# Trowbridge? Nice place to bring up kids?



## no-no (Nov 25, 2010)

Trowbridge is on my list of possible London escape routes, actually it's probably near the top since it's close to bristol and I can find some work, the houses look pretty cheap too.

I've heard it's a bit ropey though, what say you?


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## Geri (Nov 25, 2010)

I don't think I've ever been there. What about some of the North Somerset villages?


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 25, 2010)

I would go with "no no"


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## Thora (Nov 25, 2010)

I went to school in Trowbridge.  It's alright, some areas are a bit rough, town centre is violent on a Saturday night, but much like many similar sized towns I guess.


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## Thora (Nov 25, 2010)

And you can always get to Bath easily, that's probably it's biggest plus.


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## marty21 (Nov 25, 2010)

When I was growing up in Bath, we thought Trowbridge was a bit rough, but most places are a bit rough compared to Bath tbf, I haven't been there since about 1982, so no idea what it's like atm


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## Geri (Nov 25, 2010)

I recommend Pill.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 25, 2010)

Oh I don't know. It's not that bad but it's not a nice county escape and I wouldn't like there (having lived there in the past been to college there an grown up in the surrounding area). Still got a few friends there and they call it a shit hole more than I do.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 25, 2010)

I grew up in Westbury and Trobridge seemed no worse, maybe just a bit bigger. Bath was a nice place to live for a while but I soon got bored shitless of that in my late teens and moved to London. I don't think 'being close to Bath' is enough of a draw for living in Trobridge. Bradford on Avon maybe.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 25, 2010)

I'm currently drinking wine and all this talk of bath westbury and trowbridge is bringing memories back. Ahh.


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## Thora (Nov 25, 2010)

Bradford on Avon is nice, more of a country escape.  Houses are probably more expensive though.


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## marty21 (Nov 25, 2010)

I'm heading down to Bath at the weekend (snow permitting) will also be visiting Yate and Chipping Sodbury


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## felixthecat (Nov 25, 2010)

Depends - some bits are nice. Anywhere along Old Victoria Road, or the Paxcroft area is ok. Staverton isn't bad either. The town centre on saturday can be a bit suspect as Thora said, but no worse than any other town of a comparable size. I alway manage to end up in the dodgy pubs (The White Swan anyone? ) cos they sell a decent set of ciders. My 20 yr old son otoh never goes there cos he always seems to find trouble. Schools aren't bad - there is an excellent (but catholic) secondary school and 2 other state secondaries and primaries seem to be ok (sis lives there and has 3 kids.) You are close to Bath for a bit of higher end shopping, altho Trowbridge kinda seems to be on the up and up atm. The surrounding countryside is gorgeous, you are right on the Kennet and Avon canal, the park is nice and the leisure centre facilities ain't bad - decent gym, sports facilities and swimming pool.  


On the whole I'd rather  live where I do - about 3 miles down the road in Bradford-on-Avon which is very nice but a bit on the expensive side -


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 25, 2010)

felixthecat said:


> On the whole I'd rather  live where I do - about 3 miles down the road in Bradford-on-Avon which is very nice but a bit on the expensive side -


 
And only a short cycle on the canal path to bath. I can't remember doing anything in BonA though apart from drinking cans with mates or speeding while hanging round the steps of the library (with mates). Nicer place but I generally had a better time in Trowbridge dive pubs. 

_Whispers_ *and the psychic pig*


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## Thora (Nov 25, 2010)

I LOVED the Psychic Pig!


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 25, 2010)

Do you know Tim and Mark?


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## Thora (Nov 25, 2010)

Doesn't ring a bell, but I expect I was there years after you.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 25, 2010)

Thora said:


> Doesn't ring a bell, but I expect I was there years after you.


 
They ran the pig.

Why would you think I am older?


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## felixthecat (Nov 25, 2010)

Ah the Pig! Peewee has another place now

I also spent large amounts of my youth speeding around the library in b-on-a, or with assorted members of the Subhumans in Trowbridge park........


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## Thora (Nov 25, 2010)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> They ran the pig.
> 
> Why would you think I am older?


 
I think you are a decade older than me!


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 25, 2010)

felixthecat said:


> Ah the Pig! Peewee has another place now
> 
> I also spent large amounts of my youth speeding around the library in b-on-a, or with assorted members of the Subhumans in Trowbridge park........


 
What did peewees have to do with the pig?


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 25, 2010)

Thora said:


> I think you are a decade older than me!


