Nice places to live, near Kidderminster?

Nice places to live, near Kidderminster?

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Discussion

texasjohn

Original Poster:

3,687 posts

230 months

Sunday 20th February 2011
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Anyone have any recommendations? I am familiar with Evesham and Solihull/Knowle but consider both to be too far to commute.

Stourport and Bewdley seem quite quaint having driven through and around the area.

Any areas I should avoid like the plague?

Many thanks (currently living near East Midlands Airport which is way too far to commute!)


CNHSS1

942 posts

216 months

Sunday 20th February 2011
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bewdley tends to flood regularly, not an issue to most homes, but makes access a PITA

jonesy000

291 posts

163 months

Monday 21st February 2011
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Depends what you're after I geuss. I've lived in Kidderminster since I was born, a grand total of 21 years (Whoo). What sort of budget do you have? House size? Renting or buying?

Lee.

y2blade

56,029 posts

214 months

Monday 21st February 2011
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my sister moved up to Bewdley last summer, very nice area smile

King David

709 posts

185 months

Monday 21st February 2011
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I have lived in Bewdley for three years and with the flood defences they now have I have only ever had issues with access due to flooding (closed bridge which adds about 5 minutes onto a journey)once.

Moved here from Maidstone and I have to say that there is no-where else I would rather be. Lovely and friendly town with a LOT of decent pubs. Very close to Kidderminster if that is important to you but a completely different culture to it. Plenty of very good roads right on the doorstep too. There are quite a few PH'ers about as well who would be happy to give you a warm welcome.

texasjohn

Original Poster:

3,687 posts

230 months

Monday 21st February 2011
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Thanks very much for the advice.

Budget/what I'm looking for: Well I'm not looking at mansions, 3 or 4 bed detached houses. May rent initially, but ultimately looking to buy. Catchment area for good primary (and longer term, secondary) schools is very important.

What's Stourport like in comparison with Bewdley?

Not sure about Kidderminster itself, it looked ok but a little run down, although I have only really seen what I presume to be the edge of the town centre, ring road, journey you'd take across the east side of town travelling from north to Stourport.

The other two places looked a bit nicer. Are there any other small towns or villages nearby that are nice to bring up a young family?

Anyone on here know of Roxel or anyone that works there? Bit of a long shot as it's not a huge company.


Edited by texasjohn on Monday 21st February 18:57

stourbridges2tvr

395 posts

209 months

Monday 21st February 2011
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texasjohn said:
Thanks very much for the advice.

Budget: Well I'm not looking at mansions, 3 or 4 bed detached houses. May rent initially, but ultimately looking to buy.

What's Stourport like in comparison with Bewdley?

Not sure about Kidderminster itself, it looked ok but a little run down, although I have only really seen what I presume to be the edge of the town centre, ring road, journey you'd take across the east side of town travelling from north to Stourport.

The other two places looked a bit nicer. Are there any other small towns or villages nearby that are nice to bring up a young family?

Anyone on here know Roxel?
I have lived nearby - stourbridge for 40 years, personally i would stay outside Kiddy if at all possible.
I would take Bewdley over Stourport any day of the week.
You might also like to consider, Chaddesley corbett, Shenstone, Wolverley, Franch, Habberley, Blakedown, Caunsall, Harvington and Cookley (all small Villages).
Like everywhere there are good bits and not so good bits but i would avoid Spennals, Hoo farm and Sion hill.
Depending on how old the kids are there is a decent secondary school in Hagley.
Hope that helps.

texasjohn

Original Poster:

3,687 posts

230 months

Monday 21st February 2011
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That's great, thanks.

Stourbridge is on the radar too.

mightymouse

1,438 posts

227 months

Tuesday 22nd February 2011
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If you are looking @ small towns there is always Worcester or Droitwich

CNHSS1

942 posts

216 months

Tuesday 22nd February 2011
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nice and local for Shelsley Walsh hillclimb too biggrin

blueg33

35,576 posts

223 months

Tuesday 22nd February 2011
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mightymouse said:
If you are looking @ small towns there is always Worcester or Droitwich
Worcester is a City smile

theboss

6,878 posts

218 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2011
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Bewdley looks lovely but I was in for a shock when I went down there for a drink recently - it was more 'chav hell' than the lovely genteel little Georgian market town by the river that you see by daylight. Loads of them loitering around outside pubs, driving around the town centre like idiots and generally lowering the tone. I had to worry for my car as some had 'parked up' and were tooling around in proximity. I'm not sure if I could hack living there myself.

