The right choice of school can of course have an enormous impact on a child’s education, development, well-being and future prospects. It is for this reason that the region is so popular with parents due to the excellent choice of schools in both the state and private sectors across all age ranges. The location of the family home can therefore be crucial, particularly with state schools, so as to ensure that it is situated within the catchment area of the desired school.
Buying property near good local schools
Many buyers and tenants are drawn to Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire and Somerset from not only London and other parts of the UK but also from overseas because of the reputation of the local schools, some of which can claim to be amongst the most prestigious in the country.
There are one or two towns in the area that act as educational ‘hubs’ as they boast having more than one leading school. These include Salisbury (Wiltshire) with its two grammer schools; Bishop Wordsworth’s (boys) and South Wilts (girls) and several private schools with The Goldophin (girls) being just one. The small town of Bruton (Somerset) is another and Sherborne (Dorset) is a third being home of one of the well-known boys’ public school.
Visit our blog posts for local school lists in specific areas:
The thwack of leather against willow followed by a polite round of clapping must surely be an integral part of village life on a summer’s day. A game of mysterious rules, strange traditions and bizarre terminology for many, cricket is an essential part of living in the country even if they don’t play or even understand what it’s all about.
Cricket is a very sociable sport and still largely played in a gentlemanly and friendly spirit between the two teams and has the ability to unite different generations and backgrounds. The traditions and rituals are an essential part of the game including the preparation of the wicket, changing room banter, toss, the fielding team clapping in each new batsman, gargantuan teas, dozing in a deck chair at cow corner and post-match beer. It is also the subject of many a conversation in the village pub over the winter months.
Integrating into the local rural community
Most clubs are very welcoming of new members irrespective of age or ability. If you are looking for properties to sell or rent in Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset or Hampshire and are interested in cricket, get in touch with us and we may be able point you in the right direction.
For anyone interested in reading more about the joys of village cricket or wanting to grasp the concepts of the game and its language, Si White, a friend of Mark’s and fellow team mate at Damerham Cricket Club, has written an excellent, information and funny book called The Effing C Word. Mark even gets a couple of mentions in it!
Local village cricket clubs
CLUB
LOCATION OF GROUND
CONTACT NO.
Amesbury
Amesbury, Wiltshire
Tel: 01980 622604
Ashmore
Ashmore, Dorset
–
Chalke Valley
Bower Chalke, Wiltshire
Tel: 01722 780144
Chilmark
Chilmark, Wiltshire
Tel: 01722 717958
Cranborne
Cranborne, Dorset
–
Damerham
Damerham, Hampshire
Tel: 07917 301331
Deverills
Kingston Deverill, Wiltshire
Tel: 07796 698180
Dinton
Dinton, Wiltshire
Tel: 07804 947586
Fonthill Park
Fonthill Bishop, Wiltshire
Tel: 07825 794849
Iwerne & Fontmell
Iwerne Minster, Dorset
Tel: 01747 811550
Fovant
Fovant, Wiltshire
Tel: 07880 887563
Great Durnford
Great Durnford, Wiltshire
Tel: 07802 803673
Heytesbury & Sutton Veny
Sutton Veny, Wiltshire
Tel: 01985 841369
Marnhull
Marnhull, Dorset
–
Mere
Mere, Wiltshire
Tel: 07528 875060
Rockbourne
Rockbourne, Hampshire
Tel: 07989 320906
Salisbury Civil Service
Porton Down, Wiltshire
Tel: 01980 611251
Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury, Dorset
Tel: 07780 925380
Shrewton
Shrewton, Wiltshire
Tel: 07788 243484
Shroton
Iwerne Courtney, Dorset
Tel: 01258 860421
Sixpenny Handley
Sixpenny Handley, Dorset
Tel: 01725 552868
South Newton
South Newton, Wiltshire
Tel: 01722 742175
South Wilts
Salisbury, Wiltshire
Tel: 07525 334701
Steeple Langford
Steeple Langford, Wiltshire
Tel: 01722 334479
Warminster
Warminster, Wiltshire
Tel: 01380 831445
Wimborne St Giles
Wimborne St Giles, Dorset
–
Winterbourne
Winterbourne Gunner, Wilts
Tel: 07908 250675
The Salisbury valleys appeal to many people, not least because of their beautiful views, peaceful villages and good schools. Incomers to the area often cite a quieter and slower pace of life as a reason for moving here, away from the increasingly busy Home Counties and claustrophobic Capital.
The scenery in the Nadder, Wylye, Chalke and Avon valleys is among the best in southern England and the geology of this gently undulating landscape is a reminder that much of southern England was once, a very long time ago, under the sea. The chalk stream fishing, also, is among the best of its type in the world.
Together with mid Hampshire, South Wiltshire boasts exceptional upstream dry fly and nymph fishing that attracts not only day and holiday fishermen after the elusive brown trout and rainbow trout, but even leads to country houses being sold specifically for this pursuit. Over the years Rural View has dealt with quite a few buyers who want to be within close proximity to the well managed rivers, clear alkaline waters, lush cover and good stocks of fish that good chalk stream fishing entails.
