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Anyone live or know the area? Looking at a couple of houses in Woolhampton and near Bradfield Southend.
Woolhampton has the advantage of a station but obviously has the A4 going though it. The house we are looking at is about 250m from the road so we'll hear it but won't be super loud.
The house near Bradfield Southend is a about a km via foot path to the village centre.
Expecting our first in Jan so want somewhere nice to bring up the little one.
In Reading so know woolhampton to drive/ride through (used to commute to Newbury) and visit for the pub (the Rowbarge, next to the Kennet cycle path is a nice pub). A4 can get busy at rush hours or when the M4 is jammed, but tends to flow 95% of the time, but as a local you'd learn all the back routes round Brimpton, Crookham, Aldermaston etc...
Bradfield Southend is a bit meh IMO, ride through it occasionally, seems like someone just dropped a mini suburban housing estate in the middle of nowhere, should be reasonably quiet through compared to most places if that's what you want.
Of the two if I had to pick somewhere to live it would probably be woolhampton.
Both west Berks so in catchment for some decent schools too...
Woolhampton is a bit more of a village, Bradfield Southend more a long strip of houses. Bradfield Southend has a decent looking shop and pub though, it's just spread out more. There's a fish and chip van that appears one evening a week.
I'm North Newbury, but the Bradfield road is my default cycling route, so I ride through there 2-3 times a week (and have for...jeez, 12 years?).
Main thing to consider about BS is Christmas. A load of houses have massive light displays for the whole of December and it's what passes for a tourist attraction round here.
Do you like Christmas and decorating your house?
I'd probably pick BS over Woolhampton, but it would depend on the house and exact position mainly.
Both are nice places, lots of countryside, excellent road riding on quiet lanes and OK off-road if you don't mind stuff that can be ridden on a gravel bike. It's a gnar free zone.
Oh, my boss lives in BS. He likes it.
Thanks both - that's useful.
I'd heard about the bradfield southend light displays! We would be a little outside of the village so hopefully can avoid that.
Interesting that you say Woolhampton is more of a village (from my single visit at the weekend!) it struck me as more of a few houses with a huge road going through it, whereas Bradfield (visited 3 times!) seemed more villagey.
Our main pondering is the praticalities of things - we'd be fifteen minute walk from a train station into reading in woolhampton, so when the little one grows up they'll probably thank me for that (tho I guess that's 15 years away!). Via footpaths (so probably only in summer) it's a 5k walk to aldermasteron station from the house near bradfield southend.
Bradfield Southend house is close to lots of footpaths and bridlepaths, so nice for walking (my wife and I like going for a stroll in the evening). I'm more of a roadie than mtber now, so both are good from that point of view. The woolhampton one has a lot less opportunities for walking from the front door - does have a truly enormous garden, so i guess we could walk round that!
If it were me, I'd happily live in eitherr, but then I live in Thatcham 😜😜😜. Given the choice I'd prefer BS, but as you say the train station could be a factor.
I have confirmed the fish and chip van comes to BS on Fridays, and it's £7.50 for standard fish and chips.
The village comment was mainly as Woolhampton is more compact, whereas BS feels about 2 miles long. The shop/pub could be a 2 minute walk or a 20 minute one, depending which end you live.
3 miles or so away just near Aldworth. Lovely lovey place.
Sone great woods too!!
If you want to meet up and chat both me and the wife are more than happy to. Or indeed some pedalling.
She went to school in Bradfield too
Thanks all, and thanks Weeksy - crunch time is the next couple of days! Will ping you if we end up buying either place (squeeky bum time!)