 
But the pig was still going? 
I did my first ever gig there. I was only 16.


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## fractionMan (Nov 25, 2010)

I visit trowbridge now and again on the boat and I wouldn't recommend it much.  It's a bit of a soulless dump compared to everywhere else round here.


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## Thora (Nov 25, 2010)

I used to go there between the ages of 15-18 I guess, so 1999-2002ish.


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## fractionMan (Nov 25, 2010)

Geri said:


> I recommend Pill.


 
See, I wouldn't recommend that much either.  Or nailsea.

I guess I'm spoilt.


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## fractionMan (Nov 25, 2010)

My main experiences of trowbridge include industrial estates, the canal, housing estates and shopping centres, so take what I say with a pinch of salt.  I'm sure there are nice bits.

It's not "the countryside" but it's right next door.  Bradford on Avon is nicer, but probably twice the price.


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## Geri (Nov 25, 2010)

fractionMan said:


> See, I wouldn't recommend that much either.  Or nailsea.
> 
> I guess I'm spoilt.


 
Pill is nothing like Nailsea.


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## fractionMan (Nov 25, 2010)

My sister moved from pill to nailsea and prefers it in nailsea.

I'd probably prefer pill tbh.

Does OP need a train station?


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 25, 2010)

Thora said:


> I used to go there between the ages of 15-18 I guess, so 1999-2002ish.


 
Oh yeah me too, except I went in 1988 - 1991,  so yeah I guess you were about right. I think it probably moved location by then.


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## lizzieloo (Nov 25, 2010)

When I saw your thread, my first thought was Trowbridge - Heroin.


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## Geri (Nov 25, 2010)

fractionMan said:


> My sister moved from pill to nailsea and prefers it in nailsea.
> 
> I'd probably prefer pill tbh.



Pill is ace, it's like Trumpton.


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## marty21 (Nov 25, 2010)

felixthecat said:


> On the whole I'd rather  live where I do - about 3 miles down the road in Bradford-on-Avon which is very nice but a bit on the expensive side -


 
Bradford Upon Avon is well posh, lovely place, possibly posher than Bath


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## fractionMan (Nov 25, 2010)

I've not been there for at least 10 years and the only things I really remember are (1) it has a viaduct and (2) I almost got beaten up in the pub.  I was dressed and acting like a twat though


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## Geri (Nov 25, 2010)

What pub?


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## fractionMan (Nov 25, 2010)

marty21 said:


> Bradford Upon Avon is well posh, lovely place, possibly posher than Bath


 
It also has cheaper parts.  A couple of my mates lived/have lived there (in fact I think one is selling ).  I imagine it's quite a nice place to bring up kids.

OP, how old are the kids?


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## fractionMan (Nov 25, 2010)

Geri said:


> What pub?


 
No idea tbh, it was a long time ago.  To give you an idea I was dressed up in some stupid 70s outfit and smoking a cigar.  Doing a perfect impression of student wanker.  My sisters mate/client (some local farmer) had to have a word with some lad.


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## fractionMan (Nov 25, 2010)

They're currently building over a hundred houses/flats right in the centre of BoA for spring 2011.  They're right next to the river and 5 mins from the train station.  Worth a look, could get a bargain if they're trying to shift so many in the current climate.


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## no-no (Nov 26, 2010)

Thanks for the replies folks, despite the saturday night violence and lack of soul it sounds like you've all had some good times there.

I'm not really after a country escape, I know that I can't afford it(though I will sneak a peek at BonA now)

I have 3 kids, 2 sons, 11 and 1 and a 2 year old little girl.I'm planning on working in bristol and plan to drive/cycle/train combo to get there.

Really I'm just drawn to getting out of london as I can only afford to exist here. Being near rivers is a major plus too, I can get out in my kayak some more, get the kids out too.

Just wanted to make sure it wasn't a complete shithole, the local new addington as it were.....


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 26, 2010)

It's not as bad as new addington. 

Why not Bristol?


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## no-no (Nov 26, 2010)

I hadn't really considered Bristol itself, I'd assumed anywhere ok in Bristol would be a bit too pricey. The other part of my escape from london is to retire as early as possible, or at least get out of mortgage debt.


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## Idaho (Nov 26, 2010)

There is much nicer places round there than Trowbridge. It would be fairly far down the list if I were to move to the Bristol/Bath environs.


