Bracknell - good place to live with family?
Discussion
Hi folks,
What is Bracknell like these days? We are starting to look for our first place and budget dictates a 3 bed in Bracknell/Wokingham/Maybe Martins Heron at a stretch.
In my teenage days I used to work at the John Nike complex in Bracknell and it didn't have the best reputation. I see they are rebuilding the shopping centre so is it on the up?
Schools look a bit hit and miss judging by offsted reports but where are the places to avoid and where is nice? Ideally want to be not too far from the train station if possible.
Thanks in advance!
What is Bracknell like these days? We are starting to look for our first place and budget dictates a 3 bed in Bracknell/Wokingham/Maybe Martins Heron at a stretch.
In my teenage days I used to work at the John Nike complex in Bracknell and it didn't have the best reputation. I see they are rebuilding the shopping centre so is it on the up?
Schools look a bit hit and miss judging by offsted reports but where are the places to avoid and where is nice? Ideally want to be not too far from the train station if possible.
Thanks in advance!
Kiwi
It is just like everywhere else nowadays. full of fat unmarried mothers!
Having said that some schools are ok, you just need to do a bit of research.
The new centre should be an inprovement
Good Eating places in and around the area
Traffic is meh, but will get worse with the feeding frenzy of building zillions of houses on any spare bit of grass. Just look at the area north near Tescos,and now its the Fields opposite John Nike getting the concrete, This coupled with the recent stuff built in Wokingham AND still going on makes the A329 and A329(M) car parks during the rush hours
BUT Its good for getting away from to other places,and a drive of minutes out to Crown Estate Land and plenty of countryside, despite the bricks.
It is just like everywhere else nowadays. full of fat unmarried mothers!
Having said that some schools are ok, you just need to do a bit of research.
The new centre should be an inprovement
Good Eating places in and around the area
Traffic is meh, but will get worse with the feeding frenzy of building zillions of houses on any spare bit of grass. Just look at the area north near Tescos,and now its the Fields opposite John Nike getting the concrete, This coupled with the recent stuff built in Wokingham AND still going on makes the A329 and A329(M) car parks during the rush hours
BUT Its good for getting away from to other places,and a drive of minutes out to Crown Estate Land and plenty of countryside, despite the bricks.
It's a s
thole, don't do it to yourself. Full of chavs, retards and in-breds. Higher crime rate than surrounding areas, McDonalds is the most popular restaurant in the area, it's a dump.
Martins Heron is much nicer but quiet as it has nothing but houses there. Binfield and Winkfield are also nicer.
thole, don't do it to yourself. Full of chavs, retards and in-breds. Higher crime rate than surrounding areas, McDonalds is the most popular restaurant in the area, it's a dump.Martins Heron is much nicer but quiet as it has nothing but houses there. Binfield and Winkfield are also nicer.
Grew up in Bracknell, moved out of great Holland when I was 7 to forest park and lived there for 20 odd years. That side of bracknell is fine in my opinion, Martins heron is nice with some fairly expensive property's, Warfield is better imo behind the tescos.
Unfortunately bracknell comes with the stigma as seen by previous peoples comments but I found it to be OK. (once I moved from GH)
Unfortunately bracknell comes with the stigma as seen by previous peoples comments but I found it to be OK. (once I moved from GH)
RemyMartin81D said:
Bracknell is a st hole.
People move here because they can't afford the nice areas around it.
Quite possibly us!t hole.People move here because they can't afford the nice areas around it.
We live in Woodley right now, which I grew up in, the other half thinks it's full of old people. She's not wrong (better that than chavs though). Main issue is her lack of driving dictating not to far from train station. I've told her 1.5 miles is perfectly reasonable cycle. PH answer is to tell her to learn to drive!
I'd avoid Bracknell like the plague, OP! It's a miserable sh*thole in my experience, especially for motorists! Roundabouts everywhere, and they've put traffic lights on most of them just to mess up the flow of traffic completely! They are sequenced so that in most cases you will have to stop at least twice to get around each roundabout and the lights are left on 24 hours a day so you get to stop and look at the non-existent traffic even at 10 at night! Then on the A329 by the Coral Reef they took the roundabout out and put in lights instead - Genius (not)!
Just for background, I moved from Sandhurst to Binfield in 2005(in a road more or less opposite the Coppid Beech Hotel). Nice and peaceful but nowhere near anything much, apart from the Shell garage - ooh, and Laithwaites!
But there is a load of house-building planned for that area now, so probably not so good now, and it's nowhere near the station!
Anyway I moved out of there in 2011 (when we separated) and I went back to Sandhurst, which I much prefer.
But I also spent a year and a half delivering online shopping for a local supermarket in 2011 and 2012 and hated Bracknell runs with a vengeance! Used to pray my route would be Sunningdale, Windlesham, Ascot, etc. Anywhere else basically!
Then from 2012 to 2015 I worked on the Western Industrial Estate, so I think I got a pretty good feel for the place!
