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South Devon- an honest appraisal


bunbury61

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Down here for a few days ....in the main pleasantly surprised ....

First the negatives ...

Traffic in certain areas is a pain

Some areas look a bit tired

The amount if eastern Europeans is a worry ...just because of the strain on resources

 

The positives ....

Exeter city centre has had a fortune spent on it ,and the cathedral area is beautiful ...wide pathways..cafe culture ...and all the main shops ...airport servicing europe...close to the m5

The housing doesn't match up ..but a great place to consider if you could live quite close

 

Salcombe ....some of the richest real estate in the u.k ....think " doc martin"..and that about sums it up ...lots of professionals with their kids...some designer shops ....lovely ...but not for me.

There was a town quite close ..kingsbridge ?..i preferred that.

 

Torquay ..bloody shocked...a fortune has been spent on the marina ...very nice ...live music...cafe culture....

And money has been spent on the streets off the marina ....some of the negatives do apply though.

Definitely worth a look though ...i was expecting something out of a 70s "carry on " film ..but was surprised.

 

Goodrington ?....just south of Paignton ....really enjoyed it ...sandy beach ..big park ..decent housing ....worth a punt

 

On the whole south Devon would be worth considering if you are moving back without any ties....it is a place on the up.....but there is still work to be done

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Down here for a few days ....in the main pleasantly surprised ....

First the negatives ...

Traffic in certain areas is a pain

Some areas look a bit tired

The amount if eastern Europeans is a worry ...just because of the strain on resources

 

The positives ....

Exeter city centre has had a fortune spent on it ,and the cathedral area is beautiful ...wide pathways..cafe culture ...and all the main shops ...airport servicing europe...close to the m5

The housing doesn't match up ..but a great place to consider if you could live quite close

 

Salcombe ....some of the richest real estate in the u.k ....think " doc martin"..and that about sums it up ...lots of professionals with their kids...some designer shops ....lovely ...but not for me.

There was a town quite close ..kingsbridge ?..i preferred that.

 

Torquay ..bloody shocked...a fortune has been spent on the marina ...very nice ...live music...cafe culture....

And money has been spent on the streets off the marina ....some of the negatives do apply though.

Definitely worth a look though ...i was expecting something out of a 70s "carry on " film ..but was surprised.

 

Goodrington ?....just south of Paignton ....really enjoyed it ...sandy beach ..big park ..decent housing ....worth a punt

 

On the whole south Devon would be worth considering if you are moving back without any ties....it is a place on the up.....but there is still work to be done

 

We looked at Torquay, possible senior hospice job for OH last year but came to conclusion that the roads were jammed all day even in April, roads were narrow, with few fast roads, age demographic was predominately 55 plus, job options very limited to tourism in our opinion also she turned job down because we thought that other options for jobs would be limited as rail and road connections were not great to anywhere with other opportunities for employment.

We recognise that being older we want an easy life and do not like commuting but did feel that it was a bit isolated from the rest of the uk and has limited employment options outside of tourism and with limited income from tourism it seemed like it was an area teetering on the edge of decline.

Also looked at housing in the area but Torquay seemed expensive for what you got and properties in the countryside were very expensive i thought probably because it's a retirement destination.

Edited by BacktoDemocracy
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We thought about moving to the South Coast when we were considering emigrating. We loved Bournemouth and I had worked down in Plymouth and Portsmouth for Ferranti, the company I was working for in Manchester. Trouble was the cost of houses, compared to where we lived outside Stockport was unbelievable. The difference in salary was negligible.

We didn't have a clue how people made a start down there, they must have been taking on massive mortgages way back in 92. If I was heading back now though, with a bit of cash and being older then I would be planning to settle close to the Coast down South somewhere. I reckon St Ives with sea views and no work would do me and the missus.:yes:

 

That's only if they cancelled our visas though.:wink:

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Lived in Plymouth, Exeter and Tavistock (from 1982-1991.) Lovely part of the world, Dartmoor is one of my favourite places on earth. I'll be holidaying in Blighty Nov/Dec 2015, two weeks in Wales, two weeks in Cornwall and two weeks in Devon, can't wait. Still intending to move back to Cornwall in 4-5 years time, but will be glad to have Devon next door.

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I had a few holidays down to The West Country when I was living back in Hampshire. Sidmouth I liked with its 'red' cliffs? And Newquay because it reminds me a little of NSW with the surf beaches, surfie culture, and Aussie lifeguards. St Ives is nice. Come to think of it, I've stayed in a lot of different towns, with my penchant for always moving on the next day. I had a great walk along the coast at ?Zennor? I wonder if it would be 'bleak' in winter though?

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  • 4 weeks later...
Having grown up there, I don't miss the grockel boxes or Dartmoor, it's a bloody wasteland and it's good to see no one has mentioned the best beaches so I'll keep quiet

 

HAHAHAA! Grockel boxes. :D

 

Devon girl here and I love the place, but I do think it might be time to move away.

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  • 2 years later...

I was born in Exeter and lived there for 37 years until we moved to Perth in Dec 2003. Dartmoor and surrounds is fantastic and I really miss the Devon countryside

We are looking at selling up, doing some travelling and probably ending up back in the UK

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