Advice on moving to Cambridge/Ely.

[Grayham]

Hi,

I posted this in the Homes ans EA section , but as I have now found the correct regional forums I thought it would be a good idea to post here also.

There is a strong possibility that I will relocated from my Leeds office to an office in Cambridge.

This would mean having to sell up and move from the 'Peoples republic of West Yorkshire' to somewhere near Cambridge. I have been to Cambridge a few times and it seems like quite a nice place although very expensive for property.

We have been looking at Ely and surrounding area where Property prices seem reasonable.

Is there anyone on here who lives in Ely that could provide some advice on places to avoid, what the commute into Cambridge is like etc?

Also we have two children of 3 and 1 so a good school and toddler groups are a must.

I believe that there is now a guided bus route out to St Ives. Has anyone got any experience of this or the areas that it serves?


Many Thanks in advance.

[Grayham]

Bloody hell, I hope there is more life down there than there is in this forum.

[remoh]

Grayham said:

Bloody hell, I hope there is more life down there than there is in this forum.

welcome to down south, we dont talk to strangers down here ;->

[Vimto156]

Hi Grayham,

As no one else has posted i'll offer some advice. St Ives is a nice place and yes you are right, there is now a guided bus that will take you into Cambridge. It's only 2 years late and over budget but the good news is it works and is not bad price wise as you can buy a monthly ticket. It's much better than sitting on the A14 that's for sure. Ely is a nice place, not lived there i have to say, but i think the A10 can be a bit crap at rush hour, the train to Cambridge is quick although the train station is a bit out of the way in relation to the town centre and science park area. Out of the two i would say St. Ives would be the better choice. But end of the day that's a personal preference on my part.

I lived in Cambridge for the best part of 16 years, i have to say it is a great place. Lots to see and do. Oh and plenty of pubs too ) Champion of the Thames being one of them. Excellent pint of Abbot Ale there!

[70proof]

Grayham said:

Bloody hell, I hope there is more life down there than there is in this forum.

hi mate, there is plenty of life down here,, are you coming?

dont visit this bit of the forums much. moved from london 5 years ago, love it.
both ely and st ives are nice. both have high streets, etc. a10 to ely is single carrageway each way, 20 mins to cambridge out of rush hour..... a14 is the a14, though you get a lot of traffic heading into town... the guided bus way is the way to go.....

if kids education is a priority, looks at village of swavesey, closer to town along a14 corridor, on bus way, best primary and secondary schools (non-private)... small village however with no high street....

b660 is 20 minutes from st ives..... what more reason to come....

[Grayham]

70proof said:

Grayham said:

Bloody hell, I hope there is more life down there than there is in this forum.

hi mate, there is plenty of life down here,, are you coming?

dont visit this bit of the forums much. moved from london 5 years ago, love it.
both ely and st ives are nice. both have high streets, etc. a10 to ely is single carrageway each way, 20 mins to cambridge out of rush hour..... a14 is the a14, though you get a lot of traffic heading into town... the guided bus way is the way to go.....

if kids education is a priority, looks at village of swavesey, closer to town along a14 corridor, on bus way, best primary and secondary schools (non-private)... small village however with no high street....

b660 is 20 minutes from st ives..... what more reason to come....

I am indeed coming!

I have had a formal job offer and we are in the process of buying a house.

We have decided on a place in Haddenham. The school there seems good and there appears we should have a nice quiet village life, but not so quiet that we would feel isolated, if you get what I mean.

As my office is directly opposite the station I will not be driving into Cambridge so I will have to figure out which is best out of the guided bus/train from Ely or the milton(?) park and ride.


We have visited a few times and the pace of life seems a bit slower than we are used to which I am looking forward to.

The house we are buying needs work and normally I would do it myself, but I need it doing quickly. The wife won't wait 3 years to move in this time.

The house needs new central heating (oil fired)
A new kitchen.
A conservatory.
Flooring, wood & carpet.

I also reckon there is scope for a 2 story extension. So a local Architect and building contractor would be needed.

If you recommend anyone for the above services it would be most appreciated.

Cheers.

[johns355]

Greg Saberton does drawings for planning permission and building regs if you're thinking of extensions, good bloke- reasonable rates, let me know if you need more info., john.

[GTIR]

Have you considered Newmarket?

Closer to Science Park and less traffic.

[Decoy]

Have just spotted this thread. I myself grew up in Haddenham and my parents still live there. If you'll be commuting to Cambridge by train the easiest option is to drive to Ely, park in the Angel Drove carpark (http://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/parking/angel-drove-parking) which is £3/day, £12/week or there are also season tickets available. It is then a few min walk through Tesco to Ely train station. Train takes less than 20mins.

As for local builders, my family's home and several in Haddenham were built by or have had work done by Glen Watts, company name is G J Watts and Sons, lives on Nelsons Lane.

I'll keep an eye on this thread now I've seen it so if you're after any more local knowledge do ask

[Grayham]

Decoy said:

Have just spotted this thread. I myself grew up in Haddenham and my parents still live there. If you'll be commuting to Cambridge by train the easiest option is to drive to Ely, park in the Angel Drove carpark (http://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/parking/angel-drove-parking) which is £3/day, £12/week or there are also season tickets available. It is then a few min walk through Tesco to Ely train station. Train takes less than 20mins.

As for local builders, my family's home and several in Haddenham were built by or have had work done by Glen Watts, company name is G J Watts and Sons, lives on Nelsons Lane.

I'll keep an eye on this thread now I've seen it so if you're after any more local knowledge do ask

Cheers Decoy,

We very nearly bought a house on Nelsons Lane but we were beaten to it unfortunately. We bought on the cul-de-sac at the top of Duck Lane. It appears to be pleasant enough so far.

I am getting the train from Waterbeach which seems to be ok. I can usually get parked on the road somewhere, if not there is a car park for £2.50.

I will give you a shout if I need any more info, thanks.