Need Advice On Best Place To Live In Durham

[teralin]

I need to be in County Durham area and I have been trying to research which are the nicest places to live. I don't need to commute so communications are less important than attractiveness, low crime etc. To give you an idea, I have been looking at Bishop Auckland - (also Auckland Park and St Helen Auckland), Barnard Castle, Esh Winning, Witton Park. If anyone has a good knowledge of these areas, or can suggest others, I would be really pleased to hear your honest opinions so that I can focus my search before I arrive.

Thanks

[abaxas]

I need to be in County Durham area and I have been trying to research which are the nicest places to live. I don't need to commute so communications are less important than attractiveness, low crime etc. To give you an idea, I have been looking at Bishop Auckland - (also Auckland Park and St Helen Auckland), Barnard Castle, Esh Winning, Witton Park. If anyone has a good knowledge of these areas, or can suggest others, I would be really pleased to hear your honest opinions so that I can focus my search before I arrive.

Thanks

Can only comment on 2.

Bishop Auckland - lovely place if you like cocaine, heroin or being stabbed.

Barnard Castle - nice but gonna be pricey

[refugee]

Sad to say that the Bishop Auckland area is so crime ridden that it's a no go area. I was born in County Durham and have lived in many parts of it - but no longer. The whole of the former Durham coalfield is similarly blighted despite having a population who are largely decent people. At least most are but steer clear of places like Chilton, - 99% scum.

There are pockets of good places. Teesdale from Barnard Castle upstream is one, expensive by Durham standards but cheap by most others. The small villages just inside Durham like Barningham and Hutton Magna were stolen from Yorkshire and are also good areas. The villages where the kids are lucky enough to go to Yorkshire schools are more expensive. There may be good bits in Weardale but you have to get out of the criminal commuting distance of West Auckland. West Auckland is a cess pit. There is an annual crime wave along the A66 corridor associated with the Appleby Fair, a mixture of traveling thieves and local thieves using the travellers as cover.

As for the west of Durham City area, there are some reasonable spots but you have to keep away from places like Tow Law, try Lanchester.

Why do you want to move to Durham? Do you have kids?

The police are completely useless, too few of them, what there are have typical police problems, lazy, cowards who spend more time drinking and gambling than policing.

The health service in Durham is shameful, ditto the former Cleveland area. Hope you never end up in Hartlepool General Butcher's Shop.

Education is dreadful, it took me years to recover and I moved away to prevent my kids being infected.

Please don't buy, rent first and insure your contents.

[geordieskin]

Sad to say that the Bishop Auckland area is so crime ridden that it's a no go area. I was born in County Durham and have lived in many parts of it - but no longer. The whole of the former Durham coalfield is similarly blighted despite having a population who are largely decent people. At least most are but steer clear of places like Chilton, - 99% scum.

There are pockets of good places. Teesdale from Barnard Castle upstream is one, expensive by Durham standards but cheap by most others. The small villages just inside Durham like Barningham and Hutton Magna were stolen from Yorkshire and are also good areas. The villages where the kids are lucky enough to go to Yorkshire schools are more expensive. There may be good bits in Weardale but you have to get out of the criminal commuting distance of West Auckland. West Auckland is a cess pit. There is an annual crime wave along the A66 corridor associated with the Appleby Fair, a mixture of traveling thieves and local thieves using the travellers as cover.

As for the west of Durham City area, there are some reasonable spots but you have to keep away from places like Tow Law, try Lanchester.

Why do you want to move to Durham? Do you have kids?

The police are completely useless, too few of them, what there are have typical police problems, lazy, cowards who spend more time drinking and gambling than policing.

The health service in Durham is shameful, ditto the former Cleveland area. Hope you never end up in Hartlepool General Butcher's Shop.

Education is dreadful, it took me years to recover and I moved away to prevent my kids being infected.

Please don't buy, rent first and insure your contents.

But other than that it's ok?

Best post i have read in a while, and spot on IMHO.

[teralin]

Thanks for your responses - pretty damning stuff. I will have to rethink where I want to be in the north-east. Any suggestions gratefully received.

[geordieskin]

The nicer parts of newcastle, or some of the towns and villages in northumberland, but keep away from ashington and blyth

[Guest redwine]

Thanks for your responses - pretty damning stuff. I will have to rethink where I want to be in the north-east. Any suggestions gratefully received.

welcome to hell

no but being serious every town has its "nice" and "bad" areas take sunderland seaburn dene is a nice place but pennywell is a bad place to live

this rule applies to every town in the uk its up to you to check it out !

