Move to West Midlands?

[Jeff23]

Hi All,

We really like the Shropshire; Herefordshire; Worcestershire area. In particular, we like the area between Ludlow and Hereford.

We would like to move to the area but there is one concern we have and it's the weather.

Keeping an eye on the weather recently, we have seem that it seems.to be significantly wetter than where we are ( Northamptonshire).

For instance, this week, Ludlow has 3 full days of rain forecasted for our several hours on one day.

I know that it rains more the further west you go but we didn't expect a such a big difference until you get into Wales.

I'd appreciate any feedback from people living in the area about the weather; how wet it is; how it affects your horsey hobby and how you find the area in general for keeping and riding horses.

We visited Ludlow recently and we're so impressed. What a beautiful town!

Thanks in advance!

 

[JoannaC]

I'm a bit outside your area but I haven't found the weather in Staffordshire much different from the South East. Of course you are looking a bit closer to Wales so that might be the difference.

 

[lialls]

I moved from the Shropshire/Herefordshire/Powys area of the world at the beginning of the year and can confirm that it is quite a wet part of the country, and suffers with localised flooding a lot of the winter - Round Leominster is particularly bad but it has a knock on effect to the wider area. Depending on what set up you're looking for it didn't effect my turn out (yes the field was a big puddle on occasions but the horses could still be turned out if I wanted to) that was a private rented field though, I would think that livery yards would restrict turn out once it got really wet.

The general area isn't the easiest for DIY yards and you will end up having to travel to find something suitable, there is good riding clubs and not too far from Allens Hill and a couple of other venues for comps. There is pockets of good hacking but you may have to box to them. I would look more in the Kidderminster or Shrewsbury area and maybe even Malvern.

Agree that Ludlow is lovely though. I am currently enjoying not battling the rain daily in Suffolk and it's a balmy 16 degrees here today

 

[PurBee]

We moved from flat very dry east anglia to west coast valley of Ireland. We literally moved in a straight line west. I can confirm the more west you travel the wetter it gets!
We have roughly here the same annual rainfall and sunshine hours as the highlands of Scotland, as topographically it’s similar and we have the Gulf Stream warmth from the Atlantic more affecting the west of Ireland for rainfall.

But there’s some topographical differences that can affect the weather even as close as 5 miles, once you head into valleys/hills etc.
Land that faces the predominant wind direction receives more rain than land which does not.
Higher land, being on the tops of valleys will be overall wetter, but drains more quickly, than flat lowlands/boggy land.
Any areas that are beyond a mass of hills/valleys, will be drier than the hills/valleys areas. When looking from the prevailing wind direction.
Flatter areas have less rainfall that the surrounding hills for example, as the air pressure shifts causing rain drop with hills/mountains/forestry.

We’re on a slope of a valley, at elevation, amidst forestry, facing prevailing wind direction….it’s wetter here than the north facing side of the valley we see opposite us. We literally travel 1 mile down to the flat and it’ll be dry and sunny there! We know people who have visited us from a few miles away with a sun tan in the summer, while we’re pasty white working outside under cloud cover!
So once you hit hills/mountains/forestry regions, the exact spot matters, depending on these topographical aspects, rather than considering a whole region climate, as you would, say, when considering a whole fairly flat county in east UK.

Coastal regions everywhere tend to be drier overall with more sun hours due to them mostly being flatter. The very west coast areas can get more sun in Ireland than the hills just a few miles inland. But the winter storms winds coming in off the Atlantic would be horrific to face being right on the coast.

Swings and roundabouts as they say!

It’s far trickier dealing with heavy animals on land than in drier regions. We’ve built a dry hardcore paddock turnout area to save the land from being absolute bog in the winter.
Soils types in the valleys can differ even from field to field. We have 2 acres of literal bog and the other acres are limestone subsoil. Fairly good grazing when it’s dry, but all soils when consistently daily wet during winter cannot withstand continuous hoof traffic without turning into mush.
Having a slight slope to the land helps it drain much quicker than flat fields. I’d always be looking at land with a slight slope for the drainage factor.

 

[PurBee]

Look on Google maps and click on topography filter bottom left of the map screen. The shades of green show elevation. Deep green/grey = higher.
You’ll see just due west of your area is very hilly and will be much wetter than your region, which is lighter green on the map.
Because your area is beyond the prevailing wind direction hills and valleys it’ll be drier than those more west than you, and they’ll catch the rain more than your area.

You’ll find some lovely little farms in valleys cheap because topographically they are in the wetter areas, whereas farms just beyond that valley are likely more expensive.
It wasn’t until moving to the valleys that I got a deeper understanding of the nuances of climate. Before, being a ‘flat-lander’, I never imagined just merely a mile away could have a different rainfall amount and sunshine hours, all due to topography and prevailing wind direction!

