21 replies to this topic

[jkracing]

Hello all,

I wondered if anyone knew what Aylesbury is like to live in?

I've heard mixed reviews, some say its scummy, some say its like anywhere nice and bad bits. I haven't heard anything brilliant about it, I wondered if anyone knew? Would you live there?

Cheers

[Eaton]

I have a friend who lives in Aylesbury, she loves most of it but always moans about the roads and lots of roundabouts. I've never been there so don't really understand what she means about the roundabouts. Everywhere has roundabouts but she says they aren't normal roundabouts!

[Fran]

I've worked in Aylesbury for more than four years, though till then I'd probably been there no more than three times in my life. I lived in Hemel for years, and people there generally sneered about Aylesbury, but I have to say, I've been pleasantly surprised.

I have no doubt there are rough areas, but that is true of any town, and there are certainly some pleasant areas too, both in the town itself and within easy striking distance of it (e.g. Wendover Woods, canal etc). The size means there is a wider range of property and prices than somewhere like Amersham or Chesham. There are a lot of new homes (flats and houses) still being built, so I imagine that will keep prices relatively affordable.

The traffic in the centre does indeed get snarled up at rush hour each day, and there are one or two junctions that can be confusing on first encounter, but I don't see either as a major factor. The latter fixes itself with familiarity, and the former just means you need to allow sufficient time for your journey. Trainwise, it's on the same Chiltern route as Amersham, and there is a new Aylesbury Parkway station on the far side of town, though it's quite a long and expensive journey for a daily commute to London.

I only really know the centre, but that includes plenty of large supermarkets (at least two big Tesco, a Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl) as well as smaller ones (Sainsbury, M&S), a cinema, new theatre, museum, indoor karting arena, small bowling alley, some reasonable pubs, and (mostly chain) restaurants etc. The shops are shared between a smallish indoor centre, a tiny indoor one, and a few surrounding streets. Not a fabulous range, but not bad either.

Overall, although I prefer Amersham, I have colleagues who happily live in Aylesbury and it's certainly not somewhere I'd suggest anyone rules out.

[jkracing]

Thanks Fran and Eaton for that. Most of the new houses seem to be in the far north, ive heard the better schools are in the south though.

[nikkinakkinooow]

My Brother lives on Watermead in Aylesbury. I think it is a nice part of Aylesbury, very community spirited, the houses have a New England style/feel. It has a focal point of a lake with a pub looking over and a couple of shops. It has all sizes of housing from flats to detached family homes. I believe there is a little bus that takes commuters to the train station and the shopping center. He does not have school aged children, so cannot comment on the schools.

Hope this helps

[Fran]

Most of the new houses seem to be in the far north, ive heard the better schools are in the south though.

I don't know much about any of the schools, though Waddesdon CofE school (an upper school about 5miles NW of Aylesbury) is reputed to be one of the best non-grammars in the area. However, I think you need to live quite near or be an active church member to get in.

[jkracing]

Thanks alot!

[jkracing]

Does anyone know what the north is like, near the new buckingham park development? Im really worried its like Harrow where i used to live! im going for a look around today to see what its like!

[jkracing]

Ok so I had a look around, just before Buckingham park looks horrible, however generally it didnt seem to bad, it reminded me of hemel hempsted, i think i will consider it.

[Fran]

I survived Hemel for ~15 years, so don't be too put off.

As it would be a major relocation for you, and to such an unfamiliar area, I would suggest you visit at different times of day and days of the week, if possible. What looks like a pleasant enough street in daylight may be less so on a Friday night, and a home on an unappealingly busy road may turn out to be blighted for only an hour or two a day, at times when you'd be up and/or out.

[hyposmurf]

Aylesbury is better to live than I initially thought.We looked at the new development in the North of Aylesbury but were a bit put off by how how close some of the properties seemed to each other and that the site is on reltive flat ground and next to a flood plain.We enedd up buying in a development in the stoke Mandeville area,where the properties arent as crammed and the site is also a little more established.
We got some incredibly helpfull advice from a estate agent who lives in the area but has no work ties to the area.He said the generally the further south you go, the areas become more desirable.Area tht are more desirable are watermead,broughton,bierton,stoke mandeville and bedgrove.Less desirable areas are quarrendon and southcourt.After living here, what he said seems to hold true.
Aylesbury has alot going for it.The town is exoanding,new infrstructure being built etc.It's also has more people in my age range ,where as Chesham and Amersham seemed to have below the average for my age range.
Theres menat to be a new shopping centre going in at some stage in the centre of town, also that new development is just part of a larger masterplan,that should have new shops and a business zone.
Shops arent that bad,range of food shops,two large tescos,one is an tesco extra,similar size to watford one,morrisons,sainsburys,aldi & lidl.Theres a huge wickes extra,never seen such a huge wickes.Also have next,a huge homebase,boots,tk max and argos etc.If your after your clothing labels youre better off going to Milton Keynes.
Properties here to are generally bigger than you'd get in Chesham or Amersham.for you money.We also found that in Chesham/Amersham area theres very few houses on the market compared to Aylesbury.(probably due to the number of properties)

[Fran]

generally the further south you go, the areas become more desirable.Area tht are more desirable are watermead,broughton,bierton,stoke mandeville and bedgrove.Less desirable areas are quarrendon and southcourt.