Anyway IMHO Binfield village and Wokingham are good, Warfield, Martins Heron and Winkfield are OK but we really wanted Winkfield Row - just never managed to get to see a house there before it had sold! It seems local schools were highly rated (possibly still are) - ironic really as we had no kids, just liked the area! I would also think about Crowthorne and South Ascot, plus Sunninghill (if within budget).
But good luck OP - hope you manage to find something you like.
Just for background, I moved from Sandhurst to Binfield in 2005(in a road more or less opposite the Coppid Beech Hotel). Nice and peaceful but nowhere near anything much, apart from the Shell garage - ooh, and Laithwaites!
But there is a load of house-building planned for that area now, so probably not so good now, and it's nowhere near the station!Anyway I moved out of there in 2011 (when we separated) and I went back to Sandhurst, which I much prefer.
But I also spent a year and a half delivering online shopping for a local supermarket in 2011 and 2012 and hated Bracknell runs with a vengeance! Used to pray my route would be Sunningdale, Windlesham, Ascot, etc. Anywhere else basically!
Then from 2012 to 2015 I worked on the Western Industrial Estate, so I think I got a pretty good feel for the place!
Anyway IMHO Binfield village and Wokingham are good, Warfield, Martins Heron and Winkfield are OK but we really wanted Winkfield Row - just never managed to get to see a house there before it had sold! It seems local schools were highly rated (possibly still are) - ironic really as we had no kids, just liked the area! I would also think about Crowthorne and South Ascot, plus Sunninghill (if within budget).
But good luck OP - hope you manage to find something you like.
To be fair, they're spending a fortune on a brand new massive shopping centre/complex and have bulldozed all that horrible concrete jungle... It looks like it will be a decent place when finished with all the usual suspects present... Waitress started the trend by building a brand new store a few years ago.
Housing tho, I would still say you need to look at least 2m out of Bracknell town centre to live... towards Ascot, Binfield, Warfield, Wokingham etc
Traffic.. can be sh*te at rush hour esp. to/from M3, to/from M4, and will be sh*te around The Ring once the new shopping centre opens !!
Housing tho, I would still say you need to look at least 2m out of Bracknell town centre to live... towards Ascot, Binfield, Warfield, Wokingham etc
Traffic.. can be sh*te at rush hour esp. to/from M3, to/from M4, and will be sh*te around The Ring once the new shopping centre opens !!
My friend has lived there for 15 years and I've been there a lot.
The town was awfully outdated but its getting a brand new one so that will be great. Apart from that it seems fine to me. He lived in Binfield and it was just like any other place.
Bracknell is on the shortcut route from the M4 to the M3 so you'll always get that on the main route in and out of the place.
The town was awfully outdated but its getting a brand new one so that will be great. Apart from that it seems fine to me. He lived in Binfield and it was just like any other place.
Bracknell is on the shortcut route from the M4 to the M3 so you'll always get that on the main route in and out of the place.
Lived in Crowthorne for my first 28 years, then lived in Bracknell for the last 7. Yes some areas are worth avoiding, but there are some decent area's as well.
The issue is that initially Bracknell was a 'new town' built in 1960's and its shows. The town centre is a concrete masterpiece, but will be replaced by something brand new in 2018. Also lots of money being pumped in to improve the surrounding facilities which is fantastic.
In terms of housing you have the main estates of Great Hollands, Wildridings, Hanworth, Birch Hill, Easthampsted, Crown Wood, Priestwood which look very similar. House are packed in and parking is now difficult. Housing is varied and depending on which part of the estates you look at you can find some nice places. If you look outside of Bracknell main estates and into Winkfield, Wokingham, Crowthorne, Binfield, Forest Park, Ascot they tend to be nicer but you pay for the privilege. You can get a 3 bed house in Bracknell from £300k but looking nearer £400k for the surrounding areas. It really depends on your budget.
Traffic is the main issue though as someone has mentioned. Main route from M3 to M4 so rush hour is horrific at times, and even worse at the moment due to road works.
On the plus side the location is excellent in terms of getting places. Close to M3 and M4, and the train line is direct to London in an hour (slow train). Lots of nice places nearby for countryside walks etc.
Lots and lots of big companies based in Bracknell which makes employment good.
In summary Bracknell is not a sh*thole as people seem to make out. Yes some parts are rubbish and if you had the choice I would avoid but its the same in any big town. Your budget is the driving force in terms of where you can afford to buy.
The issue is that initially Bracknell was a 'new town' built in 1960's and its shows. The town centre is a concrete masterpiece, but will be replaced by something brand new in 2018. Also lots of money being pumped in to improve the surrounding facilities which is fantastic.
In terms of housing you have the main estates of Great Hollands, Wildridings, Hanworth, Birch Hill, Easthampsted, Crown Wood, Priestwood which look very similar. House are packed in and parking is now difficult. Housing is varied and depending on which part of the estates you look at you can find some nice places. If you look outside of Bracknell main estates and into Winkfield, Wokingham, Crowthorne, Binfield, Forest Park, Ascot they tend to be nicer but you pay for the privilege. You can get a 3 bed house in Bracknell from £300k but looking nearer £400k for the surrounding areas. It really depends on your budget.