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## no-no (Nov 26, 2010)

yeah but the prices in trowbridge are very good, 3 bed places going for 130k.

ooh, just looked there are plenty in bristol too, what are the nice areas in bristol then? I want parks and greenery nearby.


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## fractionMan (Nov 26, 2010)

There's 3 bed places for 140k in bath on bath's perpetually cheapest street, but you wouldn't really want to live there.

eta: just looked and trowbridge is waaay cheaper than anywhere else I've seen round here.


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## marty21 (Nov 26, 2010)

fractionMan said:


> There's 3 bed places for 140k in bath on bath's perpetually cheapest street, but you wouldn't really want to live there.


 
what street is that?


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Nov 26, 2010)

fractionMan said:


> There's 3 bed places for 140k in bath on bath's perpetually cheapest street, but you wouldn't really want to live there.
> 
> .


 
Yeah, wheres that? Can anything really be that bad in wimpy bath?


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## fractionMan (Nov 26, 2010)

marty21 said:


> what street is that?


 
Rosewarn close.  I've no idea why it's so cheap, but there's always at least two house for sale at around 140k.


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## marty21 (Nov 26, 2010)

fractionMan said:


> Rosewarn close.  I've no idea why it's so cheap, but there's always at least two house for sale at around 140k.


 
where is that? Twerton way?


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## fractionMan (Nov 26, 2010)

Fish4homes has a really cool 'map search'.  You can give it a location, price and number of min number of beds and it shows you where they are on the map.  Then you can move the map about.

http://www.fish4.co.uk/homes/search...id-206313/bedrooms-3/to-170000/geolocation-1/


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## fractionMan (Nov 26, 2010)

marty21 said:


> where is that? Twerton way?


 
whiteway I think.


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## marty21 (Nov 26, 2010)

fractionMan said:


> whiteway I think.


 
ok, don't know that bit very well, I'm more of a Fairfield Park/Larkhall kid


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## no-no (Nov 26, 2010)

Geri said:


> I don't think I've ever been there. What about some of the North Somerset villages?



I've seen some i could afford in frome and some in midsummer norton. I've heard midsummer norton is a bit ropey though?


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## fractionMan (Nov 26, 2010)

What's your budget?

I've been playing with the map and there's a fair few 150k or less properties in the pill/avonmouth area.  

http://www.nestoria.co.uk/pill/property/buy/bedrooms-3/maxprice-150000


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## fractionMan (Nov 26, 2010)

Any experience of running a pub?  There's one in cheddar going for 75k 
http://www.homes24.co.uk/doc.html?_a=view&id=1877534


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## no-no (Nov 26, 2010)

Kind of depends on what my flat sells for, 160k would probably be my upper limit. Any more than that and it wouldn't be worth leaving london.

........just had a look, they look sweet. I think I'll spend the royal wedding bank holiday weeks checking out some of these areas. Just had a look at pill on streetview, tis very pretty. thanks fraction


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## fractionMan (Nov 26, 2010)

Thank geri, I was about to discount it 

Now I think about it, I think my sister left for er, 'personal reasons'.


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## Crispy (Nov 26, 2010)

fractionMan said:


> What's your budget?
> 
> I've been playing with the map and there's a fair few 150k or less properties in the pill/avonmouth area.
> 
> http://www.nestoria.co.uk/pill/property/buy/bedrooms-3/maxprice-150000


 
Horrible commute into Bristol from Pill - no railway (although there's a strong case to have one extended into town) and the road is always jammed. Avonmouth has the Severn Beach line, which is a joke compared to london trains, but is a pleasant ride into Temple Meads  Avonmouth is, however, a miserable place to live. The M5 avon bridge flying over your head and the stacks of ICI chemicals on the muddy muddy shore. I can't imagine the sun shining in Avonmouth.


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## butchersapron (Nov 26, 2010)

There used to be a lovely chemical sunset over my school in Lawrence Weston.


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## butchersapron (Nov 26, 2010)

Also depends which way you go from Pill - over the bridge wouldn't be jammed would it?


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## Crispy (Nov 26, 2010)

butchersapron said:


> Also depends which way you go from Pill - over the bridge wouldn't be jammed would it?


 
Depends where no-no is working, really. Traffic into central Bristol is pretty miserable regardless of which way you go though.


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## marty21 (Nov 26, 2010)

no-no said:


> I've seen some i could afford in frome and some in midsummer norton. I've heard midsummer norton is a bit ropey though?


 
norton used to have a ropey reputation tbf, how about Shepton Mallet? Or Keynsham, Saltford?


