Winchester Removals

Living in Winchester

There’s not many cities that have been voted ‘The best place to live in the UK’ as many times as Winchester. So what’s the magic ingredient? The latest accolade, awarded by the Royal Mail Happiness Index 2019, finds:

• The city’s local authority enjoys high earnings
• Residents report a high level of well-being
• There are low levels of deprivation in the city

It’s always interesting to find out how these kinds of observations translate into day-to-day living. So we asked a selection of our clients living in Winchester, and here are 5 of comments we heard most often:

1. Location, Location, Location

This is what we hear again and again. Winchester is just an hour from London by train, but it feels much further. The city centre, dominated by the glorious cathedral, is a beautiful hotchpotch of historic architecture housing High St shops. And just a short walk from the 16th century Butter Cross are the bucolic Water Meadows leading you out into the Hampshire countryside.

2. There’s a Buzz About the Place

Winchester is both a university city, and a popular tourist destination. This means that there’s a transient population constantly rediscovering, and reinventing the city. The events calendar is packed, from open air performance at the annual Hat Fair in the summer, to the Comedy Festival, the Writers’ Festival, and the spectacular Christmas Market in the grounds of the cathedral.

3. It’s Easy to Take a Coffee Break

Winchester isn’t the only UK city to have fallen in love with the coffee shop, but for sheer diversity, it must be a frontrunner!! There are independent coffee shops to fit every purse, and taste, across Winchester. And best of all, they all vie to produce the tastiest and mouth-watering treats to accompany your beverage. Don’t worry about being gluten intolerant, or vegan, they’ve got it covered.

4. Simply the Best for Education

At present, the schooling across all levels in Winchester has been rated as ‘good’ upwards by Ofsted. The ‘outstanding’ primary schools are St Peter’s, St Faith’s and St Bede. Both Kings and Peter Symonds are deemed outstanding secondary schools. Winchester is also the home of 3 globally acknowledged private schools: St Swithuns Girls’ School, Winchester College, and Pilgrims’ Choir School.

5. Well Connected

You may not want to leave the confines of this beautiful city but, if you did, it’s easy to do so. There are excellent train services to Waterloo, and to Southampton and Bournemouth. The M3 and M4 are easily accessible, and the A34 is an easy and direct route to Oxford and the Midlands. There’s also an excellent road network taking you into the nearby New Forest.

About Schepens

We’re a local removals company, with over a century’s experience of providing stress-free moves for clients. Our professional removals teams are locally recruited, and are on hand if you want to know more about living and working in this historic city.

SCHOOLS IN WINCHESTER

For families considering removals to Winchester, the quality and availability of schools across the city will be a priority. One of the many benefits of moving to the city is the sheer range of educational resources on offer. The majority of the primary and secondary schools in Winchester have been rated as ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ by Ofsted – which, of course, can make the competition for entry fierce.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN WINCHESTER

St Swithun’s Independent School. Set in 45 acres of land, and yet within walking distance of Winchester City Centre, St Swithun’s is an independent girls’ school. It has a co-educational pre-school for children from the age of 3, and a prep school for girls aged between 4-11 years. The school places special emphasis on the individual at the heart of the learning experience.

St Faith’s Church of England Primary School consistently ranks in the top 3 primary schools in Winchester. It is known for providing a caring environment for a small intake each year. Originally the school had a strict faith criteria but this has been dropped more recently. There’s huge competition for entry, and the catchment area is now the most important criteria.

Sparsholt Church of England Primary School is set in a beautiful village location just 2.5 miles east of Winchester. It’s academic and pastoral environment is built on the core Christian values of courage, compassion, and vulnerability. Sparsholt is a relatively small school with enrichment opportunities in music, technology, and sport.

Compton All Saints C of E Primary School. With places for just 120 children this school is always over-subscribed. It’s situated on the southern outskirts of Winchester and is a Church of England Voluntary Aided School. Children of all faiths are welcome at the school, where they are encouraged to learn in an atmosphere of support and opportunity.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN WINCHESTER

King’s School is an 11-16 community school with around 1,680 pupils. It has consistently achieved an ‘Outstanding’ report from Ofsted and describes itself as an ‘oversubscribed, happy and successful’ school. The latest Ofsted report notes that the teachers are enthusiastic, and knowledgeable, and that they challenge students to achieve their best.

