What it's like to live in Highwoods
What is it like to live in Highwoods? It is a green, settled suburb on the north side of Colchester, a large historic city in Essex. The feel is calm and residential, with plenty of trees and open space, and it suits families and anyone who wants quiet without being cut off. High Woods Country Park and Colchester General Hospital are both close by.
3 council and housing association homes available to swap within 3 miles of Highwoods.
1 tenant wants to move here. Live in Highwoods? List your home and they could be your match. "I'd move here" adds Highwoods to the areas on your listing, so homes here are matched to you first.
Highwoods sits on the northern edge of Colchester, in the CO4 postcode. It is a planned suburb of cul-de-sacs, green verges and short walks to a big country park, built around a core of shops, a school and a community centre rather than a traditional high street.
What tends to sell the area to people is the mix. You get quiet residential streets and 330 acres of woods and meadows on the doorstep at High Woods Country Park, but Colchester General Hospital, a Tesco Extra and the main train station are all within a couple of miles. That combination is rare, and it is why Highwoods holds on to families for years.
It is not the place for you if you want nightlife and restaurants at the end of your road. The bars, cinemas and clubs are in Colchester city centre, a bus ride or a decent walk away. But for a steady, green, well-served suburb with the city close enough to use, Highwoods is a strong option for a tenant thinking about a move to Essex.
Swapping to Highwoods: key facts
Can I swap my council or housing association home to Highwoods?
Yes, if you are already a council or housing association tenant. Mutual exchange means swapping homes with another social tenant, so it does not depend on the council waiting list: you need a tenant in or near Highwoods who wants your area, and both landlords must agree. Landlords have 42 days to decide and can only refuse on set legal grounds. In 2024 to 2025, 41 council homes in Colchester changed tenants by mutual exchange. On 20 October 2026, 3 homes were listed to swap within 3 miles and 1 tenant wanted to move to Highwoods on Mutual Home Exchange.
How long is the council housing waiting list in Highwoods?
1,730 households were on the Colchester housing register on 31 March 2025, down 6% on a year earlier. 784 social homes were let through the council in 2024 to 2025, roughly 2.2 households for every home let. Source: Local Authority Housing Statistics, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
How much is social rent in Highwoods?
Average weekly social rents in the Colchester council area in 2024/25: 1 bed £96 council, £104 housing association; 2 bed £108 council, £121 housing association; 3 bed £124 council, £138 housing association. Affordable rent homes cost more, typically 60 to 80% of market rent. Source: Regulator of Social Housing.
How much social housing is there in Highwoods and who owns it?
13.3% of homes in the Colchester council area are social housing (council 7.1%, housing association 6.2%), against 17.1% across England, according to the 2021 Census. The biggest social landlords there are Colchester City Council (6,066 homes), Eastlight Community Homes Limited (1,848 homes) and Delta Housing Limited (561 homes).
Which homes are available to swap near Highwoods?
Homes are shown near their address, not on it. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right. Source: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence.
What is housing like in Highwoods and who lives there?
Highwoods is largely suburban housing from the later twentieth century: estate roads, front gardens, a lot of houses rather than flats. Social homes are mixed in among owner-occupied and private rented streets rather than concentrated in one block, which is part of the area's character.
Across the Colchester council area, 13.3% of homes are socially rented, below the England figure of 17.1%, split roughly evenly between council and housing association landlords. Colchester City Council is much the biggest social landlord with around 6,066 homes, followed by Eastlight Community Homes, Delta Housing, The Guinness Partnership and Peabody.
Rents are modest. Average weekly social rents in the council area for 2024/25 were about £98 for a one bed, £114 for two and £129 for three. Demand is real: 1,730 households were on the council's housing register at 31 March 2025, and a register is not a simple queue, so exchanging is a practical route in.
Council waiting list and lettings
Households on the register by the size of home they need.
That is roughly 2.2 households waiting for every social home let in a year. Mutual exchange doesn't use the waiting list: if you already have a council or housing association home, swapping with another tenant can be a quicker way to move to Highwoods.