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## no-no (Nov 26, 2010)

yeah, I have seen a couple of places in shepton mallet, when you guys say "ropey" and "rough" what london area would you equate it to?


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## Crispy (Nov 26, 2010)

They're not like London, they're like provincial towns


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## fractionMan (Nov 26, 2010)

that ^^


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## stupid dogbot (Nov 26, 2010)

Norton's only ropey if you grew up in somewhere that really fancies itself, like Bath...


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## rubbershoes (Nov 27, 2010)

If you want access to Bristol.look up or down the M5 . Much quicker than schlepping cross country, even on A roads


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## Geri (Nov 27, 2010)

no-no said:


> I've seen some i could afford in frome and some in midsummer norton. I've heard midsummer norton is a bit ropey though?


 
That's not North Somerset - North Somerset is Portishead/Pill/Nailsea/Long Ashton etc.


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## Geri (Nov 29, 2010)

Ooh look, here is a house in my dad's road:

http://www.globrix.com/property-details/29163736-north_grove-pill-bs20-3_bed-house

This would be a brilliant place to bring up kids - a few streets away from the school, in the top part of the village which is very quiet and close to fields. I had a great childhood living there.

Or this one, in my nan & grandad's road:

http://www.vebra.com/property/2652/20729264

Different part of the village, still quiet though.


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## Jon-of-arc (Nov 30, 2010)

I lived in Trowbridge for a month or two, back in 2003.  It's probably not a bad place to bring up kids, but watch out for them getting so bored that they start to get a bit out of control.  Not that I know the first thing about bringing up kids, but that's what i would have ended up doing if I grew up in Trowbridge.  

It's got everything, from what I can remember.  Shops, good municipal facilities, close to Bath (with excellent transport links).  You can't go too far wrong.  It's not that nice to look at, mostly, though there is a pretty decent park in the town centre for hot summer days.  If there's work there, if you wanna escape london, you could probably do worse...


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## William of Walworth (Dec 1, 2010)

I wouldn't move there, but looks like we'll be heading for the Trowbridge Village Pump Festival (for our first time!) in July next year. 

Just sayin!


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## mattie (Dec 2, 2010)

Clevedon has a very pleasant old Victorian faded glory to it, a bit like Weston-S-M but less tacky.  It's further up the coast, has a famous pier and a bracing coastline (gets fucking freezing when the wind's up) and some lovely walks in the area.  No train - closed 60-odd years ago when it died as a tourist resort - but decent(ish) buses into Bristol.  House prices not that cheap, but flats start at just over the 100K mark for a one-bedroom.

Bradford-On-Avon is pleasant and the train service is decent - on the Bath/Brizzle - Salisbury line.  As FM says, they've finally done something with the old derelict mill/Avon rubber factory which was right on the river and are converting it into a load of flats (I think parts may already be retirement homes, not that clear from passing by).  It's huge, so I'd suspect plenty of places, but the location suggests it will be pretty pricey.

Avoid whiteway in Bath.  There's none of the benefits to living in Bath, save for being on the right side to drive to Bristol, and it's essentially a 60s housing estate.  Bath has seen pretty strong house prices for a few years (amazing to think you could have bought a Georgian townhouse for a song in the early 90s) so I would suggest looking elsewhere to get more bang for your buck.

Frome can be interesting (matey from Grand Designs lives there and raves about it) but the trains aren't that frequent, and are pretty much exclusively local stoppers that take about an hour to get into Brizzle.

Little villages in the Bristol area are pretty pricey, everyone loves a rural retreat, so I suspect not much joy there.

North of Bristol there's places like Little/Old Sodbury, Yate, Iron Acton and a bit further Wotton-under-Edge.  Nice little Costswoldy towns/villages but not sure how good public transport is, or indeed what prices are like.

Aside from offering options, and to answer the question, Trowbridge does not have a very good reputation but I've always found it not that bad whenever I've been.  The town centre is pretty small and has some decent old buildings to hold an interest, although the shops aren't that great - I mention this only as it feels like your standard satellite ghost town during the week.  Can't really comment on much else as I only go there infrequently, I'm afraid.


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## marty21 (Dec 2, 2010)

stupid dogbot said:


> Norton's only ropey if you grew up in somewhere that really fancies itself, like Bath...



  I grew up on the mean streets of Larkhall


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## fractionMan (Dec 2, 2010)

William of Walworth said:


> I wouldn't move there, but looks like we'll be heading for the Trowbridge Village Pump Festival (for our first time!) in July next year.
> 
> Just sayin!


