Moving to an area I've never even visited - HELP!

Hi, I'm in Herts.... although where I live is still about an hour and a quarter (minimum) away from where your H2B is being relocated. I'm in Hatfield (and wouldn't recommend it).

You're not going to be too far from Cambridge. Have you looked at nearby towns an villages to there like Huntingdon? Or Royston or bishops stortford? They're all about an hour away from Haverhill.... Not sure if that's too big a commute?

I don't really know anywhere nearer I'm afraid.

How weird, I grew up in St. Alban's so very close to Hatfield where Pugsley lives and used to travel to Leiston in Suffolk as my Grandand lived their. I know some of the villages around were you are moving to, Finchingfield we used to call Gorkers paridise as all the torists would go to look at it as it was so pictoresqhe, Lavenham is a real chocolate box village with painted cottages with thatched roof's. If it isn't too far away I would suggest Brandon or Framlingham. Framlingham is lovely. Also I liked Leiston, I suppose it depends on how much you can afford. Millenall I think was an American base

Bury St Edmund's and Sudbury are both nice, decent-sized and cheaper than Cambridge!

Hello,

I'm not a regular poster but occasionally peruse OT so think i can help, as have lived around this area most of my life.

Saffron Walden is a town approx. 20mins from Haverhill and is a beautiful market town, i have lived there and really rate it. However you do pay a premium for the location. Haverhill itself i have heard is nice but has a few dodgy areas, and is 20mins from a train station. The surrounding villages around Haverhill are all lovely - Steeple Bumpstead and Ashdon in particular i would recommend if you want an old village feel. Linton is a great village, old and new and is relatively close to Cambridge, as is Balsham. The close you get to the A14 the pricer houses get. If you want slightly busier towns/villages, head towards Duxford/Whittlesford area. Braintree houses are a good price for the area, and is quite busy (for rural Essex!) and has good shopping.

Hope that helps!

Oooh I grew up near there. Halstead is a nice area, as are most of the villages/small towns between Haverhill and Colchester. Bury St Edmunds is lovely, and close to Thetford Forest if you are an outdoorsy type.

As for moving somewhere you have never visited I did the same thing! My OH was living in Leicester, and I was in Brighton, we plucked Tunbridge Wells from a map as somewhere that 'looked nice'. It was hard to organise house viewings but we took a day off work, booked in for about 6 viewings and spent the whole day having a look around. Perhaps you can register with a few estate agents and get to hear about the properties before they go on rightmove?

I now think you should live in Steeple Bumpstead, simply because it is an amazing name.

I've lived in Bury St Edmunds too and can confirm it's a lovely town. Got good shops and some nice pubs/bars.

The problem you'll find looking in Herts is that it's prime commuter territory so you'll pay a premium to live there.

Obviously different area, but I did the same when moving to Cumbria to Nottingham..we did a lot of googling and asked our new employers for recommendations on areas to live etc.

This!

Thank you everybody! We've scheduled some viewings for this weekend - one in Royston, one in Lode and one nearer to Bury St Edmonds.

Fingers crossed!!!

It is an absolutely gorgeous part of the world. If anything happens to H I am planning to move to Norfolk. Love East Anglia and the slightly slower pace of life

OH comes from Newmarket and that's one area I would definitely say to avoid. it's quite chavvy in parts and the horses sh!t everywhere and it just gets left.