The names and descriptions chime with what I see and hear, but they are contradicted by the preceding sentence (Watermead is in the north, Bierton north east and even Broughton is more east than south, while Southcourt is more south than west, and Quarrendon is north west).

[hyposmurf]

generally the further south you go, the areas become more desirable.Area tht are more desirable are watermead,broughton,bierton,stoke mandeville and bedgrove.Less desirable areas are quarrendon and southcourt.

The names and descriptions chime with what I see and hear, but they are contradicted by the preceding sentence (Watermead is in the north, Bierton north east and even Broughton is more east than south, while Southcourt is more south than west, and Quarrendon is north west).

Not sure where youre going with that East and West orientation I was only talking about from North to South.Broughton is in the East but more Southerly than Berryfields that jkracing was talking about, its also past the town centre which is roughly a half way point between North and South Aylesbury.Quarrendon is in the North, not sure where you were going with that one either?.Other areas that arent that bad which are more Southerly are parts of Elm Farm,Western Turnville and Walton Court.

[Fran]

I've just realised two things missing from this discussion:

The Fairford Leys estate is widely regarded as a very pleasant community, with quite pleasing architecture as well (no long straight roads, but trying to recreate a more villagey/Poundbury feel).

HS2 is planned to go along the west side of Aylesbury (above ground), within about half a mile of the current edge of the town. This will mainly affect Fairford Leys, Southcourt and Walton Hall.

[hyposmurf]

True the HS2 is going past there, but the looks like the majority of the route will be hidden within a cutting,with two sections of the track on a viaduct.I assume that's to clear the two rivers/flood plains.Apparently AVDC are hoping to persuade HS2 to also build a much needed bypass running parallel with the line.A housing association thought they'd promote a new development by mentioning that HS2 would stop within minutes of the development in Aylesbury.

“The nearest stop will only be a few minutes away making it even more accessible for young professionals and couples commuting to London and Birmingham.”

[David P]

“The nearest stop will only be a few minutes away making it even more accessible for young professionals and couples commuting to London and Birmingham.”

That makes a change - it's usually the 'Stop HS2' camp that come up with such tall stories.

[hyposmurf]

That makes a change - it's usually the 'Stop HS2' camp that come up with such tall stories.

Yes here have been a few . I could be wrong as not long been here, but the line appears to be further away from the the main housing developments in Aylesbury than they do in Amersham.The proposed line is something like 400-500m at the nearest points to the main housing developments in Aylesbury( excluding some unfortunate isolated housing and farms .The the Fairford Leys Action Group ,which was the anti HS2 group for Fairford Leas, has disbanded due to a lack of local support.

[PeterC]

“The nearest stop will only be a few minutes away making it even more accessible for young professionals and couples commuting to London and Birmingham.”

When was HS2 going to stop at Aylesbury?

[Fran]

When was HS2 going to stop at Aylesbury?

Never.

Well, the idea was floated by people who were nothing to do with the government advisors, but I don't think a stop near Aylesbury has every been part of any official plans (too many stops, and it's no longer "high speed").

Anyway, there are other topics in the forum re HS2, so I don't want to diverge too much. What I find interesting is that the anti-HS2 Fairford Leys group doesn't have much support. I suppose that is good news for anyone considering moving there - that the locals aren't too worried about the impact.

[hyposmurf]

When was HS2 going to stop at Aylesbury?

It was a daft housing association, trying to market their new properties, with inaccurate information,shooting themselves in the foot.

[hyposmurf]

I don't know much about any of the schools, though Waddesdon CofE school (an upper school about 5miles NW of Aylesbury) is reputed to be one of the best non-grammars in the area. However, I think you need to live quite near or be an active church member to get in.

There's also the Aylesbury Grammar School, that has a very good reputation.They have a number of outstanding judgemnts in their Ofsted reports.

Weird thing I've recently noticed is that Aylesbury is reffered to by the goverment as part of the South Midlands growth area!

jkracing where id you move to in the end or adid you decide not to?

[Fran]

There's also the Aylesbury Grammar School, that has a very good reputation.

Indeed, though it's boys only. Aylesbury High School is a girls' grammar school next door, and there is Sir Henry Floyd, which is a co-ed grammar. However, I think all the Bucks grammars have good reputations and Ofsted reports; it's the upper schools where there tends to be greater variability.