What's Lymington Like?

What's Lymington Like?

Author
Discussion

Doofus

Original Poster:

25,732 posts

172 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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It's a nice place to visit, but always seems busy. Is it a good place to live, or does it become a pain in the backside after a while?

.:ian:.

1,921 posts

202 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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Never lived there, but have lived down in the New Forest and what would put me off is that is quite a big busy place, you are literally miles from anywhere, the A337 is your primary route and as lovely a drive as it is the first dozen times,(especially early morning as the sun rises over the forest, etc) it's slow around Brockenhurst and especially Lyndhurst and if you need to commute it will probably grind you down eventually.

Also, the thing I liked the most is walking from my house out into the forest taking the dog for a walk, unless you find somewhere on the outskirts (£££) you'll have all the disadvantages of being down that way and few advantages!

Hythe, Dibden, Blackfield are way closer to civilisation and the open forest. The A326 is bad, but not quite as bad as the A337!

Doofus

Original Poster:

25,732 posts

172 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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Thank you. smile

Fortunately, I won't need to commute, and was thinking of a village near Lymington, because it would be great to be close to the Forest and the coast, and Lymington seems to offer the necessary ameneties.

Somewhere closer to Salisbury would probably make more sense, but doesn't appeal so much because of the location as mentioned above.

wilwak

759 posts

169 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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I live in Barton on Sea just a few miles from Lymington.

Lymington and surrounding area is lovely. It doesn't get as busy as proper seaside towns like Bournemouth.

The only real bottleneck is Lyndhurst but locals generally manage to get around that. Only busy in the summer at peak times.

The villages surrounding Lymington are very nice.

No complaints about the area from me at all.


Doofus

Original Poster:

25,732 posts

172 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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Thank you. smile

I guess I need to spend some more time down there with my Daily-Life hat on, rather than my Sunny-Weekend hat

M5MarkM

1,531 posts

170 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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It's a lovely place, as are most of the surrounding villages. The biggest issue you will have is going anywhere and getting back. In the summer especially, every tt in the country with a caravan heads this way to block the roads for miles around and causes hours of delays. If you truly don't need to commute then you're fine, but the tourists can be a pain! If you do need to do something simple like say, visit a super market, then it will be hard work in the summer visiting major towns like Southampton or Bournemouth. Out of season it is even more lovely, no tourists, wonderful surroundings and friendly locals. If you need to travel it isn't for you, if you don't need much travel it is an amazing part of the world

Doofus

Original Poster:

25,732 posts

172 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
M5MarkM said:
It's a lovely place, as are most of the surrounding villages. The biggest issue you will have is going anywhere and getting back. In the summer especially, every tt in the country with a caravan heads this way to block the roads for miles around and causes hours of delays. If you truly don't need to commute then you're fine, but the tourists can be a pain! If you do need to do something simple like say, visit a super market, then it will be hard work in the summer visiting major towns like Southampton or Bournemouth. Out of season it is even more lovely, no tourists, wonderful surroundings and friendly locals. If you need to travel it isn't for you, if you don't need much travel it is an amazing part of the world
Kind of what I thought, thanks. If anything, I travel Souoth from Portsmouth more than I'd travel North.

Spare tyre

9,456 posts

129 months

Saturday 24th September 2016
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You'll need red trousers

Doofus

Original Poster:

25,732 posts

172 months

Saturday 24th September 2016
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Spare tyre said:
You'll need red trousers
I've got red underpants if that's any good. And deck shoes.

Dermot O'Logical

2,547 posts

128 months

Saturday 24th September 2016
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Expensive, crowded in summer and as has already been mentioned, miles from anywhere. I like it, although I don't live there.

If you want "village surrounded by forest" there are a few dotted around the New Forest. Brockenhurst, Beaulieu and Lyndhurst are traffic magnets, and the novelty of that will wear off, as will having to queue to thread your way slowly around the local livestock which congregate in the roads. All roads in the New Forest have a 40mph speed limit.