A register counts households who have applied, so it isn't a simple queue: some are already social tenants hoping to transfer, and people can be on more than one council's list.
Typical weekly social rents in the Colchester council area
| Size | Council | Housing association |
|---|---|---|
| Bedsit | £81 | £0 |
| 1 bed | £96 | £104 |
| 2 bed | £108 | £121 |
| 3 bed | £124 | £138 |
| 4 bed | £136 | £159 |
Social rent averages for 2024/25. Affordable rent homes cost more, typically 60 to 80% of market rent.
Biggest social landlords in the council area
- Colchester City Council6,066 homes
- Eastlight Community Homes Limited1,848 homes
- Delta Housing Limited561 homes
- The Guinness Partnership Limited467 homes
- Peabody Trust420 homes
- Flagship Housing Limited390 homes
- Sanctuary Housing Association381 homes
- Notting Hill Genesis336 homes
What is it like to live in Highwoods?
Day to day, life revolves around a small local hub rather than a big high street. The St John's and Highwoods Community Centre sits roughly a couple of minutes away on foot, and a Tesco Extra is a short walk or a very short drive for a big shop.
The wider Colchester area has a fairly typical age mix, with slightly more 16 to 24 year olds than England as a whole, helped by the university further east. In Highwoods itself you notice families and older residents most, and the pace reflects that.
What are the schools and family life like in Highwoods?
This is a strong area for schools, mainly because there are so many within a short distance. Highwoods Community Primary School is right there, about 0.1 miles away, with Brinkley Grove, St John's CofE, Friars Grove and Queen Boudica Primary all inside a mile. That gives you real choice, though places depend on admissions and how close you actually live.
For secondary, The Gilberd School is about half a mile away. The Trinity School and St Helena School are both within a mile and a half, and Colchester Academy is around 1.6 miles. Check the latest inspection reports and catchment rules before you commit to a swap.
Family life beyond school is easy here. The country park is the big one for free days out, and there are play and sports spaces at Mill Road Sports Ground and Mile End Recreation Ground. Greenstead Library is about 1.5 miles away, with Colchester Library a little further.
Primary schools
- Highwoods Community Primary Schoolnearby
- Brinkley Grove Primary School0.5 mi
- St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School0.6 mi
- Friars Grove Primary School0.6 mi
- Queen Boudica Primary School0.7 mi
Secondary schools
- The Gilberd School0.5 mi
- The St Aubyn Centre Education Department1.1 mi
- The Trinity School1.4 mi
- St Helena School1.5 mi
- Colchester Academy1.6 mi
Parks
- High Woods Country Parknearby
- Mill Road Sports Ground0.9 mi
- Bergholt Rd Park1.2 mi
- Lower Castle Park1.2 mi
- Mile End Recreation Ground1.2 mi
Libraries
- Greenstead Library1.5 mi
- Colchester Library1.6 mi
- Albert Sloman Library2.6 mi
- Prettygate Library2.9 mi
What shops and everyday essentials are in Highwoods?
Supermarkets
- Tesco Extranearby
- Aldi0.8 mi
- Asda0.9 mi
- Waitrose1.1 mi
- Lidl1.2 mi
Pharmacies
- Day Lewis Pharmacy0.8 mi
- Asda0.9 mi
- Rowlands Pharmacy1 mi
- Colchester City Pharmacy1.5 mi
- Queen Street Pharmacy1.5 mi
Hospitals
- King's Wood Centre0.6 mi
- Colchester General Hospital0.7 mi
- Oaks Hospital0.9 mi
- St Aubyn Centre1.1 mi
- Cygnet Hospital Colchester1.4 mi
How do you get around Highwoods?
Most people here use a mix of car and bus. The roads out of Highwoods feed quickly onto the main routes around the north of Colchester, and parking is generally easier than in the older parts of the city.
If you travel by train, Colchester station is about 1.1 miles away, with Colchester Town around 1.6 miles and Hythe about 1.7 miles. That puts the mainline within a short bus hop or a 20 to 25 minute walk, which matters if you commute towards Chelmsford or London. Colchester bus station, about 1.7 miles off, is the hub for services across the city and out to surrounding towns.
