Wellingborough?

[Comfortably Dumb]

I've been offered a job in St. Ives Cambridgeshire and don't fancy moving all the way there; my friends, family and social life are all in south Northants/MK. So i'm looking at renting a place in Wellingborough and comuting along the A45 and then the A14.

Are there any areas that I should avoid?

Does anybody do this commute?

ETA: it's a grad job, and I'll be living alone so cost is a consideration. I just want to avoid living in a st hole.

Edited by Comfortably Dumb on Tuesday 23 March 17:03

[MKnight702]

I do the commute from Huntingdon to Kettering, and I did the Huntingdon to Northampton commute for 5 years. The only problem for you is that you are doing it the "wrong" way, added to that you want to drive down the A14 from Spittals to St Ives one of the busiest sections of road in the country. It's not always bad, there must be one or two days per month that don't have an accident or hold up of some sort, this is the sort of road that can (and does) have traffic queues at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon.

[Mabbx]

As to were to live in Wellingborough I can't help. I live in Higham Ferrers and travel lots for my job. I would stronlgy suggest avoiding the A14 to get to St Ives as traffic is hell. My suggestion would be A45 and then on to the A6 bypass towards Bedford. After 1 round about go down the B645 (excellent driving road) towards St Neots. At St neots take a quick 2 mile blast down the A1 and Join the A428 to Cambridge. About 8 miles down the 428 take a left sign posted Godmanchester/St Ives. Long way round on mileage but far quicker to avoid traffic, and a nicer journey to drive.

Hope this helps

[central]

BIGRAH is our Wellingborough correspondant -

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/profile.asp?mem...

[Pupp]

I do Thrappo to Cambridge(ish) daily. A14 is normally ok to A1 junction, with problems at Spittals after as has been said. I generally turn south on A1 then cut cross-country to pick up the A428 (various options). The 428 can be busy but any jams tend to be after St Ives, towards the Caxton roundabout. Although the B645 is a great road, it can be very slow when you stir in Kimbolton etc...

[Oystercatcher]

Comfortably Dumb said:

I just want to avoid living in a st hole.

Best avoid Hemmingwell and Kiln Way then (think 70's rabbit warrens where you won't be able to park next to your house)

[baughany]

I used to commute from Thrapston to St Ives daily. I used to find it easier to go around the back of Huntingdon, ie straight across the roundabout after Brampton Hut, past the Ford then Audi dealers, then the big garden centre, and into St Ives that way. A few commuted there from the same sort of area and did the same.

I wouldn't really recommend Wellingborough although it's a while since I lived there. How about somewhere more convenient for the A14 during the weekly commute ie missing most of the A45, which can get busy at peak times and a bit of a pain? And at weekends or evenings when heading back for friends, family etc the A45 etc would be pretty traffic free, so it wouldn't cost you much time.

Hope that makes sense, I haven't had a coffee yet.

[Muzzer]

I'm not far from Wellingborough and I'd suggest caution - from experience, it's a bit of a hole.

Try one of the surrounding villages.

[rob999]

Muzzer said:

I'm not far from Wellingborough and I'd suggest caution - from experience, it's a bit of a hole.

Try one of the surrounding villages.

Not having lived there I can't comment directly, but I've been there numerous times and would suggest places to avoid...well, all of it!

Edited by rob999 on Wednesday 24th March 13:39

[cpas]

rob999 said:

Muzzer said:

I'm not far from Wellingborough and I'd suggest caution - from experience, it's a bit of a hole.

Try one of the surrounding villages.

Not having lived there I can't comment directly, but I've been there numerous times and would suggest places to avoid...well, all of it!

Edited by rob999 on Wednesday 24th March 13:39

Yes, knew it wouldn't be long before some dim-witted tossers decided to slag it off from hearsay not personal experience!
Wellingborough has its bad areas as does any large town, but then it has 60,000 odd people who chose to live there, so it can't be all that bad.
For commuting though, it might be better to be near to the A14, and Thrapston is still fairly cheap to rent but right on the A14. Or somewhere like Rushden or Higham are nearer. If you do go for Welly, as said before, avoid the Hemmingwell and certain other parts. If you're renting, it's not too bad as if you don't like the area you can soon move on.

[Muzzer]

cpas said:

rob999 said:

Muzzer said:

I'm not far from Wellingborough and I'd suggest caution - from experience, it's a bit of a hole.

Try one of the surrounding villages.

Not having lived there I can't comment directly, but I've been there numerous times and would suggest places to avoid...well, all of it!

Edited by rob999 on Wednesday 24th March 13:39

Yes, knew it wouldn't be long before some dim-witted tossers decided to slag it off from hearsay not personal experience!
Wellingborough has its bad areas as does any large town, but then it has 60,000 odd people who chose to live there, so it can't be all that bad.
For commuting though, it might be better to be near to the A14, and Thrapston is still fairly cheap to rent but right on the A14. Or somewhere like Rushden or Higham are nearer. If you do go for Welly, as said before, avoid the Hemmingwell and certain other parts. If you're renting, it's not too bad as if you don't like the area you can soon move on.

Muzzer said:

I'm not far from Wellingborough and I'd suggest caution - from experience, it's a bit of a hole.

