Location advice - Cornwall

Muttleythefrog

Dear MSErs. Hope I'm in the right place - not used to venturing beyond a couple of MSE locations.

Not used to living outside the north of England either. And although I have a generally decent understanding of Britain, the geography and demographics, the south west is beyond my experience reach.

We're looking to move in perhaps around 3 years and Cornwall is a serious possibility - very different than we're used to no doubt and that includes for my foreign wife of 2 years residence here (Tyneside) now. I'm not going to bore people with the thousands of considerations that we'll have to make given our respective disabilities and desires.. but I want some opinion on a couple of locations or others if people see fit. We'll have a budget expected of up to max £200k (no mortgage) and will want a 3 bedroom house - I appreciate this typically means the cheaper end of the cornish market but it seems to present still significant options.

Par... and the other attached villages St Blazey, St Blazey Gate, Tywardreath. Very attractive at face value due to mainline rail connection and direct rail to Newquay, nearby town St Austell (I appreciate not considered a particularly attractive town by Cornish norms), nearby airport Newquay(connected with 1 flight/week to 'motherland Newcastle' for 3 months of summer), beaches and intriguing coastal walks to other nearby stop offs. I understand St Blazey considered the more deprived of these areas and I understand there is significant flood risks around central Par due to a couple of waterways. I must admit barring the apparently more deprived areas of St Blazey and the localised flood risk (which can clearly vary enormously street to street in the area) I am stuggling to find a reason to rule Par out and given we are talking 450 miles away it possibly will even be a sound logical location to house search from across Cornwall come the day. I also notice a lot of new home building appears to be occurring in the area including higher ground near the port.

Falmouth.. and Penryn. I keep seeing people say things online like 'nobody has a bad word to say about Falmouth'. It looks attractive with rail connection (including quick connection to Truro), connectivity to Newquay airport possible, and being a major town but with good beaches. Bit more pricey it seems so less options for us. But certainly viable especially if considering nearby Penryn. I note Falmouth is a University town... might put some off.. not us.

I think we're sort of set on wanting to be close to beach, good connectivity, half decent area, not too far from urban centres (it is still hard for either of us to comprehend major towns or a city having only 20k people in them) but a place with a community type feel and great options for walking and a couple of decent pubs. For both of us it will be about trying to break out of disabilities that pose significant restriction... Cornwall offers a complete change... and without too many people about..lol.

Any advice appreciated... even if you stumble across the thread long after posted. I may update time to time or notify no further requirement for input.

PasturesNew

Par's all right, I looked at it once... but I feared future flooding potential and it is still a bit "waiting for its prime" and not moving fast.

Depends what your needs/budget are, but I'd look to the outskirts of St Austell itself if I were looking there.

As for Falmouth, lovely to visit, lots of shops etc .... lots of events going on etc ... but it is a "bit out on a limb" when viewed from the wider picture.

With "most stuff" being available at Truro and St Austell, I'd suggest somewhere at/between the two.

divadee

Do you need jobs when you move? If so think seriously about moving. Cornwall is mainly seasonal work and is actually a deprived county for work. My other half is Cornish and he moved for uni and never went back. It's lovely to visit his mum down there but he says he wouldn't want to move back unless it was to retire and not have to worry about work and jobs.

Unless you are working on teaching or nhs work you will struggle.

Muttleythefrog

PasturesNew wrote: »

Par's all right, I looked at it once... but I feared future flooding potential and it is still a bit "waiting for its prime" and not moving fast.

Thanks ! On the italics/bold here... don't think I'm getting the phrase... can you expland..lol... could be better than it is but not getting there?

Cakeguts

Don't go to Falmouth. When that dreadful university finally closes there may not be anything there. Please will someone close it soon it is conning the least able of our young people out of a lot of money and 3 years of their lives on nothing courses.

Muttleythefrog

divadee wrote: »

Do you need jobs when you move? If so think seriously about moving. Cornwall is mainly seasonal work and is actually a deprived county for work. My other half is Cornish and he moved for uni and never went back. It's lovely to visit his mum down there but he says he wouldn't want to move back unless it was to retire and not have to worry about work and jobs.

Unless you are working on teaching or nhs work you will struggle.

