid Beds, it's probably going to be a bit cheaper than Cambs - and less discovered, too. The villages are unspoilt and well worth having a look at. It's about 20 miles from the centre of Cambridge - and half an hour up the A1 from the M25 (South Mimms turn off).

vansboy

Tiger_greeneyes wrote: »

Just south of St Neots is a place called Biggleswade. It's a particularly nice market town, with lots of smaller villages nearby. Old Warden is exceptionally nice, there's Broom, Ireland - in fact there's countless gorgeous villages. Being in Mid Beds, it's probably going to be a bit cheaper than Cambs - and less discovered, too. The villages are unspoilt and well worth having a look at. It's about 20 miles from the centre of Cambridge - and half an hour up the A1 from the M25 (South Mimms turn off).

We lived in Mid Beds till middle last year - trying to get more to East Anglia direction again!!

VB

Tiger_greeneyes

I'm in East Anglia - there's nothing to dislike about either area, is there!

bajangal

I am also thinking of moving to this area (Wisbech) but know very little about the area. Has anyone got any views re: social life, house prices, flooding. I am looking at bungalows around Petts Close/Lynn Road.

susieb

I would avoid Wisbech, it can be quite rough and has its fair share of travellers sites. On the plus side house prices are lower than other surrounding areas, and some of the villages especially the marshland area are quite nice.
Downham market is not too far away and is much better IMO, better schools etc.
It depends why you are moving as to the best place really.