High Wycombe woul you live there ?

Getting married at the end of May and we’re looking to move out of London finally.

I’ll still have a job in London so I’ll need to live somewhere were I can commute into London.

The misses also works in Bagshot so this needs to be within driving Distance.

Basically were considering Reading and Wycombe and possibly some villages/towns in between. Ie Twyford/Maidenhead.

I know what the cycling’s like round there we’re going to visit the town at the weekend just wondering if anyone has any opinions on the town.

Also whats the traffic like going down the A404 in the morning ?

never liked High Wycombe, I used to spend a bit of time there as a teenager. it stinks of brake/clutch smoke most of the time and there is a lot of traffic noise anywhere near the hills/magic roundabout.

on the plus side it has the country’s top girls school (this may or may not have had something to do with my visiting in my teens 8) )

It’s OK (went to school there), I can also attest to the attractiveness of the girl’s schools….

Like most places it’s got it’s plus and minus sides, bits of Wycombe are a shit-hole, most of it is OK. It’s got all the shops you’d normally expect, good cinema, decent theatre, countryside’s nice, good links, London’s 20 mins away on a cheap train. Houses are expensive. It’s commuter belt. It’s congested, when Wasps play at home, you can’t move for Range Rovers.

Struggling now…

My brothers at Uni there, not trying to put you off, but he got attacked by 3 men and a golf club. Luckily he’s a big chap and plays rugby.
Still ended up in hospital with 3 9 iron sized cuts to his head!

I spent quite a few years living there in the 70s and it has improved immeasurably in the last decade.

I would also consider Tring and Princes Risborough area too.

well I went to University at Reading lived there 7 years currently living in Battersea in “Badric Court”.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23454787-details/Boy,+14,+in+stolen+car+runs+down+Met+officers/article.do

So not the nicest place either.

Im not expecting it to be the greatest place really what I want to know is would people same Reading is better or worse ?

nickc you mention its

“Houses are expensive. It’s commuter belt. It’s congested, “

But all of this is true of Reading I’d have though Wycombe would be less congested than Reading or am I wrong ?

I was brought up in Amersham, and although High Wycombe is alright, I think the area around Amersham is considerably nicer (probably more expensive too). It’s also cheaper into London and is on both the Tube and the overland lines.

My parents used to live near Beaconsfield – I have cycled through High Wycombe and suspect it ain’t my sort of place….

Maidenhead would be my choice if ease commuting by train is important – also Woking and Reading. Camberly maybe but not so good with the train. Plenty of attractive villages about but maybe you’re too young for them – and they ain’t cheap.

Hey yossarian something more positive. Would consider Tring/Princes Risborough but 40 minutes drive is the very most my misses would consider commuting every day.

Really see wants to be with 1/2 a mile of a train going to bagshot but unfortunately shes got a job somewhere with out a proper train service.

come to Reading, its selling points are………….

theres a main road/flyover thign over the city center, you can be in and out without actualy having to go there.

you can go straight past it on the motorway.

it’s a hole

Hey mudshark so what your saying is you think Reading is better.

Looked at Beaconsfield too but house are too expensive.

The other advantage to Wycombe is its on the M40 and my parents are from near bham.

Depends. Trouble with Wycombe is that it’s built in a valley, with A road through it essentially, so getting from one side to the other is a bit of a struggle, and the biggest industrial area is right next door to the most popular Mway junc, so pretty much all week it’s congested there.

Worse than Reading? probably not, but let’s be honest; this is a busy part of the Country.

I lived in Reading for 7 years I actually thought it was alright. Not as good as where I was brought up (Lichfield) but infinitely better than than living in London.

thisisnotaspoon have you lived many other places ?

I don’t know Reading that well but it’s a biggish place so good and bad – I’d certainly look there if I wanted a big town. BTW, when I moved out of London I considered Maidenhead and the surrounding area but decided on Surrey and bought a place close to Leatherhead – figured I’d be happiest close to the Surrey Hills even if less ideal for work.

