Where to live in/around Worcester

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AntiPuck

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Hoping some of you won't mind giving me some recommendations.

I'm planning to move to the Worcester area early next year, and won't have a commute so ideally want to optimise for proximity to yards as I'll be hoping to buy my first horse once settled and ready.

Trying to narrow down the search range for finding a place to live (renting) - Are there any areas that are particularly worth checking out, or even avoiding?

Thank you!
 
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Orangehorse

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I think try to find a good livery first and then look for somewhere to rent for yourself. What do you want to do?
Completely DIY or have instructors on site with arena and schooling facilities. Are you aiming for competitions so easy access to the competition centres? Or be close to good hacking and maybe have people around to go out for rides with - or a mixture!

Worcestershire Horse Group is a Facebook page that is active.

Worcestershire Bridleways and Riders Group website shows where there are bridlepath networks.

Stourport Equestrian centre has a good reputation and has a huge indoor school, and other arenas, it is also fairly close to Lincomb cross country course that has an off road riding route and has quite a lot of clinics and competitions being held there throughout the year. There is also Gracelands which is an indoor school competition centre with nearby Radnall Farm Livery - the hacking is OK but not great. If you want to hack frequently then the Wyre Forest north of Stourport is a Forestry Commission woodland which is large, free to ride in if you can hack there but I don't personally know any livery yards close by but there must be some. Bissell Wood Livery is an oasis of calm with big main roads close to, but it is also quite close to a good bridlepath system and it also has fun rides and competitions held on site.

Then there is the Evesham/Pershore area - Bredon Hill where there are lots of bridlepaths but the Vale of Evesham never looks very nice for riding, unless someone knows better. The Malvern Hills, very beautiful, once again you would have to find a particular livery yard and see what facilities around the Upton area, which is close tothe Gloucestershire border.

Some of the rural areas you would think would be nice for riding, but the narrow lanes are carrying quite a lot of traffic and if there are few bridlepaths then it isn't so nice as they sound. Take with a pinch of salt when any livery yard advertises "good hacking" and sus it out, don't take their word for it.
 
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AntiPuck

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Orangehorse said:
I think try to find a good livery first and then look for somewhere to rent for yourself. What do you want to do?
Completely DIY or have instructors on site with arena and schooling facilities. Are you aiming for competitions so easy access to the competition centres? Or be close to good hacking and maybe have people around to go out for rides with - or a mixture!

Worcestershire Horse Group is a Facebook page that is active.

Worcestershire Bridleways and Riders Group website shows where there are bridlepath networks.

Stourport Equestrian centre has a good reputation and has a huge indoor school, and other arenas, it is also fairly close to Lincomb cross country course that has an off road riding route and has quite a lot of clinics and competitions being held there throughout the year. There is also Gracelands which is an indoor school competition centre with nearby Radnall Farm Livery - the hacking is OK but not great. If you want to hack frequently then the Wyre Forest north of Stourport is a Forestry Commission woodland which is large, free to ride in if you can hack there but I don't personally know any livery yards close by but there must be some. Bissell Wood Livery is an oasis of calm with big main roads close to, but it is also quite close to a good bridlepath system and it also has fun rides and competitions held on site.

Then there is the Evesham/Pershore area - Bredon Hill where there are lots of bridlepaths but the Vale of Evesham never looks very nice for riding, unless someone knows better. The Malvern Hills, very beautiful, once again you would have to find a particular livery yard and see what facilities around the Upton area, which is close tothe Gloucestershire border.

Some of the rural areas you would think would be nice for riding, but the narrow lanes are carrying quite a lot of traffic and if there are few bridlepaths then it isn't so nice as they sound. Take with a pinch of salt when any livery yard advertises "good hacking" and sus it out, don't take their word for it.
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Thank you for taking the time to type this out, Orangehorse - this is super helpful info, and it's good to hear that there seem to be plenty of options! I had someone recommend looking to live in the Droitwich spa area, and it seems like the places you have given are also around that sort of area.

You're right, finding a yard first would be the best way to do it, but i've had a long break from riding so need a couple of lessons first to get rid of the cobwebs before buying, which itself could take time, and i'm not sure how long a yard would be willing to reserve a livery place for if all of that ends up taking a couple of months.

I would be after full livery, and access to instructors on-site for lessons and good hacking would be ideal. I won't have any own transport, so getting competition centres likely won't be on the agenda, at least initially, but it would be great to have them within reasonable driving distance for later on.

Bissell Wood looks and sounds fantastic, only thing is seems like they don't really offer full livery - typical! But I really appreciate the suggestions, thank you again.
 
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