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Big week for us... On Tuesday I was offered a great new job on Dartmoor. Same day my wife got a place at teacher training in Exeter so we're moving down in April from Kent... still a bit shell shocked but really excited too.
We're keen to live either in or close to the outskirts of the park (ideally I'd like to bike to work) - we've been looking on the net at places like Chagford, Moretonhampstead, Bovey Tracey etc all of which are fairly local to where I'm going to be working. The last two are probably more realistic price wise as Chagford seems to be pretty pricey. Any other local recommendations for good places to live in the area?
Also any riders local to the area fancy showing us the ropes once we're down there?
All advice greatly appreciated.... oh and does anyone want to buy a singlespeed :??
Thanks all.
If you are based in E.Dartmoor then Foxyrider, Trailmonkey, Si, Slugwash & Shineythings all ride over there. I'm sure they would be up for showing you the routes round Bovey/Lustleigh way.
If you want to have a guide for W.Dartmoor Princetown/Burrator way then drop me an email (addy in profile) & if I'm free then I'd be up for showing you round.
Why are you selling your SS? I know a few guys who ride SS on Dartmoor.
Sorry I can't help with the housing in E.Dartmoor as I live in SE.Cornwall.
PS. What's your new job on Dartmoor?
Thanks for that.
I was only joking about selling my singlespeeds... (out of my cold, dead hands etc...) am gonna try and MTFU, although I may need to up the cogs on the roadrat otherwise you'll hear my knees pop in Cornwall.
[i]PS. What's your new job on Dartmoor?[/i]
IT Manager for small travel company.
Good luck with the new job & house hunting.
Hopefully catch up sometime in the future for a Dartmoor ride.
Definitely - will be in touch once we're down. Cheers
Moretonhampstead much nicer and more convenient for Exeter than Chagford, which is very geared for tourists and frankly a bit strange.
M'hampstead nicer still than Bovey Tracey, which has a slightly dodgy underclass, and avoid Ashburton and Buckfastleigh like the plague. You don't mention whether you have kids but South Dartmoor Community College is an excellent school (well it must be, I went there) and was recently graded "outstanding" by OFSTED.
I lived in Moretonhampstead for 15 years, can't recommend it enough. Convenient local shops, cracking butcher, excellent selection of pubs and you can reach Exeter in under 30 minutes using any of 3 routes.
'Avoid Ashburton and Buckfastleigh like the plague'
Having moved to Ashburton in September, I must say that it is very pleasant, good selection of shops and restaurants, although in certain places everyone seems to know each other and all appear to be called 'darling'..
Haven't met with the dodgy underclass yet, I think in Buckfast/Buckfastleigh it may be a problem
It's a 15min drive up to Houndtor, 1min to the A38 (20mins to Exeter) which is useful during the snow.
Moretonhampstead and other places not serviced by a dual carriageway may well be cut off for weeks during heavy snow...
Living just outside of Exeter around Kenton/Kennford might be a good idea to lessen the commute for your OH - my GF did a PGCE in history last year and spent on average 12 hours a day, 6 days a week working her @rse off. Last think she'll want is an hour+ of commuting on top of that.
I'm in a little village a few miles outside Bovey Tracey.. and my other half's family are all in the same area and rate Bovey very highly..
To me it's quaint and friendly and knowing some of the 'underclass' there I would say that as long as you avoid Heathfield you'll be smiling..
It's very good for commuting as it's pretty much on the A38.. try some of the surrounding villages too..
My wife is going to be at West Exe for her college based bit rather than at the Uni, so just off the A30 rather than centre of Exeter - about 30 mins from Moretonhampstead according to AA. We're not sure what schools she will be doing her teaching practice at but apparently as we've got a little one they will try to place her reasonably close to home.
The snow is a concern, but from my point of view I'm going to be more likely to get to work living in the immediate area.
Thanks for all the advice folks, keep it coming.
Can't think of an occasion when Moretonhampstead has been cut off due to snow - they tend to take keeping the A382 clear quite seriously. Probably a bit unfair on Bovey and Ashburton, but Moretonhampstead is definitely more pleasant on Friday / Saturday nights.
Kennford also good, but beware the red mud, it gets EVERYWHERE.
yeah to be honest I've not really experienced a fri/sat night out in Ashburton, we usually go to Exeter or Plymouth for a night out (as that's where our friends are and we're only here for a year or so..)