[Closed] Living in S or W Wiltshire/N Dorset areas - local info please

Newton Tony - Ace pub!
Fonthill Gifford - Ace pub!
etc, etc, etc!

For rural, you'd be hard pushed to beat somewhere like Netheravon or Figheldean. Right in the middle of the Plain, but still on the main road. So, open access all over, but well connected.
I know a rather dashing (single male) doctor who lives in Figheldean if you're interested in (ahem) gaining a little more local knowledge. Keep trying to set him up with someone....!

There are so many lovely villages around the edges of the Plain. Almost too many to choose from!

As Captain says, areas around Fonthill is lovely.

I live in Warminster, I would suggest the Wylye Valley or the Deverills/Mere, certainly lots of riding around. Don't think you'll get cheap though, it's a sought after area. Teffont would be my choice, could look towrds the villages surrounding Shaftesbury, good riding round those parts as the terrain is steeper!

Thanks for the replies. 🙂

I have ridden around Figheldean and Netheravon, very pleasant little valley and I do like the Plain, so surreal.

But I suspect those areas will be expensive, yes?

Back to my searching!

Thank you. 8)

You'll need about £200k in your pocket at least for those kind of locations, mihgt be worth looking at towns as they are a fair bit cheaper, AVOID Trowbridge, Melksham and the likes, houses are cheaper there for good reason.

Thanks ziggy. 🙂 Yes, Wylye Valley is so pretty. But thought perhaps towards Dorset would be cheaper?

Edit: I was looking at £150K max! It may have to be a mobile home. 😯

Not really, as you edge towards the South coast it gets progressively more expensive.

Dorset certainly won't be cheaper.

Biggest gap between local incomes and property prices in the country I believe. As we say, it's where people come to die, then don't!

OK thanks. 🙁 Where is reasonably cheap then please? Or do I have to venture oop North?

Hi CG, can post you the property pages from the paper this week if you wish, for the town I live in but also covers the surrounding area. A friend of mine bought a semi for less than your budget in Winterbourne Dauntsey a couple of years ago but it needed a lot of work - nothing very major but it had been left in a complete mess. Mail me your address if you want. You might need to take on a project...

Anna - thanks! I'll reply to your e-mail now. 🙂

The Blandford, Sturminster Newton and Gillingham areas can all be reasonable for house prices compared to most of Dorset.

Then again if you can move over a bit more the Yeovil area is cheaper still

Along the top of salisbury plain along the A342 corridor used to be pretty cheap. Its a bit of drive to get anywhere and the trains are non-existent so it isn't great for commuters. Not sure if it still is. Quite nice countryside, too.

More local information, thank you. 😀

Funnily enough, I did think of Blandford Forum. Years ago at Shillingstone, I ran the Dorset 3 Peaks race - most scenic. 8)

Not worried about trains, will check out the A342 vicinity but did check out Ludgershall and that is quite dear.

Dear God, you have one life...please don't waste any of it in Ludgershall

Convenient for Collingbourne Woods and the excellent cream tea that is served at The George in Vernham Dean. 8)

Used to live in Blandford and parents still do. Its quite a nice town, and not too far from poole/bournemouth/dorchester.

Plus the railway got ripped up years ago leaving some railway tracks in a housing estate, a nice long railway cutting that is a good cycle route out of the town, and a bit of bridge on the flood plain so ticks that box too 😉

You have been looking at Rightmove for an idea of what your £150k will get you haven't you?

but did check out Ludgershall and that is quite dear.

Dear God, you have one life...please don't waste any of it in Ludgershall

Please C_G Noooooo!!! 😯

Ludgershall......the horror.....the horror...

I have driven through Ludgershall many times and have always thought it had 'character'. What actually is wrong with it?

Hi CG, long time no see. I was going to suggest Blandford area, but not the best value for money. Best mate used to live 300 yards from me in Bournemouth, moved to Blandford as rent's cheaper, then Sturminster Newton, and is now in Yeovil. Quit while you're ahead - you really don't want to end up in Yeovil, trust me.

Have you seen those signs on the edge of Yeovil now? 'The heart of the country, the mind of a city'.

Hmmm....and the nightlife of Riyadh.

Avoid Blandford itself. Full of unsavoury types / young single mothers / yoofs hanging about.

However, the outlying villages are lovely (expensive).

Waves to genghis! What's wrong with Yeovil?

Reckon I need to look oop North, better start a new thread!

PS Still haven't heard what's bad about Ludgershall.

genghispod - Member
Quit while you're ahead - you really don't want to end up in Yeovil, trust me.