Peter Symonds Sixth Form College is one of the top performing 16-19 colleges in the country. It currently holds an ‘Outstanding’ report from Ofsted. Headline comments from the report note that the school is a collaborative community in which every student is supported to achieve their best. The school also has an excellent track record for sending students to Oxford and Cambridge.

Henry Beaufort School. This inclusive comprehensive school is rated as ‘Good’, and praised by Ofsted for making students feel valued, as part of a school body where diversity is celebrated. The Henry Beaufort School curriculum combines traditional learning with more innovative approaches, and there is plenty of opportunity for students to enjoy cultural experiences and events.

The Westgate School is Hampshire’s first school to offer both a ‘lower’ and ‘upper’ school education to pupils between the ages 4-16. The Upper School Ofsted report rates it as a ‘Good’ school with an outstanding leadership team. The school was also commended by inspectors on the quality of pastoral care offered to students.

SCHEPENS PROVIDES WINCHESTER REMOVALS ACROSS THE CITY AND SURROUNDS, INCLUDING HYDE, FULFLOOD, WINNALL, HIGHCLIFFE, STANMORE, TEG DOWN, BAR END, ST. CROSS, WEEKE, ABBOTTS BARTON

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PROFESSIONAL AND RELIABLE WINCHESTER MOVING COMPANY, CALL SCHEPENS TODAY FOR A FREE, NO OBLIGATION QUOTE ON 01962 690009.

Hampshire Removals | Moving to Winchester

Looking at Villages Near Winchester to Live?

For many people, encountering Winchester is love at first sight. This picture-book city is small enough to walk everywhere yet large enough to attract the High Street brands. It’s surrounded by stunning countryside and yet brimming with independent eateries, festivals and events. For some looking to escape city life though, even a small city can be too hectic, the tourists too numerous; instead, they turn their attention to the villages near Winchester.

Schepens is a Hampshire removals company supporting movers relocating to beautiful locations across the county. We have an embarrassment of riches to choose from, so it’s always a pleasure to support families moving to their dream home after months of searching and deliberating. Which are the best villages near Winchester to move to? We asked 3 movers to tell us about their perfect spot within easy access of Hampshire’s ancient capital.

Old Alresford

We came upon Old Alresford quite by accident and it was just what we were looking for. This ancient village is just about a mile for the Georgian market town of Alresford, and 8 miles from Winchester. We feel like we live in the country (which we do), but we can easily cheat by walking down the road or hopping in the car. Sumptuous countryside, friendly community and lots of watercress!

Kings Worthy

We’re just 2 miles from the centre of Winchester, and yet the ancient village of Kings Worthy still feels really distinct. I went to Uni in Winchester and returned when my children were little. There’s loads of country walks to explore and lovely spots to enjoy in the sun. It’s rare that we’re out and we don’t meet someone we know. I’m so glad my children are growing up in a place they feel safe, with a great sense of community.

Bishop’s Waltham

We’re retired so we wanted somewhere rural but with easy access to local towns and cities. Bishop’s Waltham is perfect; 10 miles from Winchester and 11 miles from Southampton. We’re great walkers and we’re really spoilt for choice living where we do. Even better, there’s a generous sprinkling of excellent village pubs to visit too. We’ve a local doctor, dentist, post office, shops, cafes and restaurants – very lucky to have found it.

Schepens Provides Removals to Hampshire

For over a century Schepens family-run removals has been providing stress-free relocation across the county. We take great pleasure in moving families who have achieved a life-long desire by moving to villages near Winchester. And we do all we can to make their moving day memorable – for all the right reasons. Our removals teams are all recruited locally, so we can offer detailed local knowledge and up-to-date info on local road closures.

Tailored Removals From Schepens

Whether you’re moving from London, or from one side of the county to the other, your move is unique, and will be treated with care and attention. Every mover is allocated a move co-ordinator who knows the area you’re moving to well. They will work with you to create a tailored removals plan according to your specifications. When complete, this will form the basis of your free, no obligation removals quote.

Second-to-None Customer Service

“From first e-mail contact to final delivery of my belongings I was met with professionalism, friendliness and helpfulness. In such a stressful situation as moving, well, I couldn’t have asked for more from this excellent company.”

– Sue B.

If you’re planning removals to Winchester, or one of the nearby villages, call Schepens removal team to find out about the range of ways we can support your move – 01962 690009