As for Beaconsfield and surrounding villages – too expensive for most!

Agree with baldysquirt. We’re 2 stops in from Amersham, a great area. Right near the M25 too, but don’t know how long it would take in rush hour to Bagshot (never done it) and road works on that section of M25 due to start in earnest at end of this month. Great riding though (for the SE)!

My girlfriends parents are from Ashtead actually getting married in Leatherhead.

But thats a good reason why I dont want to move there !

Plus it will be nightmare getting back to the midlands.

yes Beaconsfield/Amersham are too expensive. Preferably we’re looking for a 3 bed with a garage for £250,000.

Look at Wokingham area (but not Bracknell :-/) – you’ll be near Swinley Forest 🙂

Nah I quite quickly get bored of riding in Swinley.

Much prefer the Chilterns there just, hmm just bigger plus quiter.

I like wokingham… Been here 4-5 years.. Good pubs, good beer, good food, and swinley easy biking distance away, just aboout all off road too!

Reading would get my vote over High Wycombe – Bigger town
with more going on… + is better placed in Thames corridor

Better choice of areas to live in, i.e Caversham, or Tilehurst prolly
fits your indicated budget –
easy access to Rail, fast services to Paddington 25mins on good day etc
Good access to M4 + M40
Great riding north + west of reading into Chilterns

Or for villages try Pangbourne, Goring, Cholsley to west of Reading (depending on how much commute tolerance you have)

I grew up in Reading and live about 9 miles away in the sticks. Nicer place to live than High Wycombe, more variety and more to do. The actual town itself is just like most modern towns, all the same shops and grid locked most evenings. Personally I hate most town centres, hate shopping and town centre pubs so dont really go there anymore.

Head West and you have some really nice countryside very close by, outside my door there is plenty of singletrack if you know where to look.
There are several suberbs which are very nice indeed.

Traffic wise its all OK most days but any problems on the M4, M25 or A34 and it always seems to end up grid locked. I work in Newbury and have often spent 2 hours to get home which should take 20 mins (I now commute along the Kennet and Avon so no more delays for me !)

What about closer to Bagshot? Some nice villages around there, Windlesham etc. I’d guess over budget though? Camberley? They’re you’ve got tonnes of riding near by, with Tunnel Hill and stuff on your doorstep.

Nah I quite quickly get bored of riding in Swinley

Well you wouldn’t have to ride there all the time :o) but it would be on your doorstep plus with Chilterns and Ridgeway in easy reach too.

Worked in both High Wycombe and Reading, and would go Reading or thereabouts every time. Anywhere between Slough and Reading would be best. The Thames Valley has better rail links to London, and for your other half the commute from HW to Bagshot would be a nightmare

I live in Tylers Green just outside Wycombe and love it good community schools and pub’s.Good riding in the chilterns on my doorste. My 3 bed with garage go for 250k at the moment.I can get on the M40 at Beaconsfield jnc 2 in 10 minutes or jnc 3 at Loudwater in about 5 minutes or jnc 4 (at 8 in the morning about 20min)I have no problem with Wycombe like any town it has bad point’s .I would recommend anybody to come to to where I live.As for Reading I have not lived there the shopping is good but IMO I always feel it’s grubby anywhere but the centre,but I feel most people might say that about Wycombe.
All I know is I love where I live and the ridings good and you are welcome to ride with us if you ever move here.

I used to commute by from Woking to Amersham and its not a pleasant thing…

2 hours of your life a day gone. Sometimes much much more.

(Just thinking of it as an equivalent to Bagshot-High Wycombe)

P

just found this thread as I was looking for inspiration of somewhere new to ride in t’Chilterns!

I live in Pangbourne, near to Reading, it’s on the trainline into London and reading itself, but on the river, foor of the Chiterns, and a damn sight more laid back than the rah-rah joys of Henley.

Good to know more people on here live in the area!