Dawlish Discussion

Dear Dawlish,

My family and I are looking at moving to the area as soon as we sell our house.  We were hoping for some pointers from people who know Dawlish the best.

We hope to find work close to Dawlish but realise this is more likely in and around Exeter.
I will need good bus routes, unless traveling by train is economical.
We need a good primary school.
We'd want a neighbourhood with a family feel to it, preferably away from the main, busy, road that runs along the sea, can't remember what it's called.
What is the Upper Longlands area like?  Good pavements?
Thoughts on the schools?
What is the Kingsdown Crescent area like?
Are there any parks that welcome dogs?
Is there a Brownies group?
Where do people do their food shopping?
Where are the main bus stops, or are there too many to list?  I'd be interested in the bus number 2 I think.

I've done a fair amount of research on most of these topics already but I'd like to hear the local views please.
I also spent some time there last summer when training with my most recent guide dog.  We mostly worked around the area opposit the sports centre but looped around and walked along the busy main road I mentioned above.
The town centre seems busy, mostly in the summer I expect, but the residential area seemd very peaceful and that is what atracts me.

Looking forward to your replies.

Hi.

I believe that there is a brownies group.

Travel to Exeter is cheaper and quicker by rail.

Plenty of bus stops on the Exeter road.

Food shopping, either in town where you can get everything you want or Sainsburys.

Oaklands is also a nice area to live which is between Dawlish and Holcombe. (John Nash Drive, Summerhayes, Richards Close, Williams Close, Morningside etc)

As for schools, sorry but cant help much although I believe Gatehouse and Westcliff are good schools.

Hope this helps.

Hi Jelly,

I've lived in the area for twelve years and moved into the town in January 2015. I think you'd like living here. 

Most of the questions above would get a 'yes'.

If you are considering commuting to work in Exeter or in Newton Abbot you could use the bus (more frequent) or the train (quicker and prices are comparable) so a house close(ish) to the station may suit. Upper Longlands is a nice neighbourhood (but you will need better knees than mine!) and Kingsdown Crescent is also very good and close to a popular primary (Gatehouse) and secondary (Dawlish Community College), the sports centre, the station and No2 bus stops.

There's a decent Co-op in town and many 'basket shopping' opportunities - or you can choose between a Sainsbury's on the outskirts or a Morrisons or Waitrose over the hill in Teignmouth. Dawlish has an attractive seaside town centre, good dog friendly beach, good shops and pubs - and plenty going on all year round.

Yes, busier in summer but tranquil countryside never too far away.

Many companies down here specifically ask if you have your own transport because the bus and rail services are in adequate for commuting and barely okay for sightseeing.

Upper Longlands is accessed by vehicle via very, very steep narrow roads although the pavements seem okay.

Many back roads which you would think are quiet and safe are used by idoits speeding back and forth night and day.

There are plently of places to walk your dog whether you go to the beach, woods or up on the moors.

As to school placings you would have to factor in no new schools have been built, but thousands of new homes are being built locally, I'll let you do the maths on that.

If I were you with the expectations you are looking for I would purchase on the outskirts of Exeter, better transport, jobs, entertainment, facilities. It may not be as nice looking as Dawlish, but you will have more work opportunities and less travelling woes.

I think what Purrrrfect is trying to say, Jelly, is that Dawlish is a lovely seaside haven and many of us want to keep it as our little secret!

There are new homes coming, with 500 built over the last four years and another 1000 over the next twenty in the new Local Plan.

If new-build is something you would consider, take a look at some of the Dawlish Estate agents on-line. Good luck!