Kidderminster I would avoid like the plague, it is almost certainly the origin of the above (there can't be that much social housing, if any, in Bewdley) and I hear from other 'locals' that its a bit, erm, rough...

Consider looking a bit further out towards the sticks to the West or North into Shropshire. Bridgnorth is pleasant (I live there) and I also believe it's very nice out towards Tenbury and Cleobury Mortimer. If you're going to rent for a while you'll find you can get a substantial country house for a very reasonable rent compared to 'in town' and if you have kids then the village schools are generally very good too.

It's also quite nice down past Stourbridge around Hartlebury, and has the benefit of being closer to the main road network should you wish to get out of the area (we leave town most weekends and it can be very frustrating from the Bridgnorth area, taking an hour just to get to the M5 or M6 due to OAPs driving to the market / garden centre at 29mph)

Good luck finding somewhere.

texasjohn

Original Poster:

3,687 posts

230 months

Wednesday 23rd February 2011
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Thanks, theboss, that's a very useful heads up.

I did see a place on the map called Leominster to the west.


R6dug

342 posts

190 months

Sunday 27th February 2011
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Look slightly North

Bridgenorth,Much Wenlock nice places.

Marcus R

109 posts

158 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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I would strongly advise on avoiding stourpost at all costs, Bewdley only gets busy on friday/saturday nights in the town centre. Other than that decent area to live.

liquidken

1,816 posts

240 months

Friday 4th March 2011
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I've recently moved to Norton in Stourbridge. It's a lovely little area which is quiet, but is still close to major roads (10 minutes from either Junction 3 or 4 of the M5) and all the amenities you'd need.

Chr1sch

2,585 posts

192 months

Friday 4th March 2011
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It all depends on distances - I live in Fernhill Heath just outside Worcester, and courtesy of the A449 can be in Kiddy in about 10-15mins if needed.

Consider Ombersley, Fernhill Heath, Droitwich is ok (not great), all depends on whether you want city living or a village....

Round here bank on 200k for a decent 3 bed house....

nick_j007

1,598 posts

201 months

Friday 4th March 2011
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King David said:
I have lived in Bewdley for three years and with the flood defences they now have I have only ever had issues with access due to flooding (closed bridge which adds about 5 minutes onto a journey)once.

Moved here from Maidstone and I have to say that there is no-where else I would rather be. Lovely and friendly town with a LOT of decent pubs. Very close to Kidderminster if that is important to you but a completely different culture to it. Plenty of very good roads right on the doorstep too. There are quite a few PH'ers about as well who would be happy to give you a warm welcome.
Wot e said smile

texasjohn

Original Poster:

3,687 posts

230 months

Saturday 12th March 2011
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Marcus R said:
I would strongly advise on avoiding stourpost at all costs, Bewdley only gets busy on friday/saturday nights in the town centre. Other than that decent area to live.
Why would you strongly advise avoiding Stourport? I'm not worried about traffic/busy town centres. I know there is a flood risk along the Severn but I will avoid any risk areas.

By the way, ladies and gents, the move is now most definitely 'on' so I am spending as much time on Rightmove as PH! In terms of town vs village, my wife doesn't drive so we cannot consider any villages that don't have (as a minimum) a primary school, library, post office and a shop (or three).

Most important things to us are good schools and low crime, quiet neighbourhood. Like most people really. Budget is up to 325k and we really need a four bed house.


Thanks once again for all your advice.


Edited by texasjohn on Saturday 12th March 06:13

RobFerrari

793 posts

203 months

Saturday 12th March 2011
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Hagley is quite nice, as are Pedmore and Norton. For £325k you should be able to get quite a nice detached house in the area. No crime troubles, pretty safe and relatively quiet area.

Its a very convenient area for the motorway, its just a stones-throw away. There's Hagley "village" which isn't really a village, and Stourbridge is more of a main town centre. They are all really close. Merry Hill for a big shopping centre isn't too far in the car either. You've got stacks of good schools round the area, Primary ones are great and the secondary schools are okay. If you have a son and can afford it, Old Swinford Hospital is probably the best school to send him to. If not, the local comps are Redhill and Ridgewood. If you need to know any more, ask in the thread and I'll try my best to answer!


Otherwise, look further down towards Chaddesley Corbett and Dodford, they're pretty nice places too.

liquidken said:
I've recently moved to Norton in Stourbridge. It's a lovely little area which is quiet, but is still close to major roads (10 minutes from either Junction 3 or 4 of the M5) and all the amenities you'd need.
You must live literally on my doorstep! Well at my parents place anyway, i'm away at Uni at the moment but live just by Stourbridge golf club!



Edited by RobFerrari on Saturday 12th March 15:53