Relocating to Norfolk / Suffolk

ScottySmog

I will shortly be locating to this area. Ideally, due to work commitments, we'd be interested in somewhere between Norwich and Lowestoft. Can anyone recommend some nice towns / villages in this area? More importantly, can anyone recommend the areas to avoid

Places we've considered are Beccles, Loddon, Bungay and Chedgrave.

Any help gratefully received. :beer:

robnye

holidayed in norfolk last summer. avoid great yarmouth.

it is a traffic block..... coast road leads into great yarmouth and back out again towards norwich........

LSM_2

Most places on the A146 from Norwich to Lowestoft are 'ok'.

Personally, I'd stay north / north west of Bungay, there's some nice little villages & hamlets dotted around. Depends what your after though?

IHateDida

I originate from x - wouldn't live there now as getting too much of an over-spill area from Calton Colville - its starting to get over-developed. I now live in Norwich but still have loads of relatives in Beccles so know the area very well. Avoid Calton Colville - densely populated, nothing apart from houses there and still quite a way to any services. Worlingham is a smaller area of houses - its ok but there are other nicer areas. Lowestoft are Yarmouth are cheap but personally I wouldn't consider either location, they are equally depressing seaside towns with associated problems.

Depends what you are looking for, budget, type of house etc.. The areas that I would recommend around that area are Loddon, Poringland, Thurton, Thulton, Chedgrave, Harleston, Ditchingham, Framlingham Earl, Diss is also quite nice. There are loads of surrounding villages but houses don't come up that often (I know as I have been searching for myself over the past year!) - so you have to be quick if you do find something.

If you want any more help, just shout!

jane528

What sort of thing are you looking for??
I'm about to put on the market my 3 bedroomed, Victorian Terrace cottage, in an idyllic location (surrounded by woods and next to marshes) in Somerleyton - 5 miles from Lowestoft. One of the areas loveliest most unspoiled villages. Sorry I sound like an estate agent!!

What budget have you got?? The area between Lowestoft and Norwich does have lots of nice villages, does depend on what sort of thing you're looking for. Very quiet or with more facilities. The nicer villages are a lot more expensive than the towns.

Good Luck.

ScottySmog

Thanks everyone for your replies and advice. We now have a few more places to consider.

Ideally, we'd like a quiet-ish village location with a couple of decent pubs - if they serve good food as well, that would be a bonus!, 3/4 bedrooms with a budget of £300-350K. The estate agent's websites we've looked at suggest this should be possible.

Thanks for your help - any further comments / advice welcomed! :beer:

IHateDida

ScottySmog wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your replies and advice. We now have a few more places to consider.

Ideally, we'd like a quiet-ish village location with a couple of decent pubs - if they serve good food as well, that would be a bonus!, 3/4 bedrooms with a budget of £300-350K. The estate agent's websites we've looked at suggest this should be possible.

Thanks for your help - any further comments / advice welcomed! :beer:

You will certainly be able to buy a decent place with £300k+

These are quite good estate agents for the Loddon area www.muskermcintyre.co.uk - they were very helpful when I approached them, I didn't get to use them though as the house that I wanted went before mine sold!

Wortwell is a lovely village, so is Dickleburgh and Brockdish. Loddon and Harleston are both quaint market towns with several pubs, banks, small supermarkets (we're talking Budgens and Coops, no Tescos etc) etc..

MyUserNamesTaken

If you've got young kids, I would strongly suggest avoiding Suffolk all together, due to the soon-to-happen shake up of the education system (moving from a three tier to a two tier system). Norfolk's already done the changeover, so is more settled. Loddon has an excellent high school (one of the best in Norfolk, and better than any in North Suffolk), so anywhere in the catchment area for there would be great. The primary school is on the other side of the road from the high school, which is a bonus. Loddon also has the advantage of being half way between Norwich and the coast (thinking Lowestoft, not Yarmouth). It means easy access to the seaside and a great city.

cam101

As a teacher in Lowestoft, I have to disagree about avoiding Suffolk schools. Having worked in Norfolk and Suffolk schools, Suffolk are infinitely more organised, the ones I have been in offer high quality education. There will be a time of change, but children will still get the education they are entitle to.
In my experience, Norfolk is at present very unsettled due to the changes.
Anyway...

Hales, Haddiscoe, St. Olaves and Blundeston are very nice. I would say that any of the villages on the outskirts of Lowestoft/Great Yarmouth would be fine- that way you get the convenience of being near things, without the associated problems of living IN the town. If you have any specific questions about Lowestoft/Great Yarmouth area, do ask- i've lived here all my life!

:rolleyes:

black-saturn

I'm a resident of Lowestoft and have lived here on and off for 32 years. I'm looking forward to the 'shake up of the school system'. The current system doesn't seem to be any good for children. My children won't be affected by is as they are in the last year of middle school already but it will greatly benefit children in the future. Children don't start work on their GCSE's until they reach high school. With the current system that means they get only about 18 months of GCSE work.

I've moved away from Lowestoft quite a few times for various things like Uni and for a career move but always come back after a while. Now I know I would never live anywhere else. Housing here is affordable, the people here are very friendly and the location of the amenities and transport can't be faulted. I love the way the beach and holidaymaker area is right near the town and I'm only 10 minutes walk from the beach. When your not at work it's like being on holiday with the rest of the holidaymakers.

ScottySmog

IHateDida - thanks, I'll have a look at their website.

We have no children - yet! Whilst schools are not an issue at the moment, it's something to bear in mind for the future. Always nice to hear both sides of a discussion.

Thanks to all of you again!:T

p.s I am pressing the "thanks" button under your posts but it doesn't seem to acknowledge I've done this.