# Shepton Mallet - could it really be that bad?!!



## Fifibee (Nov 12, 2018)

Hi all,

I'm contemplating a move to Shepton Mallet and wanted some honest opinions.  I'm from Australia and so sick of the heat and need green open spaces and gentle seasons for a change (I grew up in Bedfordshire so life in England won't be a shock).  It looks lovely from what I see on google maps and seems to have everything I'd need but I've read some negative comments about the place being full of chavs, boring etc.  I live a quiet life and don't need nightlife, fine dining or fancy shops.  I have a 9 year old son so just outdoor adventures, country walks, farm fun, steam trains etc and a safe community.

I'd be looking for part-time work in Shepton and have my eye on a good priced property.  What's employment like there?  Are people friendly (I would hate to live anywhere snooty) and does it have a good sense of community? (this is really important to me).  What are medical services and the hospital like?  I couldn't see a cricket club in Shepton, is there one close by?  What's the next main town for a good shop (ie. furniture, M&S etc), Wells?

Lastly what are the areas/estates to stay away from if any?

Any help and information would be greatly appreciated


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## skyscraper101 (Nov 12, 2018)

I'm sure there are plenty or urbs with way more knowledge of than me along shortly. Out of interest, why the specific interest in Shepton Mallet?

I'd take comments online with a pinch of salt. 'Chavs' isn't a well regarded term here either. It's probably only 'boring' if what you crave is nightlife, copious leisure facilities, and a big multicultural community like in Bristol or London. If it's anything like where I grew up in neighbouring Wiltshire, it'll be a standard South West town, with strong rural connections, plenty of history and rural walks, often dark wet and miserable in the Winter. But also beautiful when the sun comes out and in the long Summer evenings. Definitely seasonal.

Your 9 year old. Has he much experience of England? Do you think he'd appreciate the move too? It's important obviously that you both get the best of of this. Might you have any opportunity to sample it for a week or two before committing to the move?

And welcome to Urban


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## keybored (Nov 12, 2018)

I live a few miles from there at the moment. The high street is dying on its arse, but that could be said for plenty of towns. There's a couple of retail parks if that's your thing. I find the people friendly. Nearest cricket club is probably Midsomer Norton. Nearest town for shopping will be Bristol or Bath, 45 mins drive. Wells is nice to visit, bustling high street but don't expect too much choice for shopping there either. I've not registered for the doctors yet, there's a well-reviewed NHS dentist I keep meaning to transfer to.

If you like green spaces and rural walks you're laughing, you're on the edge of the Mendips and there's endless other areas. Frome and Glastonbury are nearby if you can tolerate hippies and liberals.

I'm pretty happy here, most of my friends and family are in and around Bristol but I like to be somewhere quieter and cheaper.


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## stavros (Nov 12, 2018)

There's no station, which for me would be a real negative. For one weekend a year you may have several thousand people passing through too.


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## lizzieloo (Nov 12, 2018)

I think it'd be a shit place to live if you were young and looking for nightlife, a lot of the stuff you're going to find online about it being boring is going to have been written by people that want to be entertained, it's certainly no Bristol. 

But if you're a bit older and looking to settle and have your own transport I can't see that it would be too bad. 

I read something fairly recently about things improving there but that might have been written by the Shepton Mallet Chamber of Commerce. 

I'll see if I can find it.


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## Fifibee (Nov 13, 2018)

Thanks so much for the posts, love this site!  Yes I read that too Lizzieloo which made me hopeful there'd be a sense of enthusiasm about the town and not 'dying on its arse' like keybored says.  I can tolerate hippies as I'm a bit of one myself but you'd never know, well I guess my definition is vegetarian diet, healthy lifestyle etc (minus the drugs).  Skyscraper the reason for the possible move there is basically I'm in need of a quality furnished rental as this might just be for a year or two to see how I feel living back in England.  I just need to be somewhere away from the cities in a quiet area but close enough to them as well and not too far north....so I'm googling rentals and if the perfect rental comes up then I consider the area.	We've had plenty of trips to UK (but never SM) so son knows what to expect and would love the adventure.  It might just be different living there than visiting... but the colder climate is a MAJOR pull for me and a cold Christmas, Spring flowers, a gentle Summer where you don't get fried alive (apart from this year!), Autumn colors etc. 

Are there any areas/estates to stay away from when renting? 
Are there good parks with good equipment for the bigger kids (ie, flying fox, bigger rope frames etc)?
Any primary schools to steer clear of?


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## lizzieloo (Nov 13, 2018)

This is pretty recent but I don't think it was the article I was thinking of... 

Shepton Mallet - Less Rubbish, More Art - Normal For Glastonbury

I should be selling Shepton as I have lots of family there but have you considered Frome? It's a bit more expensive though. 