 

[Jeff23]

I moved from the Shropshire/Herefordshire/Powys area of the world at the beginning of the year and can confirm that it is quite a wet part of the country, and suffers with localised flooding a lot of the winter - Round Leominster is particularly bad but it has a knock on effect to the wider area. Depending on what set up you're looking for it didn't effect my turn out (yes the field was a big puddle on occasions but the horses could still be turned out if I wanted to) that was a private rented field though, I would think that livery yards would restrict turn out once it got really wet.

The general area isn't the easiest for DIY yards and you will end up having to travel to find something suitable, there is good riding clubs and not too far from Allens Hill and a couple of other venues for comps. There is pockets of good hacking but you may have to box to them. I would look more in the Kidderminster or Shrewsbury area and maybe even Malvern.

Agree that Ludlow is lovely though. I am currently enjoying not battling the rain daily in Suffolk and it's a balmy 16 degrees here today

Thanks for your detailed response and suggestions . I ought to have mentioned that we keep our horses out 24/7 all year , at home.
We would be looking for the same set up so no need for livery yards.
Suffolk is a lovely part of the world too

 

[Jeff23]

Look on Google maps and click on topography filter bottom left of the map screen. The shades of green show elevation. Deep green/grey = higher.
You’ll see just due west of your area is very hilly and will be much wetter than your region, which is lighter green on the map.
Because your area is beyond the prevailing wind direction hills and valleys it’ll be drier than those more west than you, and they’ll catch the rain more than your area.

You’ll find some lovely little farms in valleys cheap because topographically they are in the wetter areas, whereas farms just beyond that valley are likely more expensive.
It wasn’t until moving to the valleys that I got a deeper understanding of the nuances of climate. Before, being a ‘flat-lander’, I never imagined just merely a mile away could have a different rainfall amount and sunshine hours, all due to topography and prevailing wind direction!

Many thanks for your detailed response

As a matter of interest, which do you prefer now: east Anglia ow where you are now?

 

[spacefaer]

Look at soil type too. Some areas are heavier soils which will be more affected by wetter weather. They can be very localised too. We have a couple of lovely bridleways near us (south Shropshire) which become virtually unusable in winter as they have a 30 yard wide strip of clay ground running across their route. (Local farm is called Claybrooke, which gives you an idea!) They rest of the paths are absolutely fine.

 

[PurBee]

Many thanks for your detailed response

As a matter of interest, which do you prefer now: east Anglia ow where you are now?

For horse management, definitely a drier climate like EA and other uk areas, is far easier and preferred, with all year turnout possible with enough land, and for the agri tillage multi-crop pursuits I’m into excel in a drier climate and higher sunshine hours. I worked outside a physical job in the winter there easily, it was easier because it was much drier throughout the year.

But for the raw wilderness, clean air, wild food foraging, peace and serenity, and rare wild-life spotting, west Ireland cannot be beaten really. It’s a raw, rugged terrain that definitely requires grit in the soul to withstand the winter climate and storms, but the most beautiful days are like being in heaven, where every single bird sings echoing through the valley for 6 months. Springtime is magical. The array of wild-life is spectacular.

My agri job suits EA, aswell as far easier horse management, but my creative job and poetic wild heart adores and suits serene rural Ireland.

 

[Jeff23]

For horse management, definitely a drier climate like EA and other uk areas, is far easier and preferred, with all year turnout possible with enough land, and for the agri tillage multi-crop pursuits I’m into excel in a drier climate and higher sunshine hours. I worked outside a physical job in the winter there easily, it was easier because it was much drier throughout the year.

But for the raw wilderness, clean air, wild food foraging, peace and serenity, and rare wild-life spotting, west Ireland cannot be beaten really. It’s a raw, rugged terrain that definitely requires grit in the soul to withstand the winter climate and storms, but the most beautiful days are like being in heaven, where every single bird sings echoing through the valley for 6 months. Springtime is magical. The array of wild-life is spectacular.

My agri job suits EA, aswell as far easier horse management, but my creative job and poetic wild heart adores and suits serene rural Ireland.

I think that this is the conundrum for us: we are drawn to what we consider to be more beautiful, interesting and less populated West Midlands but are afraid of finding the weather to be too wet and thus making for miserable horse keeping conditions.
We love Wales for even more of the above reasons plus the bonus of being near the west coast but that is definitely going to be quite wet.
The east of the country is less interesting and more populated.
The trouble is that we have no first hand experience of the W Midlands over a long period of time which gives us any confidence.

 

[spacefaer]

Well, we live in South Shropshire and don't find the horse keeping experience remotely miserable! It's just a question of finding the right property, falling in love with it and not over complicating the process.
I've moved house multiple times over the years and every one has necessitated a series of compromises- nowhere is perfect but you make the best decisions you can at the time.