Dawlish is a lovely place to live - Thats if you have retired on a juicy private pension as the council tax will take most of it. The truth is Dawlish has become the dumping ground for the authorities house building programme as dictated by central government. There are very little employment oppertunities and what there are are minimum wage and mostly seasonal. Shopping as suggested at Sainsburys or the Co-op will cost you a fortune as will anything else you want to do around town. The beaches, well lets say the railway dominates and restricts open access. We do have a cycle path which is quite exciting as it ends in a flight of steps with a five metre drop. Oh and a nature reserve but they dont want you to visit that. Schools - primary seem ok but have been better in the past. Secondary not to sure all four of mine failed with below grade C GCSE results and the teaching staff didnt seem to care, seems only the clever kids get their attention. The good news is the commuter trains are packed at peak times and the rolling stock is forty years old. The weekend steam engines look the part though the buses are the most expensive and take well over an hour to travel the ten miles to Exeter they are also old and smelly. Unfortunatly this year we have lost most of the major activities like the airshow, carnival and triathlon. Keep an open mind and look at Teignmouth, Bishop and Shaldon as it seems investment is more prominent in these areas. Good luck

Purrrrrfect:
Many companies down here specifically ask if you have your own transport because the bus and rail services are in adequate for commuting and barely okay for sightseeing.
* Valid point, but I am blind and therefore ANY job I go for would not, by necesity, require my own transport.  My husband, on the other hand, does drive so he won't have any issues.

Upper Longlands is accessed by vehicle via very, very steep narrow roads although the pavements seem okay.
* I did realise this was on a hill, although didn't know how steep.  Really would have to visit and walk it, so thanks for the heads up.  Steep is good for exercise but i worry about icy patches in winter.

Many back roads which you would think are quiet and safe are used by idoits speeding back and forth night and day.
* Thanks for the tip.  We would research this further if we found a house we really like.

There are plently of places to walk your dog whether you go to the beach, woods or up on the moors.
* Good to know.

As to school placings you would have to factor in no new schools have been built, but thousands of new homes are being built locally, I'll let you do the maths on that.
* Fair point.  I haven't had to do an in-year transfer before so still trying to muddle my way through the school thing.

If I were you with the expectations you are looking for I would purchase on the outskirts of Exeter, better transport, jobs, entertainment, facilities. It may not be as nice looking as Dawlish, but you will have more work opportunities and less travelling woes.
* We haven't ruled the outskirts of Exeter out, but Dawlish just had such a nice feel to it when i was there.  I don't like city life, you see.  Prefer a semi-rural feel but with good links to town.  I can't imagine your traveling woes are any worse than what I currently have in Somerset.  We've only recently received an hourly bus service.  Note i said there is only one....  So I'm very accustomed to organising my time and clock-watching when out and about.  Oh and the last bus leaves the local town at 17:40, so there is no option for staying later.  We luckily have a pub in our village for the odd night out, so we can both walk.

Gary:
Thanks for the info.
i get the point about keeping Dawlish a secret.  We'd be an asset to your lovely community I'm sure.
New-build is certainly an option although older houses tend to have more space.  Basically we have an open mind about it all.

I'm hoping to come down and spend more time getting to know the area shortly and will visit schools as well.

so much to consider, which is why I was asking for the insider view.

Thanks so far.

@Jelly if you're looking at primary schools visit both but gatehouse has had problems recently, westcliff seems to be the preferred option.

Travel isn't too bad, I can get into London for 09.00 which is sometimes quicker than it takes me to get to the other side of Dawlish ;)

Pavements are bad in some places in Dawlish with cars parking on them where parking is limited.  For some reason some of the new estates have very high pavements designed to break your ankle on!

Dawlish is a nice little town but Teignmouth is also worth looking at and has a better shopping centre.

Good luck with your move :)

Interesting stuff.  Have considered Teignmouth too but got the feeling it was a retirement community.  Not familiar with Bishop or Shaldon so will have a nosy. Starcross is another place that showed some promise when looking at house prices, but haven't actually been there.Parking on pavements, the story of my life!Council tax, it's a rip-off wherever you live isn't it?Thanks

Thanks for your feedback on our replies, Jelly. 

Some  final points:

While I do not agree with much that Fred has said above (nor elsewhere on this website for that matter!) it is true that currently commuter trains get packed during peak times. But good news! More modern rolling stock (with extra carriages) is scheduled by GWR over the next 2 years,, as the electrification of the West Coast line out of Paddington takes place, alongside a (minimum) 2 trains per hour 'metro' service.  