If you like fresh air and walking, the Forest is a lovely place to live. You can get to Southampton easily by ferry from Hythe, and Salisbury is accessible through Ringwood, although that's another traffic bottleneck. As is Bournemouth, although they've finished resurfacing the A338 from the A31 to Bournemouth, so it's not too bad at the moment.

The Waterside (Marchwood down to Fawley and Calshot) represents good value property-wise, while anything in a village is very expensive.

Doofus

Original Poster:

25,732 posts

172 months

Saturday 24th September 2016
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Thank you for the detailed reply, Dermot.

We're going down for a few days next week to check things out, and potentially line up some property viewings.

Dermot O'Logical

2,547 posts

128 months

Saturday 24th September 2016
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If you're around on Saturday morning Lymington has a good street market. There's no shortage of good restaurants either, and there are some excellent pubs in the area. Lymington also has an excellent Waitrose. These things matter.

Depending on whether you need to commute regularly or not, it would be worth driving up to the M27 at around 7.45 - 9am, and back the other way between 5 - 6.30pm, just to get a flavour of the traffic.

From the viewpoint of an enthusiastic driver, the area is quite heavily populated with elderly drivers. They're easy to spot, because the local Honda, Kia and Hyundai dealers do quite well. I always tend to park in the far corners of public car parks in places like Lymington and Beaulieu! The owner of one of the shops in Lymington watched an old dear extract her car from a parking space by hitting his motorbike, knocking it over and driving off. It's one of those "old money" places, with a high proportion of fruitcakes per head of population. That's one reason why it's also a nice place to live.

Dermot O'Logical

2,547 posts

128 months

Saturday 24th September 2016
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Sorry, I'd missed the bit where you said that you didn't need to commute.

Doesn't alter the fact that no matter what time of day it is, you'll still get stuck in traffic in Lyndhurst!

Doofus

Original Poster:

25,732 posts

172 months

Saturday 24th September 2016
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The ameneties in Lymington is one reason why it seemed like a good place to centre a search around. We've spent a fair bit of time in the area, but only as visitors, and the nearest friends are in Ringwood and Winchester, neither of which are what we're after (the places, not the friends) smile

pat_y

1,029 posts

200 months

Sunday 25th September 2016
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Great place, if you have any interest in boating you will be very at home there. as others have said traffic/travel to rest of the UK can be a bit of a grind but it's worth it. The Mayflower pub is really good, the Ship down on the Quay is OK (ish) but try to avoid the quay area on bank holidays as it's packed. As others have said, quite an expensive place to live but very desirable, lot's of older people. Very little trouble with idiots on a night out, generally a nice spot. Try Tres Bon restaurant on the high street for breakfast it's an epic fry up.
Has a market on Saturdays which is OK. The place can get busy august/sept, but outside of these times it's a pleasure to visit.

Spare tyre

9,456 posts

129 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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Check out romsey, or rumsey if you speak local

Nice place

.:ian:.

1,921 posts

202 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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Dermot O'Logical said:
From the viewpoint of an enthusiastic driver, the area is quite heavily populated with elderly drivers. They're easy to spot, because the local Honda, Kia and Hyundai dealers do quite well.
Oh god, I still break out in a cold sweat on seeing a Balmer Lawn Honda stickered Jazz!

Spare tyre

9,456 posts

129 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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.:ian:. said:
Dermot O'Logical said:
From the viewpoint of an enthusiastic driver, the area is quite heavily populated with elderly drivers. They're easy to spot, because the local Honda, Kia and Hyundai dealers do quite well.
Oh god, I still break out in a cold sweat on seeing a Balmer Lawn Honda stickered Jazz!
My dad

It's ok though, his jazz has "door garnish"

Go figure

Huntsman

8,026 posts

249 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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.:ian:. said:
Oh god, I still break out in a cold sweat on seeing a Balmer Lawn Honda stickered Jazz!
My dad too.

His is an auto and he drives it flat out everywhere.

Huntsman

8,026 posts

249 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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Doofus said:
Fortunately, I won't need to commute
In which case. Isle of Wight.