Traffic is the main issue though as someone has mentioned. Main route from M3 to M4 so rush hour is horrific at times, and even worse at the moment due to road works.
On the plus side the location is excellent in terms of getting places. Close to M3 and M4, and the train line is direct to London in an hour (slow train). Lots of nice places nearby for countryside walks etc.
Lots and lots of big companies based in Bracknell which makes employment good.
In summary Bracknell is not a sh*thole as people seem to make out. Yes some parts are rubbish and if you had the choice I would avoid but its the same in any big town. Your budget is the driving force in terms of where you can afford to buy.
Totally agree ^^^
I live in Binfield (and have done for the past 14 years), it's a really nice place to live and still has a bit of a village feel to it, and (for the time being) is surrounded by countryside. Prior to Binfield we lived in The Warren (small estate just over from Martins Heron), also a nice place to live but nothing there - just houses.
Budget will dictate where you go but I personally would prefer a 2 bed in Binfield than a 3 bed in Bracknell (unless you absolutely have to have the 3rd bedroom). That said we are considering a move away from Binfield in the next few years as a number of fields surrounding the village are earmarked for large housing developments, traffic in the area is already heavy during rush hour so once the local developments are completed I can only imagine rush hour in a few years time will be total gridlock!
It's easy to 'Bracknell bash' as the centre of the town is disgusting, and a number of the older housing estates are dated and have a reputation based historical issues. That said the town centre is in the middle of a muti million £'s re-fit and the demographic of the area is changing as more and more professional people are forced into some of the older estates due to the cost of housing - fast forward a couple of years and if you choose your area carefully you could see your house price rise faster than the surrounding areas - just look at what has happened to house prices in Reading over the past 10 or so years.
I would rather live on the outskirts of Bracknell than other local towns like Slough or Reading!
Other areas to consider would be Twyford (tends to be slightly cheaper than Binfield/Warfield/Winkfield), or some of the outlying areas of Maidenhead like Cox Green, Woodlands Park etc
I live in Binfield (and have done for the past 14 years), it's a really nice place to live and still has a bit of a village feel to it, and (for the time being) is surrounded by countryside. Prior to Binfield we lived in The Warren (small estate just over from Martins Heron), also a nice place to live but nothing there - just houses.
Budget will dictate where you go but I personally would prefer a 2 bed in Binfield than a 3 bed in Bracknell (unless you absolutely have to have the 3rd bedroom). That said we are considering a move away from Binfield in the next few years as a number of fields surrounding the village are earmarked for large housing developments, traffic in the area is already heavy during rush hour so once the local developments are completed I can only imagine rush hour in a few years time will be total gridlock!
It's easy to 'Bracknell bash' as the centre of the town is disgusting, and a number of the older housing estates are dated and have a reputation based historical issues. That said the town centre is in the middle of a muti million £'s re-fit and the demographic of the area is changing as more and more professional people are forced into some of the older estates due to the cost of housing - fast forward a couple of years and if you choose your area carefully you could see your house price rise faster than the surrounding areas - just look at what has happened to house prices in Reading over the past 10 or so years.
I would rather live on the outskirts of Bracknell than other local towns like Slough or Reading!
Other areas to consider would be Twyford (tends to be slightly cheaper than Binfield/Warfield/Winkfield), or some of the outlying areas of Maidenhead like Cox Green, Woodlands Park etc
Kiwi79 said:
RemyMartin81D said:
Bracknell is a st hole.
People move here because they can't afford the nice areas around it.
Quite possibly us!t hole.People move here because they can't afford the nice areas around it.
We live in Woodley right now, which I grew up in, the other half thinks it's full of old people. She's not wrong (better that than chavs though). Main issue is her lack of driving dictating not to far from train station. I've told her 1.5 miles is perfectly reasonable cycle. PH answer is to tell her to learn to drive!
Challo said:
Kiwi79 said:
RemyMartin81D said:
Bracknell is a st hole.
People move here because they can't afford the nice areas around it.
Quite possibly us!t hole.People move here because they can't afford the nice areas around it.
We live in Woodley right now, which I grew up in, the other half thinks it's full of old people. She's not wrong (better that than chavs though). Main issue is her lack of driving dictating not to far from train station. I've told her 1.5 miles is perfectly reasonable cycle. PH answer is to tell her to learn to drive!
I like the fact it is full of old people as they are generally quiet, though a lot of them are dying off and young families are starting to move on.
HappyMidget said:
Challo said:
Kiwi79 said:
RemyMartin81D said:
Bracknell is a st hole.
People move here because they can't afford the nice areas around it.
Quite possibly us!t hole.People move here because they can't afford the nice areas around it.
We live in Woodley right now, which I grew up in, the other half thinks it's full of old people. She's not wrong (better that than chavs though). Main issue is her lack of driving dictating not to far from train station. I've told her 1.5 miles is perfectly reasonable cycle. PH answer is to tell her to learn to drive!
I like the fact it is full of old people as they are generally quiet, though a lot of them are dying off and young families are starting to move on.
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