Category: area guides

The process of finding a new home can be incredibly overwhelming, especially if you are looking to relocate. Knowing what to look for in a new location is important, and if you have a family, or are thinking of starting one, considering schools in the area is essential. Cambridgeshire is known for its outstanding University, but also has an abundance of nurseries, primary schools, and secondary schools.

What is Ofsted?

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, set up by the government. They inspect services that provide education for students of any age. With over 1,800 employees, covering 8 regions, Ofsted are responsible for Inspecting, Regulating, and Reporting. They aim to raise the standards of educational facilities in order to improve the quality of life.

How are Primary Schools Ranked?

Ofsted Inspectors follow a strict framework, covering leadership and management, teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare, and pupil outcomes. Based on the previous, schools will be ranked on the following scale:

Grade 1: Outstanding
Grade 2: Good
Grade 3: Requires Improvement
Grade 4: Inadequate

Who are some of the most Highly Ranked Primary Schools in Cambridgeshire?

1. Bourn C of E Primary Acadamy. Located in Bourn, this school was ranked outstanding by Ofsted in 2009.
2. Coton Church of England School. Located in Coton, they received an outstanding ranking in 2008.
3. The Spinney Primary School. The Cherry Hinton primary school earned an outstanding ranking in 2008.
4. Fordham C of E Primary School. This rural village school has received outstanding ratings at its 2006 and 2010 inspections.
5. St Alban’s Catholic Primary School. Located in the centre of Cambridge, this school was awarded an outstanding status in its 2014 inspection.
6. University of Cambridge Primary School. This Eddington Avenue school was rated as outstanding in 2018 by Ofsted.
7. Queen Edith Community Primary School. Situated South of Cambridge centre, Queen Edith Primary has been inspected twice in the last 10 years, receiving good at both.
8. Milton Road Primary School. This Cambridge school was rated good at its latest inspection in 2019.
9. Ridgefield Primary School. In Eastern Cambridgeshire, this good rated school has carried its status for 10 years.
10. St Matthew’s Primary School. Located in close proximity to the Anglian Ruskin University Campus, this school has been rated as good by Ofsted in 2020.

To find out more about school rankings in Cambridge visit: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/

Newmarket, known otherwise as horseracing HQ, is a quaint market town with a history steeped in the royal sport of horseracing. But don’t let that stop you from looking to buy or rent in the town or surrounding areas, you certainly don’t have to be a horseracing fan to enjoy living there!

With great connections to both Cambridgeshire and the Suffolk Coast, local tourist attractions on your doorstep and great outdoor activities and walking routes, Newmarket is fast becoming a homeowners chosen location.

Whether you’re looking at central Newmarket or one of the surrounding villages such as Exning, Moulton, Kentford or even Burwell, you’ll be sure to pick a home that has a lot going for it nearby.

Connections to neighbouring towns

In less than a 30-minute drive or a 20-minute direct train, you can be in the heart of Cambridge for a day full of shopping and sightseeing around the infamous colleges.

For those wanting something a little lower key, in 25 minutes, you can be in the pretty area of Ely where they play host to a range of craft and farmers markets throughout the year including the annual Ely Eel Festival on the first weekend in May and the bustling Christmas fair within the historic Cathedral.

Heading in the other direction, you are also in a very commutable distance from Bury St Edmunds, the jewel in the crown of Suffolk, surrounded by countryside with 1,000 years of history to explore, tonnes of independent shops to discover and a huge amount of restaurants and cafes of all shapes and sizes.

Lavenham, the picture-perfect, pink cottage lined village which is only a 40-minute drive away. With crooked houses, cobbled paths and gorgeous surroundings, this is certainly a location you’ll want to be close by to. It was even a location in the Harry Potter films!

Local tourist attractions

Whilst you needn’t be an avid watcher of horseracing, you may be interested in visiting some of the local tourist attractions in Newmarket for something new and fun to do with friends and family.