Fortunately work restrictions won't be issue - I'll not be working unless for my wife and my wife's typical work is not geographically restricted as long as decent internet connection (and in future post office facilities). One thing that I am trying to grapple with as an outsider is how social deprivation indexes can be equated for real day to day living there (in regard to things like people behaviours.. crime that sort of thing)... because of the low work availability and wages yet high numbers of holiday homes and retirees etc causing some irregularity. I'm having to sort of try to read between the lines of the data... because Cornwall inherently is likely to look more socially deprived than perhaps would be the experience because of the employment issues. The police crime stats suggest subtly that the sorts of places I'm considering suffer less crime than their counterparts of comparable social deprivation index here in the north east.

It's interesting to hear what you have to say.. I have to admit it is a story I've seen others relay... head out to Uni... stay out and visit family time to time... may one day return to retire to the peace... but not enough jobs or big city activity to hold in particular the young.

Muttleythefrog

Cakeguts wrote: »

Don't go to Falmouth. When that dreadful university finally closes there may not be anything there. Please will someone close it soon it is conning the least able of our young people out of a lot of money and 3 years of their lives on nothing courses.

They plan to close it? What they teaching them....lol.. how to sail yachts? haha

Murphybear

I would go somewhere near Truro. It is a lovely city but not, as you already realise, too big. I did a quick Rightmove search and within 5 miles from Truro there are ~40 properties in your budget at the moment. Obviously if you aren't thinking about moving yet things will change.

There are lots of tiny, back of beyond places in Cornwall but you may find these a bit restrictive to settle permanently. (We are going through something similar at the moment in Devon). You will need to consider things like GPS, hospitals etc.

On a final note, we moved to West Country 14 years ago and love it, we wouldn't live anywhere else

Contessa

I moved down to Cornwall from the North West a couple of years ago.

However I already knew Cornwall well as I grew up there and have family living there.

I'd suggest you first of all find good affordable areas with access to employment, rather than with access to travel back to the North East.

Personally, I wouldn't be too keen on the Par, St. Blazey areas but Falmouth/Penryn is lovely and close to Truro.

Redruth/Camborne is not as nice but a lot cheaper.

Most of Cornwall is just a short drive from the coast so even if where you live is a bit urban it won't take long to enjoy beauty!

Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

Muttleythefrog

Murphybear wrote: »

I would go somewhere near Truro. It is a lovely city but not, as you already realise, too big. I did a quick Rightmove search and within 5 miles from Truro there are ~40 properties in your budget at the moment. Obviously if you aren't thinking about moving yet things will change.

There are lots of tiny, back of beyond places in Cornwall but you may find these a bit restrictive to settle permanently. (We are going through something similar at the moment in Devon). You will need to consider things like GPS, hospitals etc.

On a final note, we moved to West Country 14 years ago and love it, we wouldn't live anywhere else

Truro ah yes... not seen anything bad said about it. It ticks a lot of boxes except immediate access to beach..so certainly could not be ruled out either... unless it was too pricey.

Yes.. plenty little places... to my wife 'look at this lovely place' (as I showed her an online picture).. she asked "what are the houses like there?".. my reply 'you can see them all in the picture'...lol. But yep... basic facilities key (like very local GP) and supermarket delivery.

Thanks for the encouragement..lol

Muttleythefrog

Contessa wrote: »

I moved down to Cornwall from the North West a couple of years ago.

However I already knew Cornwall well as I grew up there and have family living there.

I'd suggest you first of all find good affordable areas with access to employment, rather than with access to travel back to the North East.

Personally, I wouldn't be too keen on the Par, St. Blazey areas but Falmouth/Penryn is lovely and close to Truro.

Redruth/Camborne is not as nice but a lot cheaper.

Most of Cornwall is just a short drive from the coast so even if where you live is a bit urban it won't take long to enjoy beauty!

Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

Oh so you returned. Employment not really issue for us personally - although of course I imagine general social issues would follow employment prospects... I anticipate the areas around the china clay works may be like pit villages of the north east for example... that's how my mind is working without any on the ground knowledge. Redruth/Camborne.. noted... and I understand there are some good areas in both if sought out... maybe I'd bump into the famous Redruth Tin Man of Guardian newspaper interview fame.

Driving... will have to see if wife will get a UK driving licence... she's used to driving in North America...lol. It would certainly open more doors... my considerations of transport are general and including for visitors and of course the fact that if ever we go out we drink... I used to love pub crawling... I don't mind having to crawl village to village to do it (while butterfly spotting) which is why Par and the like are attractive haha... I could be in Fowey in no time on foot and the smaller places in between. You wouldn't be too keen on the Par area... any specific reason... or just a general impression?

Thanks for the kind offer... you might well hear from me in the future..lol