So what is it about this country pursuit that is so appealing? For many it is the challenge, for others it is the environment. Or maybe it is a combination of these and the satisfaction of a well employed craft, honed over years of experience. Frankly there is very little to beat a warm day on the Nadder, in a stunning setting, surrounded by flora and fauna, pitting your wits against a canny prey.
If you are lucky you may live on and own the fishing (Riparian) rights to a chalk stream, which can be a valuable asset as well as an enjoyable one. Valuable because there would almost certainly be strong interest in a lease arrangement or even the purchase of those rights. Enjoyable because you would have the right to fish it yourself.
The trout season generally starts in April so ‘tight lines’ for this year and if you want more information from those that have far more knowledge than I do then the following are useful contacts:
Famous Fishing www.famousfishing.co.uk
As country based estate agents, we frequently receive enquiries about equestrian property for sale. These range from requests for modest cottages with enough land for keeping a pony to grand country houses with extensive acreage and all the facilities that the pampered thoroughbred requires. Despite being in a rural area, it is actually quite difficult to satisfy the strong demand for homes with grazing land.
Even if not directly involved with them oneself, horses are very much part of the local landscape. A popular country pursuit in the spring months is going to point-to-point race meetings. With most courses situated on farmland, they are less formal than professional racing and make for an enjoyable social gathering, often involving a picnic, visit to the beer tent and a flutter with the on-site bookies.
The origins of point-to-point racing can be traced back to an Irish horse race in the 1750’s between one town’s church steeple and the next, hence the term ‘steeplechase’. It used to be seen as an opportunity for a farmer to give his old hunter a spot of exercise, nowadays however, whilst still amateur and organised exclusively by local hunts, point-to-pointing is an altogether more serious, regulated sport.
The competing horses are classified as hunting horses and must be thoroughbreds whilst their owners have to be hunt members and registered with the Point-to-Point Authority. Jockeys are amateurs but have to registered and qualified riders. Although some horses are still ‘home grown’, most are stabled in ‘livery yards’ run as unlicensed training yards although often closely associated with professional establishments.
Races are run under BHA (the British Horse Racing Authority) rules and are at least three miles long and with most courses being 1.5 miles in length (Larkhill being one of the exceptions), this means that usually horses have to complete two circuits. All courses must have a minimum of 18 fences of which two have to have ditches with the fences made of birch and around four & half feet high.
Courses local to South Wiltshire & North Dorset include; Badbury Rings (Wimborne), Milborne St Andrew (Blandford), Larkhill (Amesbury) and Charlton Horethorne (Sherborne).
My experience of attending point-to points is that it is almost an obligation that they are located on high windy ground with views over the surrounding countryside whilst the punters represent a broad church of country folk dressed in a variety of green outdoor clothing, wellies and caps accompanied by gaggles of children and dogs. All great fun!
If we can help you find the perfect equestrian property, please contact the Rural View team who have extensive knowledge of the local area and potential upcoming opportunities with equestrian property nearby.
Writing these notes on a bitterly cold late February day, it may seem strange to suggest that spring is on its way but aside from nature’s barometer of snowdrops, daffodils and even primroses and crocuses which are out already, there is also a hint of green shoots in the housing market.
Over the last couple of years there has been an acute shortage of property for sale and particularly so since last summer despite continuing strong demand. At last there are signs that this situation is starting to be rectified and we are being invited out to an improving number of prospective sellers’ homes to provide market appraisals which has resulted in our being instructed to put more houses up for sale. We anticipate that this will become a self-perpetuating exercise as more buyers will be encouraged to search in earnest and in turn put their own properties on the market.
Despite it still be relatively early in the year, we are also seeing increased buyer activity with a rising level of internet visits and direct registrations. This has led to plenty of viewing requests and sales, particularly for realistically priced character homes situated in the best locations.There are therefore grounds for optimism for the property market in 2016 and with Wiltshire County Council finally beginning to tackle the unacceptably long delays in processing Local Authority Searches compared to its speedier neighbouring counties, progressing sales in Wiltshire should hopefully no longer be as slow as they have been.
What might temper this early promise? This can be summed up in one rather unattractive word; ‘Brexit’. Whatever one’s views are on whether the UK should stay in or leave the European Union, it is after all a topic that stirs divisive opinions, the volatility that is already being experienced in the currency and share markets may also spread to the property sector. If one is thinking of moving, there may be an argument for getting on with it sooner rather than later.
Should polls ahead of the referendum suggest a close result, the housing market could be affected by a case of the jitters. Putting aside issues such as sovereignty and border control, a result in favour of a withdrawal may in the short term have an adverse impact on confidence in the UK economy whilst a ‘stay-in’ outcome is more likely to see the property market settle down quickly or even push ahead.
Even if you are bored of the European question already, we in the property World are likely to have an interesting time of it in the months ahead!
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