Enjoy a day at the races at Newmarket Racecourses where you can place your bets on a host of race days throughout the year or perhaps enjoy The Style Awards and don your best fascinator or suit!

The National Stud, the only commercial stud farm in the UK, is a unique choice to spend a morning with your family as you get up close to the baby foals as they make their first few steps in the world before what could be a long career in racing.

The National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art is one for all with a host of new art exhibitions going up monthly and a plethora of children’s activities during the school holidays, including the chance to ride ‘legless’ their horseriding simulator!

The great outdoors

For those wanting to experience more of the countryside around Newmarket, why not attempt to walk The Devil’s Dyke? Don’t let the name put you off, this Anglo-Saxon walking trail is a great option for a sunny afternoon with the dog!

Thetford Forest is a simple 20 minutes drive away for those wanting to try out Go-Ape or Centre Parcs at Elveden Forest. There’s also plenty of countryside pubs to visit along the way from The Elveden Inn to The Packhorse at Moulton and beyond!

For those wanting to visit the sea, Aldeburgh, Felixstowe and Southwold are all commutable within a 1 hour 30-minute drive.

If you want to find out more about Newmarket and the surrounding towns and villages to both buy and rent, get in touch with the Morris Armitage team today!

East Anglia is a beautiful area to live. The rolling countryside, picturesque coastal areas and iconic cities, which include Cambridge, makes the region a hotspot for buyers.

If you’re thinking about moving to the area, we have created a guide to some of the best places to live across East Anglia.

Cambridge and the Surrounding Areas

Cambridge is a beautiful city brimming with culture, character and history. It’s very well connected to London and the rest of the country – you can be at London Kings Cross Station in 45minutes and London Stansted is located just 30 miles to the South of the city.

The city centre is the perfect place to call home for professionals, couples and families. It’s a bustling place to live offering great employment opportunitites plus fantastic places to eat, shop and explore.

If you’re looking for a bit more for your money, the cities fringes and surrounding villages offer an abundance of beautiful properties with a bit more space. Locations such as Girton, Chesterton, Milton and Cherry Hinton are wonderful places to set-up home, where you can enjoy being a short drive or cycle from the thriving city but also enjoy countryside living.

Newmarket and Surrounding Villages

Due to the higher prices of property in Cambridge, growth in the housing market for Newmarket, Mildenhall, Fordham and Burwell has considerably increased over the last few years. There’s been many new housing developments within these areas, and people are choosing to move here for the villages and towns good transport links, gorgeous countryside and affordable housing.

Newmarket is the Home of Horseracing where the magic of the Thoroughbred racing industry makes it a magical and very exciting place to live. The town has an abundance of international and iconic attractions right on your doorstep, including the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art, which opened in 2016.

Villages that surround Newmarket include Burwell, Exning, Fordham and Dullingham, and if you go a little further afield you will reach the likes of Mildenhall, Red Lodge and Isleham. These villages are well-served with some outstanding pubs and restaurants, schools and convenience stores that provide the perfect village and community life for couples and families of all sizes.

Downham Market

If you head a few miles north of Newmarket, you will reach the wonderful corner of Norfolk, Downham Market.

The market town is a hidden gem when it comes to property. There’s chocolate-box cottages, stunning townhouses and many new housing developments. It’s also a great location when it comes to affordability.

The town is very well-connected too. You can reach Cambridge in just 35 minutes, London in 90 minutes or get to Ely in just 18 minutes by train. If you’re not interested in visiting the local cities, then you’ll be pleased to know it’s only a 45 – 60 minute drive to the stunning coastal areas of Hunstanton, Wells-next-the-Sea and Holkham – the perfect day trip on a glorious day.

Get in touch

We have offices in Cambridge, Newmarket, Burwell, Downham Market and Haverhill, therefore our local experts are always on hand to help point out the best locations and areas of the region for you to explore, buy or rent. Get in contact and we look forward to helping you with your search.

