Worcs/Warwickshire/N Gloucs house move

[i4got]

We plan to move in the new year - downsizing a bit and moving closer to daughter and family. We've spent the last few days recce'ing some towns in the area that interests us.

Basically we want to be within 30/40 minutes of Leamington Spa (but not too close). We have other family commitments in the south so will want easy southbound access. We're in the senior age group.

We've been looking around Evesham, Pershore, Alcester, Bidford, Warwick, Stratford, Chipping Campden. We've pretty much eliminated Evesham and Bidford after this weeks visit. Warwick & Stratford are a little bit too close to Leamington but not out of contention. Chipping Campden was a bit pricy and touristy for our liking. We'd never been to any of these places before and were quite surprised at Evesham - was expecting something a bit more attractive.

We're keen on being walking distance into a town which has a good smattering of shops & pubs/cafes maybe a supermarket. It would be nice if there were some social stuff - wife is keen on choir and helps out at kid related charities. Alcester attracts as it has some good walks around it - Monarchs Way/Arden Way.

We plan to have a few more week or so visits to continue to see what else is available.

Anyone with knowledge of the area who is able to give any insights? Either on the places we've seen or other places to add to the list on our next trip.

Thanks in advance.

[blueg33]

Budget is important

We live in a village nearish to Evesham - Evesham is a dump avoid! Pershore is ok but not great. Can you look at Chipping Camden? Broadway is very nice (we live close to there). These are all 35-40 mins from Leamington Spa. You could also consider places on the Fosse, like Shipston on Stour, Moreton in Marsh and Stow on the Wold. Those are all nice market towns.

[i4got]

blueg33 said:

Budget is important

We live in a village nearish to Evesham - Evesham is a dump avoid! Pershore is ok but not great. Can you look at Chipping Camden? Broadway is very nice (we live close to there). These are all 35-40 mins from Leamington Spa. You could also consider places on the Fosse, like Shipston on Stour, Moreton in Marsh and Stow on the Wold. Those are all nice market towns.

Thanks for that. Budget is 380 to 500 - looking for 3 bedroom house/bungalow. At the top end it would have to be walk in perfect with no work required. If we can get something for 425 to 450 that doesn't need a lot of work that would be ideal. Forgot to mention that we'd stopped in Shipston on Stour but found it a bit on the small side (unless we were missing something)

We have previously visited Broadway and Moreton in Marsh (motorhome visits) and really liked them both but wondered whether they might be a bit touristy with little local life - most places we went in seemed to be full of visitors/day trippers. Never been to Stow on the Wold so will check that out.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[EW109]

I grew up in south Warwickshire and am now based in Worcestershire so know the area reasonably well.

If you want somewhere specifically with a supermarket, your options are limited. Kineton might be worth looking at as might Wellesbourne

Could you think about somewhere without a supermarket and using delivery services if needed? That would open up options such as the Brailes/ Tysoe or Mickleton/ Pebworth areas.

[i4got]

EW109 said:

I grew up in south Warwickshire and am now based in Worcestershire so know the area reasonably well.

If you want somewhere specifically with a supermarket, your options are limited. Kineton might be worth looking at as might Wellesbourne

Could you think about somewhere without a supermarket and using delivery services if needed? That would open up options such as the Brailes/ Tysoe or Mickleton/ Pebworth areas.

Definitely a supermarket is nice to have rather than mandatory although I've been using it as a proxy for the size of the place in that the size of town we prefer tends to be able to support at least a small supermarket.

I've had a quick google with the names you suggested. At a quick glance Wellesbourne seems to be the largest? The others seem a bit on the small side. Thanks for the suggestions though and I'll dig into them in a bit more detail.

[blueg33]

Wellesbourne is ok. Have built many houses there in the past.

Tourists obviously visit the Cotswold places but IMO don't really get in the way and Broadway is lovely with a really good CoOp (used to be Budgens) and the Waitrose in Evesham is only 15 mins drive away.

Alcester is worth consi8dering, has a Waitrose, a nice town centre but some areas of the town are well known for flooding, so do your research.

[Jobbo]

I know the area relatively well - went to school in Alcester, live just south now (outside Cheltenham), used to live in Kenilworth and lived in Studley for about 9 years. Alcester is probably a decent choice if you want to be within that radius of Leamington and want a town with a supermarket but not Evesham. I doubt Pershore is really within 40 mins of Leamington even with no traffic. You could get to Leamington quicker from Worcester (if you're the right side for the motorway) or Droitwich.

Not sure if you've considered Astwood Bank, just south of Redditch. It has quite a strong community feel, sits on high ground so quite a lot of houses have decent views and there are plenty of supermarkets 5 minutes up the road Redditch - or use the Aldi in Studley or Waitrose in Alcester if you don't want to go into Redditch. Example: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/140049902

[GT4P]

I too live very near to Broadway, very nice but the medium stuff what you are looking for is overpriced for instance a 4 year old 3 bed semi £600k step out a mile same type of property £450k ish. Yes Evesham is not the best (apparently use to be lovely) but handy for shops etc. Stratford-Upon-Avon is nice but very very touristy and forever expanding but nice to pop in to but not sure I would want to live there.
Honeybourne which is nicely located for Evesham or Stratford and has a train station with trains to Paddington/Heathrow. It’s an ok village not far from Chipping Camden /Broadway currently there is a nice new estate being built edge of village location and could get a nice 3/4 bed detached for your budget. Also plenty of nice not too expensive villages nearby also.

[i4got]

blueg33 said:

Wellesbourne is ok. Have built many houses there in the past.

Tourists obviously visit the Cotswold places but IMO don't really get in the way and Broadway is lovely with a really good CoOp (used to be Budgens) and the Waitrose in Evesham is only 15 mins drive away.