This is just after a quick, half asleep google...

Let’s move to Frome, Somerset: ‘You want community? You got it’

But I'm sure you can find more.


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## wiskey (Nov 13, 2018)

I'd definitely go for Frome over Shepton, it's got more interesting people living in it and doing interesting things.


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## twentythreedom (Nov 13, 2018)

Choosing Shepton Mallet over any others of the numerous small towns in the SW does seem a bit random. It'll be worth looking at other places too. 

Shepton itself is nothing particularly special, nice though it is. Have you considered living near the sea? There are loads of small towns and villages dotted along the coast of eg Devon and Dorset.

Coastal SW England is really beautiful, it'd be worth your while to look at places other than Shepton.

SW England is a great choice though, all the best people live there 

Good luck in your search


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## Chilli.s (Nov 13, 2018)

I'd go Frome over Shepton, more of a small town and I prefer the surrounding countryside too. Possibly more expensive, but not much.


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## lizzieloo (Nov 13, 2018)

Shepton is cheap though innit. 

The smaller towns in Wiltshire would be too.


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## cupid_stunt (Nov 13, 2018)

Somerset is a lovely part of the country, I miss it so much, but I've only visited SM, never spent much time there, so no real comment, but I'll page High Voltage  & izz for their feedback, as they live there.


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## kalidarkone (Nov 13, 2018)

cupid_stunt said:


> Somerset is a lovely part of the country, I miss it so much, but I've only visited SM, never spent much time there, so no real comment, but I'll page High Voltage  & izz for their feedback, as they live there.


OK oh maybe we should do a somerset camping thing!


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## cupid_stunt (Nov 13, 2018)

Wait 'til Fifibee moves there, then have a urban75 invasion.


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## lizzieloo (Nov 13, 2018)

cupid_stunt said:


> Wait 'til Fifibee moves there, then have a urban75 invasion.



Instant friends


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## lizzieloo (Nov 13, 2018)

kalidarkone said:


> Define Chav.



Fifibee "chav" is a shitty word to use but I'm guessing if you've been looking around the Internet at small market town reviews and haven't lived in the UK since childhood you'd get the impression that it was fine.

It isn't.


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## keybored (Nov 13, 2018)

If you're renting, avoid "Lettings R Us Ltd" like the plague.


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## kalidarkone (Nov 13, 2018)

lizzieloo said:


> Fifibee "chav" is a shitty word to use but I'm guessing if you've been looking around the Internet at small market town reviews and haven't lived in the UK since childhood you'd get the impression that it was fine.
> 
> It isn't.


I edited my post cus initially the op got my back up with assumptions regarding ' estates' and using terminology such as  'chav' . However I had a coffee and wound my neck in. Then posted it by mistake


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## friedaweed (Nov 13, 2018)




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## skyscraper101 (Nov 13, 2018)

I've been doing a lot of reading recently about Shepton Mallet on its Wikipedia page. It looks nice. Kilver Court Gardens looks especially good. I'd like to visit that.

There's some cool facts about Shepton Mallet too. They used the prison to store a lot of national archives during WW2, including the Magna Carter, and the scrap of paper signed by Hitler and Chamberlain. 

They also used to make Babycham there


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## kalidarkone (Nov 13, 2018)

skyscraper101 said:


> I've been doing a lot of reading recently about Shepton Mallet on its Wikipedia page. It looks nice. Kilver Court Gardens looks especially good. I'd like to visit that.
> 
> There's some cool facts about Shepton Mallet too. They used the prison to store a lot of national archives during WW2, including the Magna Carter, and the scrap of paper signed by Hitler and Chamberlain.
> 
> They also used to make Babycham there


Ah yes have often driven past the baby cham factory - now sadly closed .
I don't know anything about Shepton Mallet apart from got a few old mates ( lost touch) living out there and a few of the midwives I worked with live round the Wells area.


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## High Voltage (Nov 13, 2018)

cupid_stunt - Correct - me and izz live in Shepton and have for over 10 years now - I'm currently at work (in Bristol), so will return to post in more detail this evening


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## lizzieloo (Nov 13, 2018)

kalidarkone said:


> I edited my post cus initially the op got my back up with assumptions regarding ' estates' and using terminology such as  'chav' . However I had a coffee and wound my neck in. Then posted it by mistake


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## lizzieloo (Nov 13, 2018)

I had an adventure in Shepton when I was 3. It was Easter, I was shopping with my nan, she went into the grocer's shop that had an Easter display in the window, loads of little yellow chicks, I was transfixed by them so didn't follow her into the shop, then realised I was alone so I set off back to her house on my own.

