Stony Stratford/Newport Pagnell

Lyncroft

Hello

Anyone live in Stony or Newport Pagnell. What's it like? How do they compare?

Many thanks

Malmo

Nice, historic market towns very close to Milton Keynes. The Calcutta Brasserie in Stony is a decent Indian restaurant housed within a former church.

kiddy_guy

Out of interest, why these 2 locations? There must be other choices...

Lyncroft

Thanks for the replies. I don't particularly take to MK so looking at areas outside and those 2 strike me as being quite pleasant. I've the possibility of relocating for work there from London. Not to MK itself but outside and it's within 20 mins drive from both SS and NP.

I'm a first time buyer at 50 years old (I know, wrong decisions in life, etc), now have a bit of money but aghast at what the money gets outside London as opposed to in London!

Do you have any other suggestions from the area?

Rosetinted

I live in the area currently and definitely understand not wanting to be part of the MK blandness. I'm house hunting in the old towns around the periphery, which tend to offer a nice villagey/small town feel and period properties with a bit more charm. If you're going to be working to the north of MK, which I assume you are from your post, you've definitely picked the two nicest towns to consider.

Stony's a very pleasant, upmarket town. I'd say it has a somewhat older population than Newport Pagnell - some well-heeled retirees and that sort of thing - whereas NP is a bit more of a family place. Stoney's definitely one of the more expensive communities in the vicinity, and one of the nicest. However, 'expensive' is a relative term, so you might find it rather cheap in comparison to London!

Stony has the advantage of being near Wolverton station, which has a direct line into London (takes about 50 mins, I think) - useful if you want to go back and visit the city. Stony's about half the size of and a bit more exclusive than NP. Houses there tend to be a bit more expensive than in Newport Pagnell. It's a bit quieter and has some nice pubs and a few nice restaurants - hasn't really got a decent supermarket though (Budgens).

NP would be my personal preference of the two, but that's a very subjective opinion formed mainly because I've spent more time there. It's a little bit more lively and has a nice community and a good live music night or two. It's a bigger town and has a more shops and amenities: coffee shops, supermarkets, multiple pubs, swimming pool, good schools, etc. It has much more of a mix of modern and old housing than Stony does.

Being near, but not too near, the M1 is an advantage for the transport links, but it is quite a distance from the MK station, so if you prefer rail travel, Stony's better positioned. If you're looking in Newport Pagnell, Tickford Street is one to avoid (IMO) because it's pretty busy. The section up in the northwest of NP is all new builds, with a small cluster of Victorian properties, but it's a bit of a trek on foot from the town centre. Nearer the High Street is preferable.

I was going to suggest Woburn Sands, which is another nice villagey place (a lot smaller than the other two) with lovely walks nearby, but if you're thinking north, it's in totally the wrong direction! If you like a bit more of an up-and-coming spot, New Bradwell and Wolverton have some lovely Victorian houses, but are a bit more embedded in Milton Keynes, rather than set apart from it. They're a little bit rough around the edges, compared to SS and NP, but the prices are a bit cheaper too. Wolverton has more of a working town feel and diverse community than Stony, which is very white middle-class - NP's somewhere in the middle.

Lyncroft

Great, that's really helpful and appreciate the time you've taken.

I've stayed in SS a couple of times and as you say I found it a bit quiet. I think I might find it a bit claustrophobic. I found the area around the Budgens a bit depressing for some reason. Some of the houses looked very nice though.

I'll have a look more closely into NP and your other suggestions. Once again many thanks.

Rosetinted

You're welcome, Lyncroft. If you have any specific queries about any of the places mentioned, feel free to ask. I have friends living in all of these towns, so I can easily extract info from them.

I personally find Stony a bit staid and like some more hustle and bustle, hence the reason I'm housing hunting in Newport Pagnell! After London, Stony might seem a bit too quiet, but it does have some gorgeous properties.