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Alright folks, thought I'd see if I can tap into the wealth of STW knowledge.
The wife and I are considering relocating from Newbury to the Iron Bridge/Telford area. I'm able to move with my company to a different office (Central Birmingham) and am looking for great locations to move to with no more than a 45 min travel to work; I'll be getting the train in to New Street.
What we're after is at least 4 bed house in a village setting, close to good schools for the kids and obviously great mtb and road biking. we've been to the area of couple of times now and like the area and have seen several houses that we like; just wonder if there are other areas we should consider.
We'restruggling with the idea of moving, well the change from what we're used to. we just want more than we're able to afford for our family in the south.
Can anyone recommend any other areas that we should consider?
The OH and I have been looking at his area too. Looking to move next summer.
For villages try Coalport or the villages between Ironbridge and the Wrekin. There are also some nice houses in Ironbridge itself but they tend to pricey and you'll have to go up and down a steep hill to do any shopping in the town. If you want to commute with the train then Telford station is your best bet but it is inly realistically accessable by car as the bus services are pretty crap from the villages. Sorry misread the op. 45 min drive to central Brum is a bit optimistic in rush hour by car.
If you have kids the Thomas Telford school gets good results but in Newport on the edge of the Telford area there are two *gulp* grammar schools one for boys and one for girls which get some of the best results in the county. The boys school is where one Jeremy Corbyn went to also yours truly :-). There are also some nice villages around this area like Lilleshall, Edgmond and Sambrook and it's only a 40 min drive to Cannock Chase for some mtbing. HTH
Yes, we were looking to be in the catchment area for those two grammar schools as they look really good.
our initial search was to be within a 20min cycle to either Wellington or Telford stations for catching the train to work. wellington station seems to have free parking for those days I need to drive to the station
So far we've looked at houses in Broseley, Broseley wood and cressage
Have a look at Admaston
Haybridge school in Hagley is good and some nice villages around with some great road biking and decent mtb.
tons of riding in that area, long mynd not far away, hopton & eastridge for mtb. All the flatlands to the north for roadying.
If you want the kids to go to one of those grammar schools then you'll have to live in the catchment area. If you do choose the Newport area one option might be a drive to Wolverhampton and the tram to Brum.
I used to live in Ironbridge, love the place. It's very small, village by nature (even including Coalbrookdale/Coalport/Jackfield etc.) Nice relaxed feeling about the area. House prices are higher than over the hill into Telford, because Telford is just housing estates. Wellington (where I was born) is a grown up market town with few real features to keep interest, it's very small. There are outer areas, Hadley, Dawley, Donnington, Shifnal, Lillishall etc. Etc. All with their own small personality, even Madeley has a little charm. Broseley is very quiet indeed, then Much Wenlock even quieter, but these are the other side of the river and would mean heading to Bridgenorth for commuting and that would be a real pain. Newport isn't anywhere near Ironbridge, lovely small market town with a very "old school" feeling. The schools are revered, the Agriculture collage is world class, the housing very old school in feeling too, but it's a bit of a drive into Telford for trains/M54 and you'll not be the only one doing that journey day to day.
If you are really considering the area I'm sure you'll find a decent out of the way house, what you are after in any of the areas I've mentioned.
Ironbridge might be the place for you, I lived on Church Hill behind the Church and had a spectacular view of the Ironbridge and the Valley. It is one of my favourite places.
Enjoy looking.
They're good at maths in Broseley what with them all having all those extra digits.
As a warning the trains into brum, the duration isn't too long but there are only 2 each way an hour and they are crap, because they're so limited they get really overcrowded. I've given up trying to get anything around 5.30-6 ish coming back (not too bad going in as I get on in Shrewsbury).
For info from Newport and surroundings you can ride to Wellington without really touching main roads ( its part of my commute) 20-30 mins for the ride is about right
You are not wrong about Broseley. The local Spa used to look like the bar in the first Star Wars film! An old gf of mine used to work for the WM constabulary and she told me it had the highest incest rate in West Mercia! How old are you Bikebouy? Used to spend a lot of time on Church Hill back in my yoof!
Trains from that end into brum aren't cheap either.
Shenstone way is much more reasonable for getting into town. Less inbred too.
Are you and/or your wife magnetic ?
Is Shrewsbury an option? Train wise can't add that much onto the commute although you mentioned a village setting. Either way you are close to the Shropshire hills for mountain biking and get up early at the weekend 1.5hrs to Snowdonia ( from Shrewsbury at least).
I live in Eaton Constantine near Cressage and Ironbridge / Leighton. Been here for 13 years and love it. Did think about moving into Telford but gave it a miss. Wellington i would give it a miss. Jackfield and Coalbrookdale are lovely places look at Much Wenlock great larger Village.
One thing the Train service is bloody shocking, It is a Diesel line and london Midland are not the best. Late trains,trains dont turn up and some over crowding.
My wife's from Ironbridge and I like it to visit, but I think you could do better for the type of living you're after. It's really beautiful in places - The gorge is very striking and the surrounding countryside is nice. Some lovely (and expensive) houses.
It's just the village itself is really average IMO. It's a world heritage site, so has to have a bit of tourist infrastructure, but the vast majority of alehouses, shops, restaurants etc are really uninspiring IMHO. You'd think a place like that would be a banker for 1 or 2 really established restaurants but there are none in that category AFAICT. The main pub adjacent to the oldest metal bridge in the world, icon of the industrial revolution, is one of those can't be arsed places that you'd find at a provincial railway station.
Just feels to me like the whole place could be on the telly on one of those make-over programs, where they send someone in to address dramatic failure to meet potential.
It's perhaps more noticeable than it otherwise might be as Telford is giving you nowt in this department, either. There has been a bit of recent turd-polishing in the town centre, though, so maybe things are changing.
All that being said, waking up in an old cottage along the gorge to that view is worth a lot, and I think it could be a great place for the kids - my wife loved growing up there [although went to a fairly bad school].