[whojamaflip]

welcome to hell

no but being serious every town has its "nice" and "bad" areas take sunderland seaburn dene is a nice place but pennywell is a bad place to live

this rule applies to every town in the uk its up to you to check it out !

assuming you have a car, start in york and drive north until you start squirming.

its likely to be a little south of darlington, somewhere around the dalton-on-tees A167 area (crossing the tees basicly)

that said, head west enough to places like hamsterley and some of the smaller hamlets & its ok, but never as nice as south of the tees.

[Guest redwine]

assuming you have a car, start in york and drive north until you start squirming.

its likely to be a little south of darlington, somewhere around the dalton-on-tees A167 area (crossing the tees basicly)

that said, head west enough to places like hamsterley and some of the smaller hamlets & its ok, but never as nice as south of the tees.

marske by the sea is a nice place to live saltburn or why not try robin hoods bay just south of whitby

[Telometer]

Places like Bowes and Cotherstone are delightful. Blanchland, Consett.

[Bob Loblaw]

I lived in Chilton for a few years and had no bother whatsoever.

I live in Darlington now, West End is a nice place to live, as is Merrybent, High and Low Coniscliffe. Prices are softening up nicely as well although they still have some way to go.

[Patfig]

Sad to say that the Bishop Auckland area is so crime ridden that it's a no go area. I was born in County Durham and have lived in many parts of it - but no longer. The whole of the former Durham coalfield is similarly blighted despite having a population who are largely decent people. At least most are but steer clear of places like Chilton, - 99% scum.

There are pockets of good places. Teesdale from Barnard Castle upstream is one, expensive by Durham standards but cheap by most others. The small villages just inside Durham like Barningham and Hutton Magna were stolen from Yorkshire and are also good areas. The villages where the kids are lucky enough to go to Yorkshire schools are more expensive. There may be good bits in Weardale but you have to get out of the criminal commuting distance of West Auckland. West Auckland is a cess pit. There is an annual crime wave along the A66 corridor associated with the Appleby Fair, a mixture of traveling thieves and local thieves using the travellers as cover.

As for the west of Durham City area, there are some reasonable spots but you have to keep away from places like Tow Law, try Lanchester.

Why do you want to move to Durham? Do you have kids?

The police are completely useless, too few of them, what there are have typical police problems, lazy, cowards who spend more time drinking and gambling than policing.

The health service in Durham is shameful, ditto the former Cleveland area. Hope you never end up in Hartlepool General Butcher's Shop.

Education is dreadful, it took me years to recover and I moved away to prevent my kids being infected.

Please don't buy, rent first and insure your contents.

Hi Ho Chilton Wildmen, every where we go..............

[Patfig]

Thanks for your responses - pretty damning stuff. I will have to rethink where I want to be in the north-east. Any suggestions gratefully received.

Weardale is an undiscovered wilderness, and I love it. It is quite insular though. Middelton in Teesadle is also a nice spot.

These places are failry remote, if that is what you are looking for.

If you want beer for a quid a pint and charlie for 3 quid a pop, try Close House

[Patfig]

I lived in Chilton for a few years and had no bother whatsoever.

I live in Darlington now, West End is a nice place to live, as is Merrybent, High and Low Coniscliffe. Prices are softening up nicely as well although they still have some way to go.

Where in Chilton were you dog?

[Bob Loblaw]

Where in Chilton were you dog?

I lived in Meadowdale, the new(ish) estate on the left as you are heading out of the village to the Eden Arms roundabout. I only bought it as it was cheap (3 bed detached with garage and large garden for £75,000) and because I worked from home a lot commuting was not really an issue. Never had any bother in Chilton and rather liked it. Mind, I never went to the pubs there and never really had much to do with the village apart from go to the shop occasionally. Was great when the bypass opened as traffic stopped and the place was better for it. Are you from Chilton?

[Patfig]

I lived in Meadowdale, the new(ish) estate on the left as you are heading out of the village to the Eden Arms roundabout. I only bought it as it was cheap (3 bed detached with garage and large garden for £75,000) and because I worked from home a lot commuting was not really an issue. Never had any bother in Chilton and rather liked it. Mind, I never went to the pubs there and never really had much to do with the village apart from go to the shop occasionally. Was great when the bypass opened as traffic stopped and the place was better for it. Are you from Chilton?

yup brought up there, don't hold it against me

[surfcat]

Sad to say that the Bishop Auckland area is so crime ridden that it's a no go area. I was born in County Durham and have lived in many parts of it - but no longer. The whole of the former Durham coalfield is similarly blighted despite having a population who are largely decent people. At least most are but steer clear of places like Chilton, - 99% scum.

