Re-locating to Somerset/Devon - any suggestions welcome!

[Minilin]

Hi,

I'm looking at re-locating to somewhere in Somerset or Devon, really haven't pinned any location down at the moment (Currently in Bristol). Harder than it sounds as I need to move my horse, find somewhere to rent and look for jobs in the area while commuting to Bristol for my current one! Therefore an area with good rail/car links would be excellent.

Born and raised in Cornwall so I've been really quite spoilt and been able to ride for miles around woodlands, fields and the camel trail. Moved to Bristol a year ago, in order to start a career after uni and have found it a bit of a shock. Current yard is lovely and I'm lucky to have off road riding around the yards fields (which is amazing for Bristol). Will be sad to leave.

What I'm looking for in a yard:
All year round turn out
Safe, amazing off road hacking
Rural area
DIY (with assistance if need for holidays/illness)
Friendly liveries
Sandschool - would be nice but not essential.


Greatfull for any suggestions on where the best places to move would be

Apologies for wall of text.
Steph

 

[ArabianGem78]

Exeter would be my suggestion. It's a thriving city with a relatively strong job market at the moment. Easy commuting to Bristol. I live about 10 miles east of Exeter and work there. My horse is not kept on a yard (I rent land from the local estate) but there are a few around here (though they are quite rare out east). I have amazing offroad hacking on the commons around Woodbury. As an endurance rider, I need it to be good and extensive. If you looked south of Exeter, there are some really good yards around and some great riding up on Haldon Hill behind the racecourse. We box up there and it's great fun. Otherwise Dartmoor is pretty close with its phenomenal riding.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I am in East Devon, about 6 miles East of Exeter.

"Arabian Gem" is quite right, Exeter is a good centre to look, but livery yards in East Devon are like Hen's Teeth. Woodbury Common is a lovely area to hack on, but livery is virtually impossible to find anywhere within reasonable riding distance - Bicton Equestrian College however are on the edge of the common and do offer livery.

The riding around the Exeter area, I would describe as very varied. You may be lucky enough to be on a yard where there is plenty of hacking, but you might very well find that you get a lot of roadwork. In a farming area, every single scrap of land is utilised for that purpose, so you will be very lucky to find much off-road. It does vary very greatly so if looking at a yard check out where you can ride locally.

Personally, if I had free choice and no ties, I'd go for either Exmoor or Dartmoor. Exmoor would probably be my first choice - lots of lovely riding (Golden Horseshoe Country!!) plus really good local hunts and lots going on. Disadvantage is that you are very remote, or rather it can feel that way.

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

I'm on the edge of Dartmoor in the Teign valley but only 15 minutes drive from Exeter. Benefits, easy access to Exeter, great riding with plenty of off road (Google Fingle Woods, I can hack here by only crossing a couple of roads and the rest of my riding is quiet lanes, woods around reservoirs and open access moorland). The negative is that being in a National Park hikes the house prices!

 

[Spreebok]

I live pretty much in Exeter, my yard Rollstone Farm is a 5 min drive from the town centre! In Exeter, the hacking isn't great, but it isn't too terrible either. If you're okay with a little bit of road work, you can go for some nice, long hacks. I have stoke woods about a 10 minute ride from me, which is a small but nice wood to ride in. For longer rides I'm able to get to Killerton House and a nice bridlepath along Pinwood, but both require a fair chunk of road work on not particularly quiet roads.

I previously liveried out past Whitestone at Centyfields, and whilst it was in range of Fingle Bridge for a long hack, short hacks were all roads from my experience.

There are some lovely places to go though as described, Woodbury is great, Haldon is lovely (spent my youth hacking up there with Haldon Riding School!), Exmouth beach is a popular beach ride too! Then of course there's Dartmoor and Exmoor and goodness I could go on!

 

[Minilin]

Thank you everyone for your responses

My Dad and step-Mum live in Exeter, so I pop down there quite regularly. So certainly a possibility!

Have been looking on the internet and the Blackdown Hills area outside of Taunton sounds like and amazing place to hack and live.

 

[MochaDun]

Taunton might be a good base for work - I used to live there and commute to Bristol daily on the train as very do-able (though pricey as all transport is) but that was before I had a horse though the area (Wellington and the Blackdown Hills) is where I was born and brought up. Lots of good riding around the Blackdown hills (Herepath route has been developed in recent years though I've never ridden it myself). And also you've got the Quantocks the other side. Useful equine centres for competition at Pontispool and Stockland Lovell. Good train route to West Country and up to Bristol/London.

 

[meesha]

Quantocks are lovely, over stowey and surrounding villages. Amazing riding, good hunting, Bridgwater or taunton for work.

 

[ArabianGem78]

Taunton would have been my 2nd suggestion for the reasons outlined above!

Exmoor would be amazing (riding the Golden Horseshoe last year was such a highlight!) but it is very isolated.

 

[TangoCurly]

The Blackdowns is a great place to live and have your horse. Easy to get to the M5, A303 for commuting, but miles of fantastic hacking.

The yard I'd recommend in the area has recently been taken over by friends of mine. Indoor and outdoor schools and fantastic hacking on the doorstep. https://www.facebook.com/curlandequestriancentre?fref=ts