DH offered a job in Bournemouth

[Feelingsensitive]

I posted on here recently about moving to Dorset. Things have changed alot and today DH was offered a job in Bournemouth. So my drean may become reality! We are in London at the moment and have never lived in Dorset. Can anyone tell me where is best to live. We are thinking of anywhere within 30 minute drive to Bournemouth. We will rent for a while but plan to buy and would be looking at spending at £300-350K on a 3/4 bed house. We don't want to be too isolated. Must be near shops (have already googled to check where waitrose is ), coffee shops and most importantly good schools. Not sure if relasitic for this price? As I say we plan to rent but want to aim to live in areas that we can later afford to buy in.

[Feelingsensitive]

Dorset MN - where are you?

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

Have a look at Wimborne and see what you think, new Waitrose opened last year ! We have a three tier education system so first, middle and upper. The upper school is Queen Elizabeth's (QE) which is being rebuilt at eyewatering 50 million, should be done by September (heard that before). Grammar creams off the top few percent so the results achieved are achieved without them. Two good middle schools plus one rural one, then selection of excellent first schools to choose from, several rural, several not, the majority with outstanding Ofsteds. Also a Catholic school. Colehill is kind of attached to Wimborne and attracts a lot of Londoners who settle well, there's no outsider issues. 2 mins you are in countryside but doesn't take long to nip to Poole or Bournemouth. Local hospital is great, I had went to GP and had ultrasound for something non urgent 10 days later at exactly time on my appointment letter. Has a good minor injuries department.

Loads of stuff to do, toddler groups etc. Leisure centre attached to QE with lots going on and Ferndown leisure centre as well. Honeybrook Farm lovely and holds events such as Christmas markets, Wild skills courses and Moors Valley a must. Community learning centre does various things. Town Centre has everything you need and now Waitrose, though times are hard and things closing. Has the Tivoli which is theatre and does films and free show for children at Christmas. Your budget will get you something .

Hopefully someone else can give you some other ideas.

[dreamingofsun]

other place with a waitrose is ringwood - hants - but is 25 min drive to bournemouth.

please don't tell anyone how nice it is down here as loads of people - like us - keep moving here and they keep threatening to build new houses

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

There's a Waitrose in Poole but think places in schools are quite hard to get and Poole LEA is having a funding crisis. Also one in Winton but don't know that area at all. Have hard Ringwood schools are good but I think house prices are a bit higher.

Now ignore everything I have said, tis rubbish here, I hate it

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

Actually everything is having a funding crisis, have people appearing everywhere with petitions. Our local library is due for the chop and so are the lollipop ladies (most children walk once at Middle school) and we have acres of Forest just round the corner.

[2babyblues]

Nice areas in Bournemouth itself are Southbourne/Boscombe East/Hengistubury Head - good primary schools here and near the beach, good catholic secondary school and grammar schools, other secondaries not so good at the moment but are meant to be improving! There are lots of things going on for children around here too.

Christchurch/Mudeford, Bransgore and Highcliffe are nice and have good primary and secondary schools. They are also near the beach.

Like others have said Ringwood and Wimbourne are meant to be nice too but I know less about these.

[2babyblues]

By the way there is a Waitrose in Christchurch (which is near all the locations mentioned in my first 2 paragraphs. There is also a massive Tesco in Boscombe East area. Nice highstreet with coffee shops etc in Southbourne and Christchurch.

[FiveFeetTwo]

I can get to Bournemouth from Ringwood in 15 mins (without breaking the speed limit). Definitely have a look at Ringwood and certainly Christchurch (new and always quiet Waitrose) as well as Southbourne.

It's a glorious part of the world.

Congratulations to you and your dh.

[FluffyMummy123]

god id love to live in bournemouth
its got it all.

[labradoodleandproud]

I would avoid Boscombe !

We are in Lower Parkstone and it is lovely - great schools and near the beach. You can cycle to Bournemouth along the prom an about 15 minutes.

[FiveFeetTwo]

How about renting somewhere for 6 months to give you the chance to work out what you want and where you'd like to live?

We did this and it was the best thing we ever did - we got to know the area and ended up in our perfect location.

[labradoodleandproud]

I just did a rightmove search on BH14 postcode and there are some lovely houses in your price range

[castlesintheair]

My friend lives next to Queen's Park and it's lovely.

[jpg]

Another vote for Wimborne here

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

If I was going to be actually in Poole/Bournemouth I would do Lower Parkstone. Labradoodle, I have one of those too, except mine gets the forest rather than the beach, which is handy as she won't swim !

Wimborne might be a shock to the system after London, vandalism of the phone box was a burning front page issue on local paper a few years ago and the Waitrose issue had to spoken of in hushed tones as you never knew which side people were on and it got a bit heated.