It is also true that the iconic Brunel-built railway dominates the sea front, however this magnificent structure is of great benefit to the town both for its function in providing links between Paddington and Penzance and as a revitalised tourist attraction. I am sure tales of the Dawlish sea wall will not have passed you by - and while rough seas can still disrupt services at high tide, the recently repaired wall has now been strengthened, raised and widened, fully linking Dawlish and Dawlish Warren beach fronts for the first time with a high-level promenade.

But be warned; whatever the state of the tide, during easterlies pack waterproofs!

Again, good luck with your search - and do let us know how you get on. 

Gary

Shaldon is very expensive; and in shadow a lot of the time because it's on the north side of a hill.  Bishop is a decent option but public transport isn't great (no railway station).

Teignmouth has, as others have said, a better shopping centre; but most of the housing is on very steep hills around the town.

There is a lot to be said for living in Dawlish IMO.

@Gary Taylor - i know exactly what i am saying, not trying to say. yes, dawlish is a lovely seaside town, but has been poorly managed for many years and as such is in rapid decline.

I believe a person who has sought advise on a potential move to the area which is no small challenge and potentially costly and stressfull should have the facts as they are and not sugar coated.

As a tourist, Dawlish is a nice seaside town as it is for the locals, but it falls far short as a place of employment and a comfortable place to live if you have any disabilities. The hospitals are miles  away, the public transportation is unreliable for commuting to and from work on a daily basis.

If I was retired, had a fat pension and was very active and drove every where then I would say Dawlish is most probably an ideal location. If, on the other hand, you have to work on a daily basis, you have to rely on public transport and walking to the shops can seem like a hilltop ramble then I would say Dawlish may not be suitable.

I have lived close to Upper Longlands for over 12 years and know how steep the hills are around here.

The positive side is views of the sea with the associated sunrises are spectacular. The air is fresh and clean at this altitude and the sound of the morning chorus is a joyful sound to be heard, but to walk down into town and back up is a heart thumping excercise and I am fairly fit, so I think.

Fredbassett sums up Dawlish fairly accurately in my own opinion.

Lastly, Jelly.. I appreciate your views on my comments. I wish you all the best in finding your ideal home,

Having grown up in Birmingham, lived in Wolverhampton, Ironbridge, Bristol, Kenton and Dawlish, it would take a lot to move away from Dawlish now. Depends where you are moving from you won't regret moving here. 

I don't think you can go wrong where you chose to live in Dawlish. I live near town and like being close to the town and train station.

Dawlish is lovely, very family friendly, lots to do.  Good transport links, shopping for food is ok, shopping for other stuff is improving.

Schools - Gatehouse has gone downhill over the recent years but steps are underway to sort this out, but I'd go for Westcliff - they are great there now.  Community College is good - my youngest did well there.

If you look at the Kinngsdown Crescent area choose carefully which part, the traffic is increasing and there is a lot of development to come around it.  The new builds are ok but consider the access to them.

There are lots of estates around Dawlish so you really need to visit again and get a feel for the layout (hills are unavoidable!).

There may not be an Air Show this year, the Triathlon is having a break for various reasons but I'm told it will be back, as for Carnival - well, watch this space, there's good plans underway for a great week with the Not-The-Carnival-Carnival-Week-But- Called-Something-Else!

I'd certainly never want to move from here.

Dawlish is lovely a lot of the time and frankly every town is going to have bits (and people) that aren't lovely. As for expense, well it is no worse than many other places around.  There is a good community spirit in both towns although they do have slightly different feels to them.  I would say look at both with househunting, that's what we've always done and there are some lovely and unexpected areas in both towns that you may not have found before.

I don't see how you can think Teignmouth is a retirement community, I would say it is far from that.  Both Teignmouth and Dawlish have the advantage of good rail links and if you are commuting to Exeter or Newton Abbot, or even Torquay then either would be fine.  Schools are always a mixed bag, our two children went through the same schools and came away with hugely different experiences and quality of teaching.  Lots of sixth form age kids go on to South Devon College or Exeter College rather than staying local and both of those are easily reached from Teignmouth or Dawlish.

Dawlish is a lovely seaside town with many activities, there are better towns and worse towns. I belive it comes down to personal preference. I would suggest experiencing the town first hand by spending a week or two down here this summer.