(Also I don't really consider that we're west midlands but that's by the by)

 

[PurBee]

I think that this is the conundrum for us: we are drawn to what we consider to be more beautiful, interesting and less populated West Midlands but are afraid of finding the weather to be too wet and thus making for miserable horse keeping conditions.
We love Wales for even more of the above reasons plus the bonus of being near the west coast but that is definitely going to be quite wet.
The east of the country is less interesting and more populated.
The trouble is that we have no first hand experience of the W Midlands over a long period of time which gives us any confidence.

We always thought it would have been more ideal to rent for 6 months-1year in a completely new area/country/climate to ‘test’ whether it would suit, rather than commit fully with finding and buying. But some folks personal/financial circumstances don’t allow that easily, but it is a good idea to consider if really unsure.

Viewing properties, when searching for land especially, is also a good idea to view during winter or early spring after the worst weather winter months to see how wet it is. If it squidges underfoot for human weight, we know hooves will sink and churn it up easily. That’s why slightly sloping land is very useful for faster rain run-off and drying-off quicker than totally flat fields.

As Spacefaer says, there’s pros and cons to all places, and it’s about deciding if we can live with the compromises for the perceived gains.

 

[Jeff23]

Well, we live in South Shropshire and don't find the horse keeping experience remotely miserable! It's just a question of finding the right property, falling in love with it and not over complicating the process.
I've moved house multiple times over the years and every one has necessitated a series of compromises- nowhere is perfect but you make the best decisions you can at the time.

(Also I don't really consider that we're west midlands but that's by the by)

Do you mind saying approximately whereabouts you are and what the weather (rain) is like?

 

[DabDab]

I've lived worcs, shrops, Herefordshire borders for 17 years, and prior to that I was south east. Yes it is generally wetter here, and (particularly in some spots), considerably windier...the level of misery will be largely dependent on the property you buy. There are also lots of strange, localised weather patterns here because of the hills and the way the weather flows in from the west, so if weather is a prime concern you may have to just make a best guess and hope you get lucky.

The hills and trees of West of England and mid Wales speak to my soul in a way that is hard to describe but feels intrinsic to who I am. So I would choose here no matter how wet it was. I can appreciate the beauty or convenience of other places, but none of them are home.

 

[spacefaer]

@Jeff23
We're near Church Stretton. What we find is because of the topography of the area (Long Mynd) there are very localised weather patterns. There's a small hill between us and the town which is a mile away. It can be simultaneously raining there and not here, or we're in thick fog and they're not.
I would say, over time, we seem to be getting longer, drier spells, with shorter, sharper bursts of rain.
On the upside, we have more grass growing and more hay available than those further east!

 

[Squeak]

I've moved from the south to Shropshire and I can't say that I've noticed that it's wetter here. I have family in the south east and I don't notice much difference between our rain and theirs. Our land in Shropshire is drier than it was when we were down south.

Agree with everything that Sf says, I don't find horse keeping in Shropshire miserable, I found a property and fell in love with it and it works really well for us.

And Ludlow is lovely

 

[Kirstd33]

I'm in North Shropshire, on the Welsh border and its beautiful My local town is fairly small, but Shrewsbury is 20 mins away in one direction, the roman city of Chester is 40 mins North for better shopping and Ludlow is 45 mins South for the the annual food festival!

We have no land at home, well 1 acre of garden but we rent 4 acres approx 3.5 miles away where we keep our 2 horses and a friends. Good livery yards are a little scarse but they can be found depending on the locality. The weather is largely fine, being a fairly low lying land locked county and no wetter I would say than anywhere else?

 

[Jeff23]

Sorry , I should.say that the perceived miserable horse keeping conditions were really aimed at the winter months only.
Thank you everyone for your responses which have been really helpful.

 

[DabDab]

Sorry , I should.say that the perceived miserable horse keeping conditions were really aimed at the winter months only.
Thank you everyone for your responses which have been really helpful.

Tbh I think it is quite a personal thing too. My mum moved to west mids from the south east about 8 years ago, and she really struggles with the difference in weather, whereas I never really noticed until she showed up complaining about it. Whether m only notices it because she worked up the difference in her brain before moving, or whether it is something more fundamental, I don't know.

 

[Orangehorse]

South East can be horrible, as it catches the Continental weather, snow in winter, etc.

Its wetter in the West as the clouds gather water over the oceans and then meet the mountains of Wales and dump the moisture, there are many streams and rivers that quickly fill up and flood, so the Teme and then the Severn fill up with the water coming from Wales. The land is much flatter in the East and the rivers don't seem to have the fall as in the west. I look at the Ouse and can't even see which way it is flowing.

As it happens we live in a rain shadow, we often miss the rain as the clouds coming over from the west meet the River Severn valley and seem to leave it there instead of reaching us.

Rather than the rainfall, I think what you would need to be careful of is the quality and type of the soil. Our soil is clay, good for growing grass and wheat, but it is either too wet or too dry to ride on, and that applies in many places. It isn't much fun trying to squelch around a field, or attempting to ride a bridlepath when the horses' feet sink into the soil and your grass paddock looks like a ploughed field.