 
Overpriced tiny festival warning!



marty21 said:


> I grew up on the mean streets of Larkhall


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## jusali (Dec 2, 2010)

My Mother in Law lives in Midsomer Norton it seems OK.
They've just built am awesome skate park there, so the kids should love that.


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## William of Walworth (Dec 3, 2010)

fractionMan said:
			
		

> Overpriced tiny festival warning!





Seen the price, and registered that now .... bit of a hmm??  moment going on chez the Festographers' household. 

Thanks for the warning though ....

(We're likely to be staying with festival mates in Bath for a w/e sometime in Feb. Will let you know beforehand, for pintage opps ...  )


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## cointreauman (Dec 4, 2010)

I wouldsteer clear of Trowbrdge - its grown quicker in the past few yars with new housing estates and littl work. Big Tescos there though. The Main shopping centre is looking a bit threadbare - has a small ASDA but M&S dumped their shop about 18 months back. 

Likly to b a big Local Government Job blackspot as Wiltshire CC hae to cut cut cut.

Useful Railway station in that you ca dive up to Bath and Bristol fairly quickly Northbound and either go to London or poiints North. Southbound the the next stop isWestbury with trains to Penzance ad ondon, further South is Salisbury (trains to Waterloo) and Southampton.

Roadwise A36 linking Bath and  Southamption, reasonably goodfor A303 - Stonehnge not too far off either,

Bradford on Avon is a nice place to live, although a bit pricier than Trowbridge. Loads of villags around the area but public transport can be ropey.

There is also MMelksham ad at a push Chippenhm North of Trowbridge.

You mention Midsomer Norton but in between is Frome and Radstock. Frome has a thriving but a little lovey heatre and the shopping area is a bit tired. There is a railway station there but very little use, thre are trains to be had to Bath and Westbury fo escape but you shouldceck the timetables. Big ASDA and Sainsbur's - fair amountof new buil and easy access to A36.

Shepton Mallet 0 resist resst resist. It ia little tad tiredand very deressed ecoonomically. ig out of twn shopping area wth the empty Woolies still unoccupie. 

Back t idsomerNorton - Some nice areas forhouses and not ridiculosy overpriced. Big plu point is sme very good schools in th area. This ncluses Writhlington - a school that has just been rebuilt on the bck of theSchols for the Future scheme ( now killed off), the Norton Hill - again a verygood )OFSTE - Excellent) school whichis federated with the other idsomer Norton School (Somervale Secondary) - theyhve optd to go for Academy statu dhave a very well nationlly respected Head.

The other town near to Bath i peasedown St John - bit of a betwixt nd between place, agricultuural bacdrop but has expanded, gaineda by pass and is the fist dormitory town South of Bat - the new build has made it 2 villages (old and new) - no secondary school - either South to idsomer Norton or North to Bath (S Gregorys RRC Secondary or Culver Hay - just slated for closure startingin Sept 2012 with no further year 7 entry).

Deending on your needs there is plenty of choice but the closer you get to Bath and cerin parts of Bristol the higer the pric of houses go for leass and less.

I left London 13 years ago and got a 4 bed detatched house with 5 acres of landfr £94K - swaped a sall 2 bed cottage in Sysdenhm and gotchange. Even with thedownturn that is now £300K plus. My kids were 8 and 6 when we got down here, bith got brilliant education and involved with loads of after school things, the eldest is in ni now and the youngest going next year (Liberal Democrat lying bastards permitting).

Downside includes a bit of xenophobia rm the locals. We have worked out that if the kids marry locals and their kids mrry locals and their kids marry locals then they may be granted local status until then you remain on the outside. If you gt involved in local politics, charities, communities - you are seen as outsiers taking over but apart form that life is better but very different form my day in Penge/Camberwell/Stockwell/Walworth/Kentish Town/Tottenham/Walthamstow/Peckham/Sydenham.

There has been a loit of ew building North f Bath/Keynsham andBristl around the A4176 eastbound (off J1 ofthe M32/J19 M4) - some nice som not so. Yate and Chipping Sodbury are South Gloucestershire North side of the M4. Nit of a drag drivinginto ath andBristl.

Hope that helops a little - nothing beats a few days down here an popping int places (like the schools) for a tour. Some of the secondary schools are short of talers so they are glad of a chance to "guide" potentials.

C


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