There's nothing really [i]wrong[/i] with it, infact some of the surrounding villages are very nice, but it's 30mins West of where you'd prefer to be based, is quite a big town for this area, and there's 2 train stations! It needs the car to get to decent trails really, too.
Think Milborne Port as the furthest West you wanna be going in this direction.

I always thought Salisbury Plain was a bit boring for riding, no? Maybe I went to the wrong bits.

bravohotel9er - Member

Have you seen those signs on the edge of Yeovil now? 'The heart of the country, the mind of a city'.

Hmmm....and the nightlife of Riyadh.

Your getting closer to my county... you really are stalking me 😉

Laverstock a suburb of Salisbury and the winterslows are rather nice, though I've not lived in Salisbury for a few years now so may have changed.

I also lived in Yeovil during my apprenticeship AVOID!

Avoid Blandford itself. Full of unsavoury types / young single mothers / yoofs hanging about.

What a blinkered and narrow-minded attitude. 🙄

Do you have your copy of the Daily Mail delivered?

Blandford isn't that bad, it's like most areas there are the good and bad parts, but on the whole its better than it was 15 years ago.

CG,

that's the same area i've been looking at for the last 4 years!

Finally bought near Winterbourne Stoke; ticks all the boxes.

Would prefer to be bang on the coast, but I'm an hour from 3 ports & windsurfing spots. This place works for schools etc really well.

Avoid Blandford itself. [s]Full[/s]there are lots of unsavoury types / young single mothers / yoofs hanging about.

What a blinkered and narrow-minded attitude.

Do you have your copy of the Daily Mail delivered?

No, but I have a fully functioning pair of eyes and ears and have the misfortune of living slightly too close to Blandford.

Convenient for Collingbourne Woods and the excellent cream tea that is served at The George in Vernham Dean.

Vernham Dean is [i]more[/i] convenient 😉

Ludgershall? Better than it was - less transient services population, but the new estates popping up seem a bit soulless. No worse than anywhere else though, and it is very good value at the moment. Andover (or Charlton) is probably comparable and has a few more plusses for day to day life though it's a bit further from the Woods. Both are well connected via A303 assuming it isn't in anyway 'summer'.

Heading further west than your target into Frome/Radstock way the prices do drop off a bit, and I've always liked it down there - easy access to the coast, Mendips, Quantocks, and the local riding is pretty good tto.

You could look at Warminster [or Westbury].

Plus points
Off the plain, but close enough to ride to on some nice trails.

Longleat woods.

Its not Trowbridge.

Why does everyone think villages in Dorset are expensive?

Maybe if you're looking for a chocolate box thatched cottage by the village cricket green, but plenty of villages have cheap housing. I live in a village of 50odd (and yes, some of them are very odd!) people and the house opposite me (end of terrace, 50's build with 2 bedrooms) went for £140,000 recently. My 3 bed was only £170,000.

redthunder - oh, I thought you were in the Cotswolds? Does this mean I can look forward to bluebells being more blue and the only birds to be seen are birds of prey? 😉

Well, quite a selection of opinions! More places to check out so thank you. 🙂

Is Westbury OK for living?

Westbury is ok ish, not alot in the way of shops though. Horrific traffic in rush hour as a bypass has never been built. There are lots of surrounding villages though which might be worth looking at, Bratton, Upton Scudamore, Dilton Marsh etc.

I would say you need to get onto rightmove and look around, or get in the car and go and look at the areas for yourself.I'm off out now for a few hours on the bike, if I see any bargain properties on the way I'll let you know 🙂

No, but I have a fully functioning pair of eyes and ears

...And a superior attitude to others you perceive to be of lower status to yourself, it seems... 🙄

You could simply have just said 'it's a bit rough', rather than revealing your social prejudices.

Tisbury? Quite rural, few good shops etc. Not that expensive, although £150k might be tough. Depends what you mean by small. I'm in Wilton, which is ok and might have a few sensibly priced places, it is a small town though.

Avoid Blandford itself. [s]Full of unsavoury types / young single mothers / yoofs hanging about[/s]. Its a bit rough.

There - fixed it for the PC barometer.

Tree-magnet where in Dorset do you live?

If you avoid the areas of Blandford with the social housing then they can be nice. The town is just like any small town in the area.

Ahhhh, Wilton. I had some superb duvet disco in Wilton many years ago. Lots of it.

Not with RichPenny, though, I hasten to add.

LUDGERSHALL!!! NOOOO!!!! Arse end of Andover.

And agree, Blandford is a bit rough although surrounding areas such as Shillingstone and the like though are nice, also over near Puddletown/Piddletrentide area. Dorset's not that dear, certainly less than we were paying in Reading.