What are the nice areas around Southampton, Winchester?

Started working just outside Winchester and not sure I can be arsed with the 100 mile round trip I'm doing each day from Bournemouth. Been thinking of moving closer, what are the better areas to look at? Not interested in City centre, ideally outskirts, or even a smaller town, village, don't really know much about the areas so totally open to suggestions at this point.

Main thing is it's a decent area, safe, quiet, etc.

Grew up in Colden Common, Father now based in Kings' Worthy. Would kill to come back. (Although that may be unnecessary.)

Why don't you move in with JustMike? We can all share a lift into town on matchdays.

Alresford. It's alright, it's a town near Winch, it is a bit boring though.

Why don't you move in with JustMike? We can all share a lift into town on matchdays.

I don't want him moderating my personal life as well! You know what he's like, he'll give me infractions each time I swear, they'll be logged on the fridge door!

Alresford. It's alright, it's a town near Winch, it is a bit boring though.

This sounds perfect for me, so long as the internet has reached there!

I don't want him moderating my personal life as well! You know what he's like, he'll give me infractions each time I swear, they'll be logged on the fridge door!

Not if you do all the washing up again.

Waterside area (Fawley, Langley, Hythe, Dibden...etc) is nice, where I used to live before moving into town. The A236 can be a bit treacherous at times. You'd probably want to be closer to Winch than here though.

Biased but Botley, Curdridge, Durley and Wickham are nice but for a nice house a tad pricey.

I'm just looking to rent, plus I'm currently paying a premium for a nice flat in a nice location, so whilst I need to reduce my outgoings, I think I should still be able to get somewhere pretty good whilst saving a bit (I hope)

I was raised in Hythe and now live near Lyndhurst, there are some great pubs around and a cracking station at Ashurst with free parking for going to St Marys.

I'm just looking to rent, plus I'm currently paying a premium for a nice flat in a nice location, so whilst I need to reduce my outgoings, I think I should still be able to get somewhere pretty good whilst saving a bit (I hope)

Write mine off then.

I don't want him moderating my personal life as well! You know what he's like, he'll give me infractions each time I swear, they'll be logged on the fridge door!

He'll stop the conversation if it goes off the original topic don't you dare make a pointless comment if you happen to be watching a crap television programme together, 12 of them and you'll be banned from the house for a week.

I'm just looking to rent, plus I'm currently paying a premium for a nice flat in a nice location, so whilst I need to reduce my outgoings, I think I should still be able to get somewhere pretty good whilst saving a bit (I hope)

Yes. I stand by King's Worthy. Striking distance of the city whilst still being rural.

Bassett, great links to everywhere.

I don't think there are any nasty areas around Winchester. Its all about which nice area you can afford. Arlesford Winchester Romsey Twyford are all very expensive. Chandlers ford north baddesley you can get more for your money. Do you need schools, walking areas, supermarkets.

Nah don't need anything other than a road in & out and a reasonably nice view Can always get food on way back from work as there's a supermarket not far from the office. Maybe somewhere to run would be a bonus but not the end of the world if I just have to drive somewhere to go for a run/gym

There's a car park in West End which is brilliant for dogging, try finding a place around there.

Hursley is nice - well used to be anyway. Pretty close to Winch, village, seems to fit the bill.

so many places, most mentioned above, grew up arond the area just south of winch, hursley, otterbourne, compton, shawford, twyford, colden common, owselbury, and then there's alresford to the east, and sutton scotney/kings worthy to the north, and hundreds of villages and hamlets dotted around them, try searching for anything in SO21 post code as its the Winchester area minus the city

It makes a difference which side of Winch you're working on. It is a pain to go through or around in rush hour. I suppose if you're doing 100 miles a day, you're used to long journeys anyway! Anyway, I grew up in Littleton and have fond memories of all those villages round there - Crawley, Sparsholt, the Worthys, Itchen Myarse etc.

Otterbourne is very nice and is right slap-bang in the middle between Southampton and Winchester. It has good links with the M3 very close and being on the number1 bus route, plus Eastleigh is 2 miles for rail links. There are excellent country walks and 3 very nice pubs to boot!