The reason Gary Taylor dosent agree with anything I put on here is quite straight foward. He is a local councillor and a Lib Dem one at that, and I tell the truth. Thats another thing to watch when you move we have the worst local government you could ever wish for and that applies to town, district and county. Incompetence rules at all levels.

I take it then Fred you will be standing against me at the next election. Or are you just happy to snipe from the sidelines?

We do have an awful MP in Ann Marie Morris. I don't know enough about the local councillors to comment but not sure I have ever chosen a place to live based on local politics (although if the area was UKIP I would have second thoughts)

@Gary Taylor

Its not exactly snipping is it and the reason I dont stand for council is a simple one. I dont have to tow the party line in what I say or do.

I can have far more effect as things are, without sitting with my mates behind closed doors and having to wear a shirt and tie. Or a hat in some cases.

Frankly I dont blame you for not agreeing with me its what you would expect from a fence sitting Lib Dem and probably why the country is in the sorry state its in. Maybe you would like to drive a van load of goodies over to Calias and help the invaders get our hard working truck drivers into trouble.

Yes I say it as it is and without fear or lies, shame you part time politicians cant do the same

Fred, I believe I owe you an apology.

It was intemperate of me to accuse you of sniping. That was going for the man not the ball. I may disagree strongly with what you say on certain subjects but these are your opinions and I must respect them. You will understand however that I would wish to respond and this should have been done using well constructed argument or illustration rather than finger pointing.

It was unbecoming of a Town Councillor and I am sorry.

For this same reason I would also apologise to Jelly.

You will understand, I hope, that I would want to give the best impression of the town to people who may wish to come here to live. I hope I have done that in a positive but factual way. I enjoy living here as does my daughter, her husband and their young family. I find Dawlish a lovely town with a friendly atmosphere and put myself forward for election to the town council with a view to retaining what is good and best about it - and fighting to improve was is not. I hope to continue doing that for the remainder of this term of office - and would hope to go on, if supported.

I appreciate the inputs from those who are happiest prompting from the sidelines. I would also happily shake the hand of anyone who puts themselves forward for the challenges that will face the town and its council in the future - whatever their politics.

PS The only hat I have worn recently was a Santa hat on a Christmas cycle outing to promote the new cycle path coming to Dawlish - but that's a subject for another thread!

No apology needed Gary we need to keep this forums sense of humour whillst retaining a true and factual representation of the the topics under discussion. I think I speak for more than myself in saying that unless you are reasonably wealthy life in any of the south coast holiday towns is going to be difficult.

I like yourself enjoy living in Dawlish but I hate the way TDC and DCC seem hell bent on turning the town into a dumping ground for anything that dosent fit with Teignmouth and its surrounding villages. I also feel let down when elected members of TDC and these are a majority not a minority cannot be bothered to answer a simple e-mail containing one straight foward question. Its pure ignorance and contempt of the highest grade with no respect for the people who finance their wages or expenses.

That's good of you Fred. Let normal service be resumed!

There's nothing normal about Dawlish.com

Dawlish.con - to have a lengthy discussions with one's self under numerous pseudonyms. For Pete's sake that's normal. 

I thought the lib dem party was disbanded after the last general election! They had a chance at government in the previous term and seemed to spend it bickering and having tantrums with the conservatives.

Well, I suppose even local councilors can get a little unprofessional at times, but once it has been put in writing, no amout of apologies will erase what people have read.

To get back on topic, thank you to everyone for the input.  We definitely need to come down and spend some time down that way soon.  We are waiting for our redundancies to come through before we can really get moving with our plans though.As someone else said, I don't choose where to live by examining the local politics.  Your area isn't the only one with negative views of its local/regional/national government so makes no difference to me, as long as the area/town ticks the right boxes for our needs.I may have a disability, but i don't need to be in close proximity to any medical care as such.  in fact any hospital of note is roughly 45 minutes drive from our current location in any direction.  I have seen a medical centre of some sort is either in or near Dawlish and expect there is at least one GP surgery.Let me ask something else though.If one were to choose to live closer in to town (the walks may be easier) what areas should I look for?  I have seen a few houses are up for sale in the actual town.  I worry about noise though, from traffic and also people/youth in the evenings, departing from pubs/clubs and similar.Thanks

@Jelly - if i was to live in the town, rather than up on the hills.  i would look more towards the barton surgery area which seems quiter and less traffic than actually in the town itself.

