Moving to Barrow-in-Furness

[techygirl]

Hi, I am moving to Barrow-in-Furness in about two months because of my job. I have a daughter with primary school age, so looking for good schools. Also, would like to get some general feedback about the town - nicer parts to live, safety, etc...

[Willdoitinaminute]

There are lots of lovely villages around Barrow. Many of my family live in the area. We love Ulverston which is an easy commute. Spent last weekend in the area, great countryside and fantastic beaches off the tourist track.

[hels71]

If it were me I would be inclined to live outside of Barrow......

[techygirl]

Thanks Willdoitinaminute & hels71.

We are also inclined towards Ulverston. However, is there any particular reason to avoid barrow?

[Namechangearoonie123]

Yes, it's Satans Winnet

Ulverston is very nice. Has a Booths. Property still cheap.

[lk26]

Booths is a reason to move to Cumbria ! Get your booths card and have a free coffee everyday !
What about Kendal or that surrounding area !
I would agree that ulverston is nicer than barrow. Though it is good shopping in barrow.
Also Grange over sands and surrounding area are lovely to live.

[themonsteratemyspacebaragain]

I would also avoid barrow. I used to live there for a while and still go there every other week or so. Ulverston is about a 10/15 min drive from barrow but completely different.
Barrow is rough in alot of places and is quite a deprived area. If you are pinning your hopes on living in barrow, maybe look at places on Walney island as that is alot nicer place to live and has a beautiful beach. Do not get it mixed up with Barrow island though, that would be a mistake

[Galaxymum]

I would definitely live away from Barrow and commute. For opportunities in education and homelife I would look to Ulverston and Kendal and further south if possible. I would just drive further if I were you! Ermm......depending on how bright your daughter is seriously consider longer commute for her to be in the catchment area for Lancaster Girls' Grammar School. If I were you I would DEFINITELY look at the potential secondary schools before you move. Look at Dallam at Milnthorpe (Grange Over Sands area is a fantastic place to live) and Queen Elizabeth at Kirkby Lonsdale.

In the south Cumbria, North Lancs area people work backwards on schools and move to the area for secondary and then select the appropriate place to live for catchment area.

[techygirl]

Thanks everyone!
@Galaxymum: My daughter is currently in reception and moving to Year 1 in September. She is currently going to private school. We have looked for private schools in and around Barrow, could not find any. Hence, we have to look for good state schools.

[lk26]

When your daughter is older there is caster ton school and sedbergh which are both private schools. They are nearer Kendal / Kirby Lonsdale way which is also a lovely place to live though ££££ !

[woodlands01]

Yes do avoid Barrow. I was brought up there and it is not particularly nice. The shipyard used to create a lot of employment but its decline means Barrow struggles economically. There are some nice areas like Hawcoat. I grew up on Walney Island which has some small private housing estates but it also has 2 massive council/social housing estates too where unemployment is high. I am sorry but I can not advise on schools - when I went to school there it was Barrow Girls Grammar School which was EXCELLENT but that has long gone and most secondaries are comprehensive or academies. Ulverston is 'nice' but quiet, Kendal lovely and more going on and nearer to Lake District. Again my school knowledge is poor. Chetwyn school was the private school in Barrow when I was there - the girls had hats kept on with elastic string that got pulled off by the local ruffians!

[hels71]

My dad regularly informs me that one of the streets in barrow is the most violent in the north.....
Private schools are thin on the ground I believe. I think chetwynde became an academy. Kendal is nicer or consider the south lakes. Maybe conniston?? Depends how far you want to travel.

[Galaxymum]

If you can afford private school then I'd have a look at Casterton - it is now just a prep school on the premises near Kirkby Lonsdale but is well worth considering.

[hels71]

Although be aware it is sedbergh's prep school rather than casterton s prep school if that makes sense....different schools ( or were). Beautiful site, but an hour or thereabouts from barrow at least....

[techygirl]

Thanks everyone - looked at Casterton school website and reviews, looks good - only problem is commute to barrow, takes an hour one way...still thinking..

[sr123]

There is Windermere School. They run a bus from Ulverston etc.

[Galaxymum]

Have you looked at Kendal? Seriously if I were in your position I would commute and live in a far nicer place to bring up DD and have the option of better schools.

[Galaxymum]

Have you looked at Kendal? Seriously if I were in your position I would commute and live in a far nicer place to bring up DD and have the option of better schools.

[techygirl]

Not looked at Kendal yet...will definitely have a look as lot of positive reviews.

[ElsieMc]

Kendal may be nice, but if you are moving to Barrow for work you are looking at a commute of around 1 hour each way. The A590 - the only road in and out of the Barrow area - is often subject to roadworks and awful delays which can be very stressful.