Is there any part of my post that suggests perhaps that I've been there and I'm not slagging it off "from hearsay not personal experience"

My MIL also worked there for several years.

I stand by my comments - it's a dive.

[Pothole]

I've lived in Ketttering for a while and while it's not fab, Wellingborough always looks like a hole in comparison. That said, it might be lovely!

[baughany]

I know when I lived in Rushden I had to use the A45 to get to the A14 as part of my trip to work and it used to be a nightmare in the mornings, the single carriageway sections in particular, if I recall correctly it used to sometimes take getting on for half an hour to get from Rushden to the A14 at Thrapston. Might be even worse now that it's been declared socially unacceptable to overtake slower moving vehicles...

I'd be aiming to be closer to the A14 for a St Ives commute, honestly.

[missdiane]

Every place has it's bad bits, go by house prices, if it's too cheap then you know why.

Surrounding villages are lovely if you can afford then go down that route

Even better, is it viable to stick to Rushden side and use the Kimbolton road to get to St Ives?
Slower route, more fun

[cpas]

Muzzer said:

cpas said:

rob999 said:

Muzzer said:

I'm not far from Wellingborough and I'd suggest caution - from experience, it's a bit of a hole.

Try one of the surrounding villages.

Not having lived there I can't comment directly, but I've been there numerous times and would suggest places to avoid...well, all of it!

Edited by rob999 on Wednesday 24th March 13:39

Yes, knew it wouldn't be long before some dim-witted tossers decided to slag it off from hearsay not personal experience!
Wellingborough has its bad areas as does any large town, but then it has 60,000 odd people who chose to live there, so it can't be all that bad.
For commuting though, it might be better to be near to the A14, and Thrapston is still fairly cheap to rent but right on the A14. Or somewhere like Rushden or Higham are nearer. If you do go for Welly, as said before, avoid the Hemmingwell and certain other parts. If you're renting, it's not too bad as if you don't like the area you can soon move on.

Muzzer said:

I'm not far from Wellingborough and I'd suggest caution - from experience, it's a bit of a hole.

Is there any part of my post that suggests perhaps that I've been there and I'm not slagging it off "from hearsay not personal experience"

My MIL also worked there for several years.

I stand by my comments - it's a dive.

So what exactly are you judging it on then that makes it so much worse than any other town of its size, or are you just being a narrow minded cock?!

[baughany]

It's subjective, surely? You either like a place, or you don't. I wouldn't live in Wellingborough, Rushden or Irthlingborough again, but plenty do and plenty will move there and love it. Similarly, Raunds has some lovely properties, but I wouldn't want to live there. Again, plenty think it's great.

I'm sure there must be people who think Thrapston's grim, in fact 20 years ago I was one of them. Now I quite like it (after trying Wellingborough, Rushden, Irhtlingborough ha ha)

It doesn't have to degenerate into a slanging match, the OP asked for opinions, and that's exactly what they're getting.

Edit for spelling

Edited by baughany on Wednesday 24th March 20:02

[baughany]

Also it might be slightly disingenuous to state that everyone (60,000 people) who lives in Wellingborough "chose" to live there, a good proportion of people living there may well have landed there through necessity or stayed because they can't move elsewhere?

Just saying.

[Comfortably Dumb]

Thanks for the replies guys. I know not all of Wellingborough is a dump, just need to find out if there is anywhere really bad. The talk of nightmare traffic is more worrying, might look further towards the A14. Off to rightmove I go...

[cpas]

I happen to live in Welly because I lived here as a teenager and came back after Uni to somewhere I knew. It just annoys me that every time the town comes up in a forum, someone has to slag it because one of their relatives once lived on the Hemmingwell, so therefore the whole town must be a st hole. One form I read said it was a st hole as the shop were crap - but he lived in a village with no shops! How's that for logic? Not everyone can afford to live in a nice village. I don't particularly like parts of Kettering, Corby or Raunds for example but still appreciate the places have their merits. Also, I can afford a reasonably sized house in a nice area of Welly which is close to the kids' school - and I have room for as many cars as I would like . Some people live here as they have no choice but many actually like the place - houses are not that much more expensive in other areas - I nearly bought a house on Lazy Acre but it fell through. Rant over now!

[rob999]

cpas said:

I happen to live in Welly because I lived here as a teenager and came back after Uni to somewhere I knew. It just annoys me that every time the town comes up in a forum, someone has to slag it because one of their relatives once lived on the Hemmingwell, so therefore the whole town must be a st hole. One form I read said it was a st hole as the shop were crap - but he lived in a village with no shops! How's that for logic? Not everyone can afford to live in a nice village. I don't particularly like parts of Kettering, Corby or Raunds for example but still appreciate the places have their merits. Also, I can afford a reasonably sized house in a nice area of Welly which is close to the kids' school - and I have room for as many cars as I would like . Some people live here as they have no choice but many actually like the place - houses are not that much more expensive in other areas - I nearly bought a house on Lazy Acre but it fell through. Rant over now!

Fair enough! My comments were tongue in cheek and while Wellingborough needs a fair amount of reinvestment (especially in the centre) there are some nice areas on the outskirts.
Just don't take things to heart so much!!