Back to Latest News.

Newmarket is the home of horseracing, and the headquarters for Thoroughbred breeding, and this year it’s celebrating a huge historical milestone, the 350th anniversary of horseracing. But did you know that Newmarket, and the towns surrounding it, is an ideal place to look for affordable and attractive property in East Anglia?

With strong links to the region’s cities, good transport links to both the Midlands and London, Newmarket also has the benefit of being right on the cusp of gorgeous countryside. A suitable, affordable compromise to buying in often costly Cambridge as well, Newmarket is a working market town with horseracing at its heart.

Horses rule the town making for a majestic sight on morning commutes as they can be seen galloping up Warren Hill on their early morning training.

2016 is a landmark year for the town, marking 350 years since King Charles II set down the rules of modern horse racing, and races started to be recorded. James I had established a palace in Newmarket in the 1600s, but it was Charles that cemented Newmarket’s place in horseracing history, starting the world’s first horse training establishment in Newmarket, Palace House Stables.

This year there are a host of celebrations town-wide, including a statue of King Charles II himself, the 350th running of the Town Plate, a race Charles used to race in, and who wrote into law in 1666, should be run forever. The National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art, Suffolk’s biggest attraction for almost 10 years, on the site of Charles’ stables, will be unveiled in the town later by, if rumours are to believed, Her Majesty The Queen.

It’s an exciting and exuberant time to look for property in and around the town, with celebration in the air, and, if you’re a racing fan, there’s no place more suited to your passions.

Get in touch

If you’re interested in living in the town dubbed, ‘the resort of kings’, please get in contact with Morris Armitage today, our local experts can point out the best locations and areas of the town, or surrounding villages, in which you can get the most for your money.

Cambridge is a hotspot for buyers across the country. Take a look at some of the city’s key stats to see what’s going on with property in Cambridge:

 

• The average house price in the area is £394,662
• Cambridge house prices are more expensive than nearby Cherry Hinton and East Chesterton, but cheaper than Trumpington
• The Newnham and Market areas of Cambridge have a whopping average house price of £515,000
• House prices in the city are up 12.1% in the last year
• Since 2007, house prices have increased by 46.6%
• In May and June 2015, 223 houses were sold in Cambridge with 16 of these sold at more than £1million
• In the next five years, prices in the East of England are set to rise by 24.5%, with Cambridge expected to beat that figure
• International buyers represent 19% of the Cambridge market
• The majority of houses purchased in Cambridgeshire are from the county, with Greater London as the second highest location for buyers
• 7% of homes in the city are second homes
• 19% of properties in the area are brought for investment or redevelopment
• The three reasons for buying in Cambridge include relocation, upsizing or for investment purposes
• The average rent of a property in Cambridge is £1,219 pcm

 

To learn more about property in Cambridge, to book a valuation, or to speak with a member of our team about your property requirements, please call 01223 462013 or email [email protected]

Morris Armitage is delighted to announce that they have won the exclusive marketing contract for 14 brand new, 50% shared ownership, homes. Morris Armitage is working in partnership with the Cambridge Housing Group on the new builds, located in Impington.

The village of Impington is conveniently situated 3 miles north of Cambridge and is connected with the village of Histon. Impington boasts good shopping and educational facilities, with its picturesque village green and pond surrounded by attractive period cottages.

Constructed by Bellway Homes, the cost of the new builds, including the 50% shares are from as low as £82,000 and are set to include:
–      1 or 2 bed flats
–      2 or 3 bedroom houses

The properties are well placed for access to the A14, M11 and the newly opened Guided Busway, providing direct links to the city centre, Cambridge rail station and Addenbrookes Hospital.

Pricing in Cambridge has seen a gradual positive move over the past year and the city is now experiencing a high demand for well-placed properties.

For more information on these fantastic properties, please call our Cambridge office on 01223 462013