Where in the UK might fit our needs?

Not knowing the area, does this mean there is good access to Bristol or not so good?

I guess it's kind of average - a bus into the city every 30 minutes (although it takes an hour to get there compared to 30 minutes by car). If you lived in one of the villages near Thornbury, you would probably only have access to one bus every 2-3 hours (but they may not actually go all the way into Bristol) or maybe no buses at all. But if you lived in the city of Bristol itself, you could get a bus to one part of the city or another every 5 minutes or so!

Thanks.  Yeah, a bus every 30 minutes is plenty fine. Could you tell me where the bad/high crime areas are in the city of Bristol?  I think I read that some neighborhoods in the South of the city were best to stay away from. 

Thanks.  Yeah, a bus every 30 minutes is plenty fine. Could you tell me where the bad/high crime areas are in the city of Bristol?  I think I read that some neighborhoods in the South of the city were best to stay away from. 

Being from South Gloucestershire, I am much more familiar with the north/centre of the city than the south. My favourite areas are Redland/Clifton/Cotham (until this morning I was living in a large, but surprisingly cheap flat in Redland), which are relatively safe and mostly comprised of old Victorian terraced houses, private schools and trendy bars and restaurants . However, they are the most expensive areas of the city, so it would depend on your budget as to whether living there would be feasible. A little further north, the areas of Westbury Park, Henleaze, Westbury-on-Trym, Brentry are also relatively nice areas, but not quite so expensive.

I would steer clear of Southmead, Filton and Horfield (near Gloucester Road - A38) and also around St. Pauls, Hartcliffe, Montpelier and Fishponds areas. Bedminster is a cheaper area just south of the city centre, but personally I'm not so keen on the place (my work regional office is there and I don't feel all that safe walking down the high street there when I go for training days).

Thanks for that.  The UK's endemic crime problem is our biggest reservation in moving to the UK at all, especially with a small child.  While I've lived in similarly violent societies, my wife has been fortunate to have lived in relative safety and security. 

I'm sure I will have plenty more questions as the time nears our move. 

Thanks for that.  The UK's endemic crime problem is our biggest reservation in moving to the UK at all, especially with a small child.  While I've lived in similarly violent societies, my wife has been fortunate to have lived in relative safety and security. 

To be honest, I've never felt unsafe living in the UK - I lived in Thornbury for 21 years, Exeter for 3 years (for university), Bristol for 1 year, and also in the US - Albuquerque, New Mexico - for 1.5 years (10 months in 2003/04 and 8 months in 2008). I have never personally experienced any crime or violence in the UK (although I steer clear of walking alone at night and stay away from the 'bad' areas) and the only place I've ever felt unsafe was Albuquerque, NM.

Anyone know much about Yate?  Better public transport options into Bristol is the main reason it struck my interest. 

Anyone know much about Yate?  Better public transport options into Bristol is the main reason it struck my interest. 

Me again .

I used to go swimming and to Gym Tots at Yate Leisure Centre when I was little and I know the shopping area a little, but not much about the residential parts. My impression from the shops is that Yate is a little bit run-down and industrial compared to other areas of South Gloucestershire - mostly because it was a planned town to accommodate commuters and overspill from Bristol and was built in the 1960's (compared to Thornbury which has been around for hundreds of years - Thornbury Grammar School (now Marlwood School) was founded over 400 years ago!).

If you're looking in the Yate area, I think nearby Chipping Sodbury might be a slightly nicer place to live (although I'm not sure how the bus services compare). It has been around since the 12th Century and the high street is comprised of old stone buildings and quaint shops. However, it is much smaller than Yate (Yate has about 21,000 people, Chipping Sodbury only has 5,000) and may not have all the amenities that you are hoping for (Yate shopping area vs. Chipping Sodbury high street). Overall, the area of Yate and Chipping Sodbury isn't bad - according to www.upmystreet.com for the BS37 postcode area, the population is mainly middle-aged adults with grown-up children who have now moved away (http://www.upmystreet.com/local/neighbours-in-bs37.html) .

Thanks again ksand24.    I appreciate the detailed info. 

From the sound of things, I think we would prefer to live in Thornbury or a similar town.  However, since the wife doesn't drive, then it would mean a 2 hour bus ride every day to Bristol if that's where she could find work.  That would be a drag.  Now if she could find a job in Thornbury it wouldn't matter, but that seems unlikely.

Yates, while seemingly not as an attractive area to live, has a train station (20 minutes to Bristol Meads downtown or 8 minutes to Bristol Parkway) as well as bus service, so that would be much more convenient.  And perhaps since Yate/Chipping Sodbury is bigger, there would be a better chance of her finding work in Yate itself.

So her transport needs are kind of high on the priority list until she eventually learns to drive.  That's kind of the thought process at the moment.  Again though, we'll just be renting for a while at the beginning and can always move after we're more familiar with the region ourselves.

I tentatively plan to come seek accommodation at the end of January or first of February, so I'm sure I'll have more questions as I find other interesting areas before then. 

From the sound of things, I think we would prefer to live in Thornbury or a similar town.  However, since the wife doesn't drive, then it would mean a 2 hour bus ride every day to Bristol if that's where she could find work.  That would be a drag.  Now if she could find a job in Thornbury it wouldn't matter, but that seems unlikely.

Yeah, that's a good point. There aren't too many jobs available in Thornbury, although my mum works in the town on the industrial estate (she's a computer programmer) and my brother currently works for Thornbury leisure centre (until he can find a graduate job elsewhere in the UK).

Yates, while seemingly not as an attractive area to live, has a train station (20 minutes to Bristol Meads downtown or 8 minutes to Bristol Parkway) as well as bus service, so that would be much more convenient.  And perhaps since Yate/Chipping Sodbury is bigger, there would be a better chance of her finding work in Yate itself.

Wow - I never even knew that Yate had a train station! Learn something new every day, lol. That sounds like it would be quite convenient for getting into Temple Meads (although it is a 45-minute walk from Temple Meads station to the main shops in Bristol, but a lot of the businesses are closer and there are a few buses from the train station). She probably wouldn't have much need to go to Bristol Parkway though as it's kind of in the middle of a huge residential area (Stoke Gifford and Bradley Stoke - about 30,000 people, but they're basically just a couple of housing estates with almost no shops or businesses... most people there commute into Bristol or to the Aztec West Business Park).

Anyone been to Frome?  Has a train station to Bristol/Bath, yet seems quiet and rural with lots of nearby forests.  Housing prices pretty good that way too.

While I'm at it, how about Trowbridge?