Waterside area (Fawley, Langley, Hythe, Dibden...etc) is nice, where I used to live before moving into town. The A236 can be a bit treacherous at times. You'd probably want to be closer to Winch than here though.

You can't honestly suggest he moves there from Bournemouth. The A326 is bloody awful, even worse now they've duffed up the speed limits and introduced weird layouts - bloody horrible road and will take him ages to get to Winchester.

It used to take me ages in the mid-90s when I lived with my parents down there to drive to Winchester, rubbish commute. I grew up in Blackfield/Langley and was "Hardley" educated - although that's now a stupidly named school isn't it??

Anyway, to the original poster - I travelled from Bournemouth (Southbourne) and Christchurch for 6 years up to Basingstoke and Hook every day. Was stupid really. Then I got divorced and moved to North Hampshire (village just outside Fleet) in 2008 - best decision ever. Waterloo is 40 minutes away (from Fleet I mean), Winchester is 30 mins on the motorway and you're generally going against the flow of commuting traffic which is a bonus.

Don't be put off by Basingstoke either - it's had/having a lot of money pumped in and apart from the original duff areas, there are some great houses at good prices. But I can't recommend Fleet enough - quiet, but enough bars and places to eat, plus loads of great proper pubs in the surrounding countryside.

If you really want to stay round that area down there, then Chandlers Ford is meant to be okay isn't it?

Romsey.

I am in Fleet - loads of nice villages around - good for London and Southampton/Winchester on the M3 and the rail lines -Basingrad and surrounding areas are not too bad.....

Fair Oak is nice decent facilites in the form of shops and a regular (every 20 miniutes) bus route that runs from Southampton to Fair Oak allowing you to get ****ed on matchdays and not worry about expensive taxis home.

so many places, most mentioned above, grew up arond the area just south of winch, hursley, otterbourne, compton, shawford, twyford, colden common, owselbury, and then there's alresford to the east, and sutton scotney/kings worthy to the north, and hundreds of villages and hamlets dotted around them, try searching for anything in SO21 post code as its the Winchester area minus the city

This is all sound advice. It does make a difference which part of Winchester you're working in as it's a bugger to drive through. Compton, Twyford, Shawford, that whole area on the south side is gorgeous, some of the prettiest bits of classic postcard English village you'll come across. On the north side, Micheldever, Wonston, The Worthys, all old cottages and country pubs.

In addition to what I said before, you may want to try fourmarks. I don't know much about it other than I drive through it on my way to games and it looks ok. There are a load of new houses just gone up and they seem pretty good value for money - if you are into new builds that it. If not then I expect the new houses would have driven down the price of the older ones as well. Might be able to get a good deal. Good transport to Winchester and London as well.

King's Worthy/Springvale

Cheers everyone for feedback so far, lots of places I've never heard of before, I will do some googling over the weekend. My work location is Crawley, so north of Winchester

Crawley as in near Gatwick? Have you thought of going a bit further up - somewhere in Surrey?

Cheers everyone for feedback so far, lots of places I've never heard of before, I will do some googling over the weekend. My work location is Crawley, so north of Winchester

In that case, Stockbridge or King's Somborne are lovely, by the river. Stockbridge is sort of a little town, but very little for all that, and a straight run to Winchester. I'd live there if I could afford it...

Hamble.

Nice village area, loads of pubs, cobbled High St leading down to the waterfront, international yacthing centre, loads of Yachtie Totty.

Just to the east on the coast is a pictures island called Port sea,

Crawley as in near Gatwick? Have you thought of going a bit further up - somewhere in Surrey?

Nope, you're thinking of Crawley near Gatwick whereas I'm talking about Crawley near Winchester. The difference is that one of them is near Gatwick and one of them is near Winchester.

Locks Heath is ok now the blue few have gone to sleep for another 50 years

Just to the east on the coast is a pictures island called Port sea,

Ideally I'm looking for somewhere that doesn't smell of a mixture of seaweed and fish though mack

Nope, you're thinking of Crawley near Gatwick whereas I'm talking about Crawley near Winchester. The difference is that one of them is near Gatwick and one of them is near Winchester.