As for schools in Barrow, Chetwynde was a private school with a good reputation. Due to costs, numbers were falling and this year it has become a "free school" and is over-subscribed. Chetwynde caters for kindergarten up to sixth form.

The main secondary school in Barrow is an amalgamation of several schools and is Furness Academy. The building looks wonderful but sadly for the children of Barrow has been bit of a disaster. The head was suspended last year and his temporary successor has just resigned. It is in special measures.

Those who mention Walney, the secondary school there is also in special measures. Unfortunately the third secondary school and probably best regarded, St Bernards, has also had difficulties. The only way is up!

I had a colleague who thought Barrow Island was a wonderful rural location conjuring up images of palm trees. Do google Egerton Court to give yourself a more accurate picture.

Ulverston Victoria High School has an excellent reputation as does Dowdales Secondary in Dalton. Children travel from all around the area to attend these often over-subscribed schools, so don't go rushing out of the area.

I am from Ulverston and live in one of the local villages. I am not a huge fan of the town, I find the atmosphere rather odd. For example they are trying to Keep Ulverston Special (?) at the moment opposing a Sainsburys.

Barrow does have a number of rough areas, it is a working class town, but also beautiful places like the Abbey. There are nice areas - Abbey Road, Croslands Park etc which are pricier and very handy for Chetwynde and various primary schools. I find the people friendly.

Newbarns Primary school in Barrow has a good reputation. It is a large primary school with around 500 pupils.

Don't disregard village primary schools such as Pennington, Urswick, Lindal etc which are pretty good as well.

The local villages between Ulverston and Barrow such as Scales, Gleaston and Urswick have nice properties. It is around 10 minutes travel to Ulverston and 15/20 minutes to Barrow from these locations.

Hope this isn't information overload and anyone is quite free to disagree with me!

[techygirl]

Hi ElsieMc, many thanks, this information is very useful. Both myself and hubby will be commuting to barrow for work, hence looking for a balance of nice/safe place to live, reasonable commute and a good a primary school. Not really worried about the secondary school now, considering daughter is only in Year 1. We are planning to rent a property initially for 6 months to a year and then we will probably purchase, once we settle in and get good understanding of the area.

[mumblechum1]

I was brought up in Ulverston and went to Ulv Victoria High School many many years ago! I go back regularly to see the parents and it isn't that quiet, there are lots of festivals going on and it's got a definite lentil weavery vibe.

Avoid Barrow at all costs. It's really really dire. I was there a couple of days ago getting a train back to London and it was full of people like that YeahButNoBut girl in shellsuits, smoking over their babies and shouting. It was like a parody.

[mumblechum1]

If I ever went back to the area (unlikely), I'd choose somewhere like Great Urswick, Leece, Bardsea or Baycliffe, tho' don't know what they'd be like with small children.

[violetsareblue11]

I'm late to this thread but I saw it and thought I'd say something! I was brought up in the northwest and spent a lot of holidays in Cumbria along with a short stint of living there! Kendal, Penrith and Kirkby Lonsdale are all lovely places to live- and although Barrow gets bad press it has some nice areas! There's a lot of great schools! Sedbergh School is an incredible independent boarding and day school with a very good reputation, although apparently it's prep school is going through hard times. There's also St Augustine's (bit further afield in Carlisle) if you're Catholic; Chetwyndes School which is in Barrow and I believe is a super school and St Bees School which is brilliant, and a cousin of mine went and loved it! If your after state schools, some of Barrows state schools are the best- but further afield in Kendal the state schools are superb, and there's also Queen Elizabeth Grammar in Penrith which has a reputation for excellence although is horrifically hard to get into apparently! Hope this helped a bit!

[techygirl]

Thanks for the useful information violetsareblue11.

[Bunnyjo]

I've lived in and around Carlisle for over 33 years. There is no St Augustine School in Carlisle. It is called Austin Friars St Monica's, and is an independent school going from 3-18. However, I would not advise a daily commute from Carlisle to Barrow which, on a good day, would take close to 2 hours. During the summer holidays you could be looking at a much longer commute due to the popularity of the South Lakes as a tourist spot. I personally could not commute from Carlisle to Barrow, and I say that as someone who commutes from nr Carlisle to Newcastle daily!

St Bees is another independent school, but the A595 from Egremont to Barrow is not the greatest road and the commute would be around 1-1.5 hours each way and hindered by the Sellafield traffic. There are a lot of lovely areas around St Bees though, particularly due to some of the more affluent Sellafield employees.

Casterton/Sedbergh is around 1hr commute, which again would be increased during school holidays. As violetsareblue11 mentioned, I have also heard there are financial problems with the prep school.

I really like ElsieMc's advice; I would consider some of the villages around the A590 - Lindal, Urswick and Dalton - which have good primary schools and will be a much shorter, and far less stressful, commute.