Bristol itself seems to have a pretty bad rep (especially in relation to bike theft) and never having been there, I have no idea.
Where's recommended
Bristol itself.
how far do you want to drive and where in Bristol are you working?
Central/North/South etc as will effect your options
You could try Muddock who store bikes while you're at work.
Clifton is nice or even Bath or Thornbury if you're eager.
I'm in Cambridge and most burglers tend to go the nice areas to break into homes rather than dives.
Just get contents/theft cover!
I quite liked living in Bristol when I worked there. Kept bikes in the house mind.
I'll be working at Filton, I don't mind up to an hour, but would prefer less than 30 miles.
Bath
Bath
...to Filton...
in the morning? An hour and the rest.
Also how much money will you be looking to spend on a house. If you live closer to town than your work, the commute can be a breeze sometimes.
Otherwise, consider South Gloucestershire areas.
dd - I'm not looking to buy just yet, at least not until I know the areas.
Bath does look nice, but it's super expensive. It looks like a 560sqft apartment in the centre is £900!
Probably almondsbury, alveston and thornbury way for a decent commute to filton
I worked at Filton, lived in Bishopton (in bristol). Seemed a good location, midway between centre and work.
Bishopton (in bristol)
Nice part - with good access to Gloucester Road and it's associated fun.
Oh, and commute was 8 minutes on the bike. At least that was my record coming home (trends downhill from Filton) and giving it firey death as I was in a rush. 10-15 more normal.
Southville, bristol is nice to live in. same knowle and bedminster bristol
Bristol is great. Don't knock it until you've given it a chance. Just rent somewhere cheap within a few miles of Filton and explore for yourself.
deadlydarcy - Member
Bath
...to Filton...in the morning? An hour and the rest.
Also how much money will you be looking to spend on a house. If you live closer to town than your work, the commute can be a breeze sometimes.
Otherwise, consider South Gloucestershire areas.
Yeah sorry didn't see that.
Whoops sorry OP,
should have said train from Bath, then on to Patchway or Temple Meads-used to do on roadbike both ways or Train on rest days.
Try Downend for houseshare? bit further away-40min ride max.
Used to live in Cotham/Redland area-straight on to Glou Road to Filton/Rolls Royce and shops/restaurants around you and close to city centre but little parking but you won't need to move or use your car etc 20 mins max.
Redland/Cotham and not as expensive as Clifton too. 😛
People do it from Wales, train is ok but can get delayed. Depending what time you travel you can do Newport to Bristol in an hour. Bridge costs and who wants to live in Newport. Chepstow maybe?
If you live in bath however the cycle along the canal is simple enough though filton is then a fair distance still. Depending on funds redland, Westbury etc are all good and easy to get to Filton or Thornbury and its outlying villages for a nice country feel with a 30ish min drive.
With an hour for commute you have a really massive area to choose from. Personally i'd go for Bristol itself, as i did a while back, as its a really nice city.
Bristol is a nice city nowadays, plenty of good pubs and bars and restaurants, and there's loads of good music venues now, like Start The Bus, Thekla, Louisiana, Fleece, St Bonaventures. Wales and the trail centres are just across the bridge, and Exmoor is just down the M5.
oo, oo, oo, I know, Swindon!
stroud/nailsworth/wotton under edge. nice places and good riding! close to m5. and filton can be quick dep on traffic.
Severn Beach, Pilning, Easter Compton.
Severn beach!!
Tang had it if it's a car commute Wotton-Under-Edge, Charfield, Wickwar, Kingswood
Who the **** would want to live in Kingswood ?
filton can be quick dep on traffic.
Can be dead stop too. Getting close enough to cycle makes far more sense than driving the M4/M5.
redthunder - MemberWho the **** would want to live in Kingswood ?
Kingswood down the hill from Wotton-Under-Edge not the shite hole in Bristol 😉 obviously you don't know the area.
Our old house [url= http://www.dezrez.com/Drapp/Search.ASP?WCI=PortalBrochure&WCE=01830928&Template=PortalBrochure&PortalID=72&eaid=37 ]Nice house in Kingswood [/url]
Frome. I have friends there I think it's a nice place.
I would say if you are not looking to buy and will be working in Filton, rent for 6 months in the utterly dull, harmless and deeply popular Bradley Stoke as its packed to the gills with rental properties and you can walk to Filton from a lot of it, or bike.
Lots of people aspire to live in Bradley Stoke as its considered 'nice' and people aspire to it. I cant imagine any place more dull and it circulates entirely round a giant Tesco. But its a reasonably nice area for a short let and its a good place to get the hang of what commuter traffic is like, and good for travelling out to other areas so you can view where you might want to rent next. Rentals vary from studio flats to biggish houses. Most of the rooms and gardens are tiny but that makes them competitive in price. Think 6 months of good value usefulness then get out!