 

Part of my toddle was crossing the A471, I'd had it drummed into me that it was a DANGEROUS crossing and actually remember that bit, I also had to cross over the main road just after that junction too.

My mum nearly died when I arrived home on my own, I can't even imagine my nan's panic.

Intrepid little shit


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## lizzieloo (Nov 13, 2018)

Just re-reading that post it seems utterly mad that nobody stopped me, this was the 70s when, it seems, it was perfectly normal for a tiny kid to be wandering about on her own.


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## felixthecat (Nov 13, 2018)

Shepton is ok but I'd choose Frome over it. Love Frome - my second job is working with their rugby club (I live about 15 mins away)


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## SpookyFrank (Nov 13, 2018)

lizzieloo said:


> Shepton is cheap though innit.
> 
> The smaller towns in Wiltshire would be too.



Not necessarily. Anything within spitting distance of the M4 and you've got commuters pushing the prices up.


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## keybored (Nov 13, 2018)

SpookyFrank said:


> Not necessarily. Anything within spitting distance of the M4 and you've got commuters pushing the prices up.


Not everywhere in Wiltshire is though. eg. Warminster is no closer to the M4 than Frome or Shepton (and there are plenty of places in Wiltshire even further South than that).


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## lizzieloo (Nov 13, 2018)

SpookyFrank said:


> Not necessarily. Anything within spitting distance of the M4 and you've got commuters pushing the prices up.



OK then. West/South Wiltshire. You could say "not necessarily cheap" about pretty much anywhere.

 

If you only ever see Wiltshire from the M4 you're missing most of it.


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## skyscraper101 (Nov 13, 2018)

Swindon is in Wiltshire. Map says otherwise 

Shitehole anyway. South Wiltshire is much nicer.


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## lizzieloo (Nov 13, 2018)

skyscraper101 said:


> Swindon is in Wiltshire. Map says otherwise



That's debatable as it goes, something to do with unitary authorities


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## High Voltage (Nov 13, 2018)

Fifibee said:


> Thanks so much for the posts, love this site!  Yes I read that too Lizzieloo which made me hopeful there'd be a sense of enthusiasm about the town and not 'dying on its arse' like keybored says.  I can tolerate hippies as I'm a bit of one myself but you'd never know, well I guess my definition is vegetarian diet, healthy lifestyle etc (minus the drugs).  Skyscraper the reason for the possible move there is basically I'm in need of a quality furnished rental as this might just be for a year or two to see how I feel living back in England.  I just need to be somewhere away from the cities in a quiet area but close enough to them as well and not too far north....so I'm googling rentals and if the perfect rental comes up then I consider the area.	We've had plenty of trips to UK (but never SM) so son knows what to expect and would love the adventure.  It might just be different living there than visiting... but the colder climate is a MAJOR pull for me and a cold Christmas, Spring flowers, a gentle Summer where you don't get fried alive (apart from this year!), Autumn colors etc.
> 
> Are there any areas/estates to stay away from when renting?
> Are there good parks with good equipment for the bigger kids (ie, flying fox, bigger rope frames etc)?
> Any primary schools to steer clear of?



As posted previously - we ( izz and me) live in Shepton and have done for the last 10-15 years

We choose to live here it split our work commutes (at the time)

People move to live in Shepton because it's cheaper than East and West Harptree and a LOT cheaper than living in Bath

Frome, as a town, is nicer, but it is WAY more expensive than Shepton and Shepton is a 15-20 minute drive away

The High Street in Shepton is dying - ever since the totally inappropriately sized Tesco and associated "business park" opened up - the Tesco here is HUGE

We've also got an Aldi, which for the size of the town is pretty big

As for other shops . . . basically, we go to Wells (3-4 miles away) for our shopping or on-line

Wells has another Tesco (not as big) - a Lidl - a Waitrose and a quite large Morrisons and from a supermarket PoV that's about it (so no ASDA, thank goodness)

The High Street in Wells is still not too "corporate" - there's a SubWay that's always EMPTY and yet 30 yards away there's an independent cafe (Andres) that's rammed - if you don't get in there early on a Saturday morning (or book a table) you're probably going to be out of luck

There are 2 markets a week (one on Saturday and one on Wednesday) the Wednesday one is more food biased and is pretty good for lots of "nice" stuff . . . it's not cheap but you are supporting local suppliers

There's a good bus service between Shepton and Wells - (luckily, we're only about a 2-3 minute walk from a bus stop, yet choose to drive rather than catch the bus because it's cheaper to drive than catch the bus - something like £2-3 each EACH Way for the bus) but they do run "about" every 20-30 minutes - parking in Wells is £1.60 for 2 hours . . . there's very little on-street parking

