Somerset - nice areas to live?

Jenny.W

Davesnave wrote: »

All the areas are not blue. If they were, Somerset wouldn't be such a desirable county, but there are certainly many places to avoid, as already discussed.

Even within the blue areas on the EA map there will be places that never flood, and which aren't cut off by flooding.

For example, I live within two miles of a river which has flooded spectacularly several times this winter, and 1/4 mile from another which is equally fickle on a smaller scale. It would still take rainfall of truly Biblical proportions to flood my house, and even in the worst flooding for decades, just before Christmas, I was not cut off.

I think you are interpreting the map too harshly. Try running it on other counties and compare.

yes perhaps I'm judging to harshly, I've just checked Thames Ditton where I used to live and it's covered in blue, yet I never had any problems.

So, how do I judge what's safe in Somerset? For example I checked out Hewish and it scared the pants off me :eek:

just trying to do my research

Itismehonest

One way, it's not definitive but gives a better idea, is to use Google Earth to see the elevation. If it's near a river & at the same level or lower it stands more of a chance of flooding.

A friend's place was put as at flood risk until they pointed out they were several hundred feet above the river they overlooked. Made me wonder if the EA just marked everything that was within a certain distance of water regardless of the likelihood of any possible flooding taking place.

Also, when you're down looking around the area, ask.

Davesnave

Itismehonest wrote: »

One way, it's not definitive but gives a better idea, is to use Google Earth to see the elevation. If it's near a river & at the same level or lower it stands more of a chance of flooding.

Bing gives the option of Ordnance Survey maps, and the contours or spot heights on those will show how high above the local rivers a house stands. The rest is observation on the ground.

But not all flooding happens on flood plains. Some is caused by run-off, so even elevated houses can suffer.

For example, our neighbour across a small valley stands at the same height as us and shares the same stream. The stream is about 20' below both houses, so there's no flood risk from that to either of us. However, in the recent extreme rains, my neighbour was at risk of being flooded by water collecting in fields and spilling onto his long driveway, which became a temporary stream leading straight to his back door!

This is what I mean by observation. He didn't see the risk, but now he has, it's a day or two's work to put a concrete barrier and gully in place.

We don't have the same risk, because there's nowhere above our house from which water could drain suddenly like that.

Furts

Davesnave wrote: »

That's because it's the poor relation to Wells, about 6 miles away. However, many surrounding villages there are very desirable. e.g. Mells, Oakhill, Chewton Mendip.

The majority of country and semi-rural places are on roads without footpaths. If footpaths are important to you, then you need to be somewhere that has access to lots of them, such as a common, woodland or NT land with public access. Examples of this might be Rodborough and other commons near Stroud, or many villages in the Forest of Dean. The Forest of Dean would involve your husband using the Severn Bridge, but in the general scheme of things that's a detail.

The commons around Stroud are lovely. Rodborough is lovely. But the prices reflect this.

The Forest of Dean was a cheap area a few years ago. Not anymore!

dangers

I'm in Portishead - bristol airport is just over half an hour away, and Exeter airport we did last year in just over an hour. Mind that was a Friday outside main holiday season.

The M5 can be horrendous during the summer months- we'll see what happens next year when they open the managed motorway bit.

I've just looked at your comment about flooding - although some of the town is low lying, I live 300ft up the hill.