Alcester is worth consi8dering, has a Waitrose, a nice town centre but some areas of the town are well known for flooding, so do your research.

That's interesting about the flooding. I'll check that out. Thanks

[GT4P]

If you like Broadway then villages like Childswickam and Willersey(prettier of the two)are nice and walking distance to Broadway but you don’t pay Broadway tax on property.
Honeybourne has a Coop larger than Broadway a couple of pubs and a village hall with activities but very few tourists.

[i4got]

Jobbo said:

I know the area relatively well - went to school in Alcester, live just south now (outside Cheltenham), used to live in Kenilworth and lived in Studley for about 9 years. Alcester is probably a decent choice if you want to be within that radius of Leamington and want a town with a supermarket but not Evesham. I doubt Pershore is really within 40 mins of Leamington even with no traffic. You could get to Leamington quicker from Worcester (if you're the right side for the motorway) or Droitwich.

Not sure if you've considered Astwood Bank, just south of Redditch. It has quite a strong community feel, sits on high ground so quite a lot of houses have decent views and there are plenty of supermarkets 5 minutes up the road Redditch - or use the Aldi in Studley or Waitrose in Alcester if you don't want to go into Redditch. Example: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/140049902

One of the estate agents in Alcester did mention Astwood Bank and we didn't really give it a lot of thought. I'll research that a bit further and have a drive through next trip. Thanks.

[i4got]

GT4P said:

If you like Broadway then villages like Childswickam and Willersey(prettier of the two)are nice and walking distance to Broadway but you don’t pay Broadway tax on property.
Honeybourne has a Coop larger than Broadway a couple of pubs and a village hall with activities but very few tourists.

I've eaten in the pub in Childswickham a few times (liked it) and didn't think there was more to the village than that. But I guess Broadway is only a 20/25 minute walk away. I don't know Honeybourne so will have a look. Thanks.

[Jobbo]

Honeybourne does seem to be thriving - I used to think it was a bit dead but the new housing and handy railway station seem to have given it a bit of a jump-start.

If you don't mind new estates, you may find something appropriate south of Stratford on Avon at Meon Vale - it is on the greenway cycle track which is flat into Stratford, and there's plenty of properties on the market to choose from.

[Edit] though Meon Vale may not be so handy if you want to head south - it's a bit of a trek to the A44 or A46. If convenient routes south are at all important, would that be more M5 or M40 direction?

Edited by Jobbo on Friday 10th November 17:17

[i4got]

Jobbo said:

Honeybourne does seem to be thriving - I used to think it was a bit dead but the new housing and handy railway station seem to have given it a bit of a jump-start.

If you don't mind new estates, you may find something appropriate south of Stratford on Avon at Meon Vale - it is on the greenway cycle track which is flat into Stratford, and there's plenty of properties on the market to choose from.

The only thing that puts us off new builds is the limited parking. I think there are new builds with decent parking but they seem to be few and far between. In an ideal world we'd be able to put a small motorhome on the drive rather than in storage as it is now.

[Sheets Tabuer]

I'd be looking a shipston on stour or any of the villages around there, much prettier than Leamington, it's all on the Fosse way and you're 25 mins from Warwick. Kineton for some irrational reason bothers me they store the army munitions there.

Alcester isn't bad but typical town with nothing to do so the youths used to be a pain in the arse, pleasant enough though. I'd be looking at great Alne or any of the villages around there but appreciate houses are like rocking horse st. They are building a huge housing estate on the A46 just outside Stratford if that's your thing.

[GT4P]

i4got said:

The only thing that puts us off new builds is the limited parking. I think there are new builds with decent parking but they seem to be few and far between. In an ideal world we'd be able to put a small motorhome on the drive rather than in storage as it is now.

The new builds around us have decent parking (3 cars on the drive plus on street parking).
So no problem for your needs it’s more the old cottage type properties where parking is limited

[i4got]

Sheets Tabuer said:

I'd be looking a shipston on stour or any of the villages around there, much prettier than Leamington, it's all on the Fosse way and you're 25 mins from Warwick. Kineton for some irrational reason bothers me they store the army munitions there.

Alcester isn't bad but typical town with nothing to do so the youths used to be a pain in the arse, pleasant enough though. I'd be looking at great Alne or any of the villages around there but appreciate houses are like rocking horse st. They are building a huge housing estate on the A46 just outside Stratford if that's your thing.

Cheers, I think Alcester is looking a favourite - its about the size of town we're looking for.

[PositronicRay]

i4got said:

Sheets Tabuer said:

I'd be looking a shipston on stour or any of the villages around there, much prettier than Leamington, it's all on the Fosse way and you're 25 mins from Warwick. Kineton for some irrational reason bothers me they store the army munitions there.

Alcester isn't bad but typical town with nothing to do so the youths used to be a pain in the arse, pleasant enough though. I'd be looking at great Alne or any of the villages around there but appreciate houses are like rocking horse st. They are building a huge housing estate on the A46 just outside Stratford if that's your thing.

Cheers, I think Alcester is looking a favourite - its about the size of town we're looking for.

We live close by, Alcester is a decent small town with good sense of community and most facilities. Oversley green a good option too and walking distance.

The Alne and Arrow occasionally flood, not much of the town is affected.

If you're a foodie head for Henley in Arden.

[malaccamax]

Find another million and you could own the "most prominent property in Alcester"

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138133976#/...

[i4got]

malaccamax said:

Find another million and you could own the "most prominent property in Alcester"

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138133976#/...

I'd love that. I'll dig around under the cushions to see if I have mislaid a spare million anywhere.