Ipswich, Suffolk … a great place to live
Just an hour from London’s Liverpool Street station, Ipswich is very much within commuter range of most parts of the capital and many are moving out to enjoy life in Suffolk. Click here for a video about Ipswich from www.allaboutipswich.com
A survey by the on-line estate agents Rightmove in March 2013 placed Ipswich as the third happiest place to live in Britain.
Forty minutes up the coast is Snape Maltings, the home of the annual Aldeburgh Festival founded by the musician Benjamin Britten. Prep pupils from Ipswich School took part in the original recording of Britten’s St Nicolas in 1955 under the composer’s direction. The Music Faculty at the school now bears his name.
… a great place to buy a house
With house prices significantly lower than many other parts of the south east and with London just over an hour away by train, increasing numbers of people are relocating to Ipswich.
Park Gate Development, Landex New Homes
The Park Gate development from Landex New Homes is an example of high quality contemporary houses in the area, a short walk from Ipswich School. Park Gate is a collection of six unique family homes in an ideal location – opposite the magnificent Christchurch Park with around 60 acres of parkland and Christchurch Mansion with its gallery featuring works by Gainsborough and Constable.
Property represents outstanding value for money, with Victorian and Edwardian four bedroom detached houses in the conservation area of town selling from around £500,000. Surrounded by some of Britain’s best lowland countryside, with both Constable Country and the Suffolk Coast only ten miles away, Ipswich is a great place for those considering improving their quality of life and relocating from London. Ipswich marina has an array of top quality restaurants and the stylish boats moored on the quayside give it a South of France touch. Christchurch Park, situated in the centre of town, is surrounded by a fine selection of properties and Ipswich School overlooks its southern entrance.
Former Ipswich School student David Knights runs David Brown estate agents in Ipswich and he specialises in houses located near to Ipswich School. “Ipswich is the county town of Suffolk” he explains. “It has many lovely parks, golf courses and rivers affording excellent sailing facilities and there are properties of all ages, in particular Victorian & Edwardian town houses and country farmhouses offering excellent value for money, away from the environs of London.”
Those looking for houses in the surrounding countryside will find plenty of picture postcard villages with wooden framed medieval buildings all within range of Ipswich School and these are served by an extensive school bus network.
…and a great place to go to school
Relocating to Ipswich may open up other opportunities, such as education. Girls and boys have every opportunity to find and develop their talents at Ipswich School and Ipswich Preparatory School. With small class sizes and high academic standards, pupils thrive in a positive environment. Co-curricular activities outside the classroom build confidence and team spirit, and include excellent music, drama and sport.
The purpose-built Preparatory School provides a supportive happy atmosphere for younger pupils. We offer scholarships and bursaries at ages 11, 13 and 16, and pupils are day pupils or take advantage of our flexible boarding options available alongside full boarding.
The Senior School has a fine academic record and Ipswich School Sports Centre is the best hockey facility in the east of England and one of the best in the country. Two of our former students were in the GB Olympic squad for the 2012 London Olympics, one even played for England in the Commonwealth Games while studying for his A Levels.
We have a multi-million pound Music Centre due to open in the autumn and have a flourishing drama department.
But the school offers much more than this. We recently hosted a major musical festival that featured among others, the British Paraorchestra.
But don’t take it from us…
When the Evans family was thinking of moving out of London they started by drawing a radius around the capital and looking at all the towns which were within commutable range. They came across Ipswich, moved house and have not looked back since.
“Moving here has been a joy,” explains Mrs Evans. “The whole reason we moved was because of Ipswich School. When we visited we got the same type of feeling you get when buying a house – we instantly knew the school was the one for us. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and we knew it was just the right place.”
“We absolutely love it here and the move has been a fantastic success. My husband’s commute to London has worked well and we have been able to buy a bigger house with a bigger garden within walking distance of a great school.”
There’s no substitute for coming to see the school in action, so you can see for yourself just what we have to offer both girls and boys from 2 to 18. Tours of the school can be arranged on a normal school day, and we look forward to meeting you.