I guess what will be a big factor is how much Jelly has to spend.

But if Jelly were to be looking for a flat(ish), central(ish), surprisingly quiet part of town then as Farty suggests try looking around the Barton area and Coryton Close.

But bottom line of course is that 1)you can only buy what is on the market and 2)what your finances will allow. 

I live right in the centre not far from a pub and it is quiet most the time. You have the odd occasion around summer mostly when the noise levels go up but that is to be expected when living in seaside town.

ok looking at closer in to town, anybody know the area around Leigham Court?  just off the high street apparently.  promise I'm nearly out of questions :-)
 

I would suggest to Jelly that you rent somewhere for about a year. That way you would get to know the area without making a committment to buy.

I don't know Leigham Court well but whenever I walk past it always seems quiet whatever time of day it is, as does the High Street. High Street gets quite of bit of through traffic. Also the problem living near the town is the parking but Leigham Court have garages and parking I think.

Renting for a time is certainly possible too.  Thanks all for the rounded perspective of the area.

HI all,

a bit of feedback in case anyone cares about an outsider's opinion.

Upper Longlands:
Seems like a nice area and the view must be amazing, but oh my gosh those are some steep hills, aren't they?
I was a bit nervous going down them in a car, much less on foot....and imagine with ice?  Maybe this is good for people who don't intend to walk anywhere near their house and who are very confident drivers with 4x4 :-)

We found a couple of interesting areas but the most promising appears to be a bit further out of town, near carhaix way.  I have done my research and there are two buses easily, or somewhat easily, accessed from here, so am happy that we wouldn't be cut off.

The town itself:
Why so much traffic?  i was really surprised at just how much there was, even on a Sunday morning/afternoon.
I like the ease of access for the train station, it's right there on the main strip.
Access along the sea wall is easy and the beach is level, although a bit stony at times, but then you expect that.  It rained on us but we had a nice time walking along here.  My daughter thought it hilarious when I crawled up the access steps back on to the sea wall, as they were quite narrow and my balance isn't great.  I'm past the age of caring whether or not I look silly, I do what works.
We found the High Street is not your normal high Street, which was a bit of a surprise.  Seems that all the shops and cafes etc are along the Strand, is that right?

All in all the town has much better public transport than we do and I feel it would offer me a higher level of independence.  It also offers us the option of evenings out, where the other half doesn't have to drive.  I see one of the busses will take us directly to the Smugglers Inn, which comes highly reccomended.

So all depends on jobs now.

Wish us luck!

Hi Jelly,

I think you have summed up Dawlish very well. I live on Stockton Hill and that is a bit of a climb but still accessible without using my car!  Anything above this would involve you needing the car for even the shortest trip to town. The train links are excellent, I travel all over the country for my job and use the train for most of my journeys. I also use the train for shopping in Exeter and Plymouth and you really cannot beat using the train! Eating out in Dawlish has improved enormously in recent years. The Ghurka restaurant on Park Road, Reflections, Jack Spratts and the Chinese restaurant in town are all excellent and give any London restaurant a run for their money! Plus, lots of choice on the fringes of Dawlish and in Exeter. My opinion, move to Dawlish and you will not regret it!! 

PS dead busy traffic and people wise between May and September but then goes really quiet over the winter, which is really nice. But we do have a great Christmas lights switch on event in December followed by a Chistmas Market, a very popular event. 

Leigham Court is fairly quiet.  It used to be full of elderly people who had bought the houses new in the early 70's but they are gradually dying or moving to nursing homes!

There are now a couple of houses that are rented out, there are younger families moving in so there are now quite a few cars about.

If you're looking at buying then make sure the roff is checked properly - they're flat and may not have had work done on them for quite a while.

But I like the houses there, good size and nice area.