What else - jobs - well the local cider / baby cham site (Showerings) was recently bought by the bastards who own Magners for, I think, rights to brew Strongbow(?) then they shut the mill down - it's since been bought and is still producing (Brothers Cider) but on a MUCH smaller scale - they were a BIG employer in Shepton

As for other jobs - there's going to be Tesco and other shop / pub / bar / restaurant type work - but it's going to be minimum pay

I'm in print and I have to drive to Bristol to get a barely half decent paying job (izz also drives to Bristol for her job (civil service)

We genuinely love it here - we're in our late 50's and the pace of life really suits us - I have the odd night out in Bristol where I stay with a friend when I need to let off steam

There's one Indian restaurant (which really does blow hot and cold . . . currently blowing cold)
2 Chinese resturants (we only ever use one and that's recently changed hands and is just about OK
2 pizza houses (one independent and a Dominos)
And a kebab / chicken / burger / Fish and chips take away which is at best average
And one proper fish and chip shop / restaurant

As for schools - don't know - we've not got kids - but there are schools in Wells that are supposedly excellent - could find out more if you come here as I know people who have kids

There's obviously more - ask away or PM

As for estates to avoid - there's one estate with, supposedly a "drug problem" - but if there is a problem it's pretty minor - I've walked around there and driven around there and whilst not oozing money from every pore - it's not exactly on the bones of its arse either - certainly nothing like as run down as, I'd imagine, "proper" city estates are


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## izz (Nov 14, 2018)

Does seem curiously random Fifibee - what made you think of it ? There are hundreds of small towns in the southwest that would fit your needs, why Shepton ? As for part time work, not sure how feasible that is, I think most people do commute.


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## stavros (Nov 14, 2018)

Frome, to me, is synonymous with the best record shop in Somerset, Raves from the Grave. Many an hour I spent in there waiting for trains back to Taunton.


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## keybored (Nov 16, 2018)

lizzieloo said:


> That's debatable as it goes, something to do with unitary authorities


I never knew that! Sure enough, if you Google map Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire their borders all skirt around Swindon.

No one wants Swindon


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## Riklet (Nov 16, 2018)

Frome can be a cool place and considering you just want to rent for a bit and enjoy life for a year it could be good. It's a more young, happening, alternative kinda town, not much crime or rough parts or sketchiness, fair few local businesses cafes restaurants and markets too. Also a _fantastic_ music scene compared to any other small town in the south west. Guaranteed better food than the depressing take-away options in most small towns too.

And expensive!! Some people would find it unbelievably shit twee insufferable and full of that kind of trendy Bristol right-on up itself-ness too. It's community yoghurt weaving land. An example being transport - Frome has _terrible_ transport links, so for all the eco frothing, most want a car to work or get to anywhere else. Which is also terrible. Then again, I know lots of peeps my age from Frome who love it and basically never leave anyway.

Shepton I dont know hardly at all, looked pretty dead driving through a few weeks ago tho. Still, OP, if youre planning this exciting change for a year-long 10 degree drop in weather, it's worth exploring properly and being honest with yourself about what you really want and like. It's a big move to make for a 9 year old although that said, I wouldnt worry about finding good schools. There are good schools all over the south west, even if you kid will experience severe culture shock!

I would rent somewhere temporarily for a few weeks while you explore the area by car and decide if Shepton, Wells, Frome, Radstock, Cheddar etc or even further south into Dorset/Devon appeal. All of these places have cool things going on and (gurt) lush countryside nearby but you need to be exploring with a bit of sunshine before you pick somewhere to rent.  The prices vary a fair bit too but generally the closer to Bath the more expensive, pretty tough if you ever want to buy.

As for work - work online (maybe in Australia?) and youll be much happier, even if only part time.You will be shocked at how bad salaries are here. And even if you land a well-paid job in Bris youll spend 2 hours a day driving rather than seeing your kid or exploring the countryside so avoid if possible.


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## lizzieloo (Nov 16, 2018)

Someone ought to mention if you do move to Frome don't call it Frome, call it Froom.


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## Riklet (Nov 17, 2018)

Made me think of this thread 

Stop tryin to trick the OP though, it's pronounced Frohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmehhh


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## lizzieloo (Nov 18, 2018)

I'm afraid that photo would completely put me off Frome, get the sentiment but the hard hats...


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## keybored (Nov 18, 2018)

Riklet said:


> Some people would find it unbelievably shit twee insufferable and full of that kind of trendy Bristol right-on up itself-ness too. It's community yoghurt weaving land


This.

The only thing Frome is good for is the odd messy night out at 23 Bath Street or Cheese & Grain. Oh and fairly cheap diesel at Asda.


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## Geri (Nov 18, 2018)

Also, Frome is full of Assadists.


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