Just seen someone suggested Severn Beach - there is no beach, just mud and modern housing estates and the tail end of the 2nd severn bridge looming over it all. Kill yourself rather than go there!
Nailsea, Backwell, Clevedon and surrounding areas are well worth a look. We've been living in this area for 5 years now and love it. Loads of good riding locally as well being close to the Mendips.
I cycle 10 miles each way into Clifton (from Lulsgate to Bike UK) and love my commute.
Snanz, Red Lunn or Downenn.
I am a bit surprised at some of the suggestions - in a Bristol rush hour (only its longer than an hour both ends of the day) the traffic is very heavy both entering/leaving it and crossing the city.
There is no way at all some of the suggested areas will let you access Filton in 30 mins. Many wont make it for at least an hour or quite a bit longer - the road route to Bath is a good 40 mins when there are no queues at all never mind in rush hour. Travelling across Bristol is very dependent on which area you start from. It can be very trying.
To grasp the commuter problem and how bad it is around the Filton and South Glos areas, look on a map. It can take literally take over an hour to travel from say just Winterbourne to the MOD at Abbey Wood area in term time for example, which is a 15 min drive tops the rest of the time. A friend of mine regularly finds this. I have travelled between the hotel by the UWE Frenchay campus to Parkway train station in mid winter rush hour peak and its taken nearly an hour! It possible to walk that distance in less than 40 mins.
Try looking up the Western Daily Press, Bristol Evening Post or Thornbury Gazette for stories on congestion and people complaining that they are still building houses despite the lack of infrastructure.
The costs of traveling over the Severn Bridges are already over £5 per day, plus fuel etc and the price goes up every January. Often the older bridge is shut due to weather problems which causes big diversions.
Its mostly a nice area when out of rush hour but I really would suggest you not be taken in by how close things look on a map and assuming the commuter time is therefore equally short.
I have a wonderful apartment you could buy in Swindon!
Well I can do Filton in less than 30min on a bike from Severn Beach.
Property prices are reasonable.
Semi rural.
Easy access to the M-Ways etc, in any direction.
And..... it's does have a beach 🙂 It really does. And views to die for 🙂
I was mostly assuming a car commute - times on a bike locally are quicker, good point.
Indeed I would die if Severn Beach was the best view! Buts its all personal perspective eh? 🙂
I moved here last Oct. Its great place. The traffic is bad though at peak times. If your commuting go by bike. I drove once to work the day I started. Never driven since. It would take another hour or more each day in a car. Try Bradley stoke. Easy cycle to Filton and 5 mins your in the Cotswolds to the North. Cmwcarn in 40 mins max, hour to Quantocks, Afan 1:30 😆 Nice area.
A lot of people cycle to work. Commuting by car makes no sense.
Severn Beach
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I'm in Clevedon, my missus works in Filton, commutes by car every day. Normally no problem, straight onto the M5 at Clevedon, off at Cribbs Causeway and through to Filton, under 30 mins. M5 can sometimes be a mare though.
There are some great local trails on the doorstep here in Clevedon, plus your bike is unlikely to get nicked 😉
I think it was The Wurzels who coined the joke about the pub raffle. 1st prize a weeks holiday in Severn Beach, 2nd prize 2 weeks holiday in Severn Beach.
Don't know Bristol well enough to really comment, esp on the traffic, but get a map book out and I'd say anything up to Gloucester is possible in an hour dependent on traffic.
Well, I can't afford Bath...£900 for a 565 sqft apartment FFS!
I'll have a look at north Bristol, Maybe the Stoke kind of areas?
Also looking at some places in Leigh Woods - is that a nice area?
Finally - anyone got an opinion of Chipping Sodbury? It sounds like a curse of some sort, but looks all right.
Leigh Woods is lovely...but is it not crazy pricey no?
Stoke areas are ok but very out of the way if you want a bit of life. St Andrews and Bishopston are both handy. Are you looking at a one bed for yourself or are you sharing?
I'll be with my wife, so need a 2 bed, but can split the rent.
Bristol's a fantastic place to live - I moved here by choice 7 years ago from London (having previously been a student here) and love it. Basically it has the plusses of a big city without most of the minuses. Plus it's a great place to be a cyclist. Incidentally, the theft thing isn't great but isn't the major issue it's made to sound like and it's not as bad as London, say.
A few people have mentioned traffic. I think the key thing you need to understand is that it's very dependent on where you are. North Bristol (Filton) can be awful - the M4 and M5 are close and Airbus and other big companies are located up there meaning that unsuprisingly there are a lot of cars driving around there. Lots of my friends live in South Bristol (Southville, Bedminster, Totterdown) and work in the Filton area but cycle and find it fine.
