Due to relocate to Bristol, my wife’s job is in London so looking to live somewhere commutable, rule out Swindon (sorry) can’t find anything in Chippenham, so now looking at Melksham
So over to you... ... tell me anything I should know
Don't.
Don't, terrible roads and other transport links and not a very nice place.
Wherein Bristol will you be working?
terrible roads and other transport links
Trains for London work ok, accepting only two a day
I am based in Filton
Darcy, +1.
Look around the edges of Swindon and you'll find some fine spots! Bishopstone, for example. Hmmmm, The Royal Oak....yum
Yes, if you can afford them, villages on outskirts of Swindon are lovely.
Could your wife do season train ticket from Bristol? 2 hours to Paddington. Easier said than done though, I know.
if you can afford them, villages on outskirts of Swindon are lovely
Ah spotted why I am looking elsewhere
Bristol Paddington journey not too bad, it’s the extra 30 mins on the tube/walk that’s the deal breaker
I'm amazed you can't find anything in Chippenham, you must have pretty exacting standards not to be able to find something in a town with a population around 50,000. Then there's Corsham, plus the various villages around Chippenham and the M4.
Looking for a 4 bed with garage, what we have found so far are down cul-de-sac's which will be a pain every day, on busy housing estate roads, power lines audible or not so nice neighbourhoods.
We do have a few in our back pocket but nothing that grabs us, started looking a bit further afield but want train links to London and shops/market town.
Corsham is next...
What's wrong with cul-de-sacs?
If you can't afford the villages near Swindon south of the M4 then don't dismiss Old Town in Swindon- its a bit different from the rest of Swindown (in a good way) and still only a 20 min bike ride from the Ridgeway and contains a top notch bike shop (Red Planet). Swindon people are also more down to earth, friendlier and less up themselves than in the rest of Wiltshire.
If you can't afford the villages near Swindon south of the M4 then don't dismiss Old Town in Swindon- its a bit different from the rest of Swindown (in a good way) and still only a 20 min bike ride from the Ridgeway and contains a top notch bike shop (Red Planet). Swindon people are also more down to earth, friendlier and less up themselves than in the rest of Wiltshire.
Seconded. I've lived in Old Town for nearly 20 years now, wouldn't live anywhere else. You could consider Wroughton or Highworth as well.
Most of the modern housing estates around Chippenham seem to be a warren of small cul-de-sac's, but that's just modern developments really. Monkton Park is one huge cul-de-sac, but it has the big advantage of having the London-Bristol line right at the entrance to the estate, plus the Sustrans Route 43 goes either side of it. Pewsham estate has most of the smaller roads feeding out onto feeder roads that connect with Pewsham Way, so there should be few issues there, really. One advantage that should be considered is that the cul-de-sacs generally don't suffer from through foot traffic from pubs and such like, so there's less noise and vandalism, and they're a better environment for kids as there's much less vehicle traffic as well.
What's wrong with cul-de-sacs?
Nothing until they are so long you end up reversing back to let other cars past due to a lack of parking even during the day
Swindon Old Town, Wroughton or Highworth
Thanks guys theses are on the list for a bit or research