In that case you should probably be looking for somewhere close to Winchester and not close to Gatwick... unless you fly a lot?

Nope, you're thinking of Crawley near Gatwick whereas I'm talking about Crawley near Winchester. The difference is that one of them is near Gatwick and one of them is near Winchester.

I used to go out with Sylvia Finch who lived in Crawley when I was 16.

I fell in the village pond one night (we'd been up the barn drinking cider) as I was walking her home and then had to walk all the way back to Littleton.

My wet shoes were full of slimy pond silt which caused blisters, one of which became infected.

Happy days.

Grew up in Millbrook. Lovely round there, especially if you manage to take in "Cumbrian Way" at Sunset or happen to passing through Mansel Park at sunrise.

Highley recommended.

Grew up in Millbrook. Lovely round there, especially if you manage to take in "Cumbrian Way" at Sunset or happen to passing through Mansel Park at sunrise.

 

Highley recommended.

I went out with Rita Langley who lived in Millbrook when I was 19.

One evening I thought I'd pay her a surprise visit only to find her kissing another bloke.

He was bigger than me and hit me (2 black eyes).

Happy days.

I used to go out with Sylvia Finch who lived in Crawley when I was 16.

 

I fell in the village pond one night (we'd been up the barn drinking cider) as I was walking her home and then had to walk all the way back to Littleton.

 

My wet shoes were full of slimy pond silt which caused blisters, one of which became infected.

 

Happy days.

:lol: Great post. I just did a search on the company intranet to see if she was working with her local large employer, sadly not.

unless you fly a lot?

Lol

You can't honestly suggest he moves there from Bournemouth. The A326 is bloody awful, even worse now they've duffed up the speed limits and introduced weird layouts - bloody horrible road and will take him ages to get to Winchester.

 

It used to take me ages in the mid-90s when I lived with my parents down there to drive to Winchester, rubbish commute. I grew up in Blackfield/Langley and was "Hardley" educated - although that's now a stupidly named school isn't it??

 

Anyway, to the original poster - I travelled from Bournemouth (Southbourne) and Christchurch for 6 years up to Basingstoke and Hook every day. Was stupid really. Then I got divorced and moved to North Hampshire (village just outside Fleet) in 2008 - best decision ever. Waterloo is 40 minutes away (from Fleet I mean), Winchester is 30 mins on the motorway and you're generally going against the flow of commuting traffic which is a bonus.

 

Don't be put off by Basingstoke either - it's had/having a lot of money pumped in and apart from the original duff areas, there are some great houses at good prices. But I can't recommend Fleet enough - quiet, but enough bars and places to eat, plus loads of great proper pubs in the surrounding countryside.

 

If you really want to stay round that area down there, then Chandlers Ford is meant to be okay isn't it?

It's now called "New Forest Academy".

Will always be Hardley to me!

I used to go out with Sylvia Finch who lived in Crawley when I was 16.

 

I fell in the village pond one night (we'd been up the barn drinking cider) as I was walking her home and then had to walk all the way back to Littleton.

 

My wet shoes were full of slimy pond silt which caused blisters, one of which became infected.

 

 

Happy days.

I used to go out with a girl from Littleton, Jane her name was, had a brother called Andrew and that's all I remember. Wish I could remember more, been out with several girls called Jane though and they're all sort of blurred into one.

Bassett, great links to everywhere.

Good shout...check out the 'Flowers'. Sounds lovely, doesn't it...

I used to go out with a girl from Littleton, Jane her name was, had a brother called Andrew and that's all I remember. Wish I could remember more, been out with several girls called Jane though and they're all sort of blurred into one.

Knew an Andy Davies, Arsenal fan. Remember going with him to the match when Hughie Fisher broke his leg.

nope don't think he did football, farmer chappy or farm manger or something.

New forest.

New forest.

Strange name for a girl. Was she fit? Did you fall in a pond?