There are pockets of good places. Teesdale from Barnard Castle upstream is one, expensive by Durham standards but cheap by most others. The small villages just inside Durham like Barningham and Hutton Magna were stolen from Yorkshire and are also good areas. The villages where the kids are lucky enough to go to Yorkshire schools are more expensive. There may be good bits in Weardale but you have to get out of the criminal commuting distance of West Auckland. West Auckland is a cess pit. There is an annual crime wave along the A66 corridor associated with the Appleby Fair, a mixture of traveling thieves and local thieves using the travellers as cover.

As for the west of Durham City area, there are some reasonable spots but you have to keep away from places like Tow Law, try Lanchester.

Why do you want to move to Durham? Do you have kids?

The police are completely useless, too few of them, what there are have typical police problems, lazy, cowards who spend more time drinking and gambling than policing.

The health service in Durham is shameful, ditto the former Cleveland area. Hope you never end up in Hartlepool General Butcher's Shop.

Education is dreadful, it took me years to recover and I moved away to prevent my kids being infected.

Please don't buy, rent first and insure your contents.

Might be some good points in there but some utter ****** too. Durham City has a brand new hospital. Excellent primary and secondary state schools in the city. Loads of private options too if that's yer thing. Durham and surrounding area is a great place to grow up. Always quite near bits of countryside, play out for hours etc. Excellent travelling to all kinds of nearby scenery, moors, coastline, hills, farmland etc. Unlike down here in the south, the police actually come out to calls, and in the towns on a Friday night are not afraid to get stuck in ("stop struggling or I'll break your ******ing arm" type coppers).

Tow Law as mentioned above is a bit rough but there's loads of other towns/villages up that way that are fine, Wolsingham, Stanhope etc and surrounding area.

[refugee]

Might be some good points in there but some utter ****** too. Durham City has a brand new hospital. Excellent primary and secondary state schools in the city. Loads of private options too if that's yer thing. Durham and surrounding area is a great place to grow up. Always quite near bits of countryside, play out for hours etc. Excellent travelling to all kinds of nearby scenery, moors, coastline, hills, farmland etc. Unlike down here in the south, the police actually come out to calls, and in the towns on a Friday night are not afraid to get stuck in ("stop struggling or I'll break your ******ing arm" type coppers).

Tow Law as mentioned above is a bit rough but there's loads of other towns/villages up that way that are fine, Wolsingham, Stanhope etc and surrounding area.

I can't deny that there are some areas of quality landscape. I also grew up and lived most of my life in Durham. You can have all the landscape you want but people are the real problem. The whole of the north east is like an intelligence filter in reverse. Anyone with any potential leaves. It dilutes the overall standard and means that the criminal element exert a greater influence.

I have never seen any evidence of Durham police being anying other than I originally described but I accept your word that they are also violent thugs preying on drink-impaired youths. Perhaps it helps them burn off the frustration of their impotence.

The NHS is variable across the country and I've lived in places where it's good and others where it's bad. In my experience, in Durham it's bad.

Glad to see we agree that there are some reasonable places in Weardale, just make sure you insure because bandit country is not too far away.

Durham is a post industrial wasteland littered with shanty towns. Crime is rife and services poor. These points contribute to why it's relatively cheap to but a home there. There is a link between work ethic, work opportunity, prosperity and ultimately property value.

Why are you in the South? Got a job?

[surfcat]

I can't deny that there are some areas of quality landscape. I also grew up and lived most of my life in Durham. You can have all the landscape you want but people are the real problem. The whole of the north east is like an intelligence filter in reverse. Anyone with any potential leaves. It dilutes the overall standard and means that the criminal element exert a greater influence.

I have never seen any evidence of Durham police being anying other than I originally described but I accept your word that they are also violent thugs preying on drink-impaired youths. Perhaps it helps them burn off the frustration of their impotence.

The NHS is variable across the country and I've lived in places where it's good and others where it's bad. In my experience, in Durham it's bad.

Glad to see we agree that there are some reasonable places in Weardale, just make sure you insure because bandit country is not too far away.

Durham is a post industrial wasteland littered with shanty towns. Crime is rife and services poor. These points contribute to why it's relatively cheap to but a home there. There is a link between work ethic, work opportunity, prosperity and ultimately property value.

Why are you in the South? Got a job?

Yes, but that's the thing- I ended up in an academic career where there's only about 4 universities in the whole country that do it, and one major (and a few minor) industrial employers. If I had any normal career (policing, teaching, accountancy, estate agency, supermarket manager etc etc. there is not a cat in hell's chance I would be living down here. Presumably most of the 500,000 people who live in Co. Durham have jobs, otherwise it would be like Madmax.

[wellington]

I would choose Brancepeth Village, which is just outside Durham City. It's beautiful, has it's own castle and crime rate is very low.