Thinking of moving to Devon - any advice?
- Thread starter Domo
- Start date
Been there a few times and seems a good mix of nice area with enough going on that young children won't be eternally bored(until they hit their teens I suppose 
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Exeter, the M5 and mainline trains from Newton Abbot to family in the North and London are in easy reach. So far it seems a good choice (or accepting everywhere has good and bad points as good a choice for what we want as anywhere).
We've spent a lot of time in N Devon, particularly around Braughton. The trouble is that although it's a stunning area with some great communities it's a long trip just to get back to the motorway/mainline if you want to get to family elsewhere in the country.
)Exeter, the M5 and mainline trains from Newton Abbot to family in the North and London are in easy reach. So far it seems a good choice (or accepting everywhere has good and bad points as good a choice for what we want as anywhere).
We've spent a lot of time in N Devon, particularly around Braughton. The trouble is that although it's a stunning area with some great communities it's a long trip just to get back to the motorway/mainline if you want to get to family elsewhere in the country.
I'll add my 2p's worth.
I live in kingsteignton, it joins onto newton abbot and is about 15mins from exeter, and 45mins from plymouth. Dartmoor is 15mins away and the coast is 15 mins away. We have a 5yr old, misses is a doctor at torbay and i work bleeding miles away in dorset.
The beaches are nice, they arent full of oldies so thats ok - however they arent on a par with sandbanks where i used to live near.
Work wise there is some about and both the big devon cities are commutable easily from where i live, schools are ok, some good some bad, personally our daughter goes to a private school (grandparents offered to pay!)
It nice here, quality of life is ok, prices arent all that bad really and on the whole its ok. Sadly i still wish i was living in dorset but that could be cos i work there, and grew up there, but it comes a close second.
I live in kingsteignton, it joins onto newton abbot and is about 15mins from exeter, and 45mins from plymouth. Dartmoor is 15mins away and the coast is 15 mins away. We have a 5yr old, misses is a doctor at torbay and i work bleeding miles away in dorset.
The beaches are nice, they arent full of oldies so thats ok - however they arent on a par with sandbanks where i used to live near.
Work wise there is some about and both the big devon cities are commutable easily from where i live, schools are ok, some good some bad, personally our daughter goes to a private school (grandparents offered to pay!)
It nice here, quality of life is ok, prices arent all that bad really and on the whole its ok. Sadly i still wish i was living in dorset but that could be cos i work there, and grew up there, but it comes a close second.
We rented a flat in the main high street above a bank in Paignton for just under 5 years, it was nice for the price but the flat itself wasn't great.
But boy was it cheap
We looked at houses there as it'd have been nice to get the 'right' side of Penn Inn as we both work in Exeter, but didn't really find anything available at the time we liked
Just been out with some friends to a pub tonight who live there though
tbh anywhere from Torbay to Exeter is ok, Teignmouth, Dawlish also good.
Then places like Bovey aren't bad but probably not great with kids if you're worried about them getting bored
I like it down here, always lived down here, and we've both been lucky enough to have decent jobs in the area. Yes I could earn a lot more moving elsewhere but we like it here and don't really want to move.
The in laws live London way and they are trying to get down here now they are both retired as well.
But boy was it cheap
We looked at houses there as it'd have been nice to get the 'right' side of Penn Inn as we both work in Exeter, but didn't really find anything available at the time we liked
Just been out with some friends to a pub tonight who live there though
tbh anywhere from Torbay to Exeter is ok, Teignmouth, Dawlish also good.
Then places like Bovey aren't bad but probably not great with kids if you're worried about them getting bored
I like it down here, always lived down here, and we've both been lucky enough to have decent jobs in the area. Yes I could earn a lot more moving elsewhere but we like it here and don't really want to move.
The in laws live London way and they are trying to get down here now they are both retired as well.
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- Torbay, UK
All that is true in the winter.... in the summer when the place is full of tourists you can at least double travelling time for beach, getting round Dartmoor etc.
I noticed a couple of people comment about not much to do as a kid. I beg to differ, I have two kids, there is plenty for them to do round here, and I'd rather they grew up round these parts than some crime infested city.
I would however say check out the situation for your particular trade before committing, saying that, if you're used to 40-60 minute commutes already you'd be fine.
I've not had any problem getting to dawlish or teignmouth beaches and the moor is a stones throw, so many routes up there we never have a problem with traffic.
I agree its a good place to grow up as a kid, far better than inner city.
I agree its a good place to grow up as a kid, far better than inner city.
agree with this, moved to this area 6 years ago from derbyshire, nice place
I went to a school in Bideford called Grenville College, great (but brief) times
I really would hate to live in North Devon though, its a right pain to get anywhere quickly.
The roads from Bideford to say, Plymouth are atrocious if your not in the right mood.
I really would hate to live in North Devon though, its a right pain to get anywhere quickly.
The roads from Bideford to say, Plymouth are atrocious if your not in the right mood.
Kingsteignton is a great place, go to a big VW meet there every month at a certain pub!
Oh and the road from the a38/m5 to torquay (coming from bristol) is just awesome, reminds me of gran turismo 1.
Really wouldn't look as far west as Cornwall/Devon. Somerset ***! Having grown up in Bideford then Wells then moving to North Staffs (yes Stoke) as a teenager, I certainly loved the smallness of the countryside as a youth and as an adult enjoy the size of the City (shame Stoke is stuck between Brum/Manchester as I am sure it would actually have some investment if it wasn't) high house prices will kill you though (always amzes me how ave wage is supposed to be about 18k and 3 bed semi is 200k+)