On foot, Highwoods works well for local errands. The primary school, community centre and country park are all within a few minutes, and the supermarket is close. Longer trips into the city centre are walkable for some, but many will prefer the bus, especially with shopping or small children.
Train stations
- Colchester1.1 mi
- Colchester Town1.6 mi
- Hythe (Colchester)1.7 mi
Bus stations
- Colchester1.7 mi
What is there to do in Highwoods?
High Woods Country Park is the headline. It is on the doorstep, big enough to get properly lost in, and it does a lot of work for dog walkers, runners and families who need somewhere to burn off an afternoon. Lower Castle Park and Bergholt Rd Park add more green space closer to the centre.
For a drink, Rovers Tye is the nearest pub at around half a mile, with The Friar, The Bricklayer's, the Dog and Pheasant and The Magnet all within a short trip. Nights out proper mean heading into town, where you will find Trilogy, Dragonfly Lounge and Rubix.
Film fans are well served: Vue is about 1.1 miles away, with the Curzon and an Odeon not much further. There are several gyms within a mile or so, including The Gym Group and Everlast. It is a good spread for a suburb.
Gyms
- The Gym Group0.8 mi
- Everlast Fitness Clubs Colchester1 mi
- Le Barre1.4 mi
- PureGym1.5 mi
- Repz Gym1.5 mi
Cinemas
- Vue1.1 mi
- Curzon Cinema1.5 mi
- Odeon1.7 mi
Pubs and bars
- Rovers Tye0.5 mi
- The Friar0.8 mi
- The Bricklayer's Pub1 mi
- Dog and Pheasant1 mi
- The Magnet1.2 mi
Nightlife
- Trilogy1.5 mi
- Dragonfly Lounge1.5 mi
- Rubix1.7 mi
Community centres
- St John's and Highwoods Community Centrenearby
- St John's Church Community Centre0.6 mi
- Bluebell Surgery & Community Centre0.6 mi
- Oak Tree Centre & Acorn Hall1.1 mi
- Greenstead Community Centre1.6 mi
What is work and the local economy like in Highwoods?
Colchester is a city with a broad local economy, and the NHS is a visible employer here: Colchester General Hospital is under a mile away, along with the King's Wood Centre, Oaks Hospital and the St Aubyn Centre. If you work in health or care, the commute could be a short walk.
Across the wider Colchester council area, 58.9% of adults are in work, slightly above the England figure of 57.4%. Unemployment sits at 3.5%, the same as England, and unemployment-related benefit claims were 3.2% of working-age people in August 2026, below the England figure of 4%.
For jobs further afield, the mainline station is the key asset. Trains towards Chelmsford, Ipswich and London open up commuting options, and the retail and leisure jobs in and around the city centre are within easy reach by bus.
Figures are for the Colchester council area, Census 2021 and ONS claimant count.
How safe is Highwoods?
Like every town centre, Highwoods has police incidents logged each month. In August 2026 there were 219 within about a mile of the centre, made up of:
- Anti-social behaviour reports39
- Vehicle crime6
- Bicycle theft2
- Shoplifting25
- Other theft12
- Criminal damage14
Source: data.police.uk street-level crime. Counts cover a fixed one-mile radius around the centre, so busy high streets and stations always record far more than the residential streets around them, and most incidents are minor. Compare like with like: a similar-sized town centre, not a village.
Is Highwoods a good place for social housing tenants?
Right now: 3 homes to swap within 3 miles of Highwoods, and 1 tenant wants to move here.
If Highwoods looks like your sort of place, the most realistic way to get here is a mutual exchange. In 2024-25, 41 council homes in Colchester changed hands this way, alongside 784 lettings through the council. Swapping puts you in control: you find someone who wants what you have, and both landlords check and approve the move.
List your own home on Mutual Home Exchange and set Highwoods, or Colchester more broadly, as a desired area. Be honest in your advert about the number of bedrooms, the floor, any garden, heating and parking, and add clear photos. Tenants looking to move out of Highwoods often want a specific thing, and a complete listing is what gets you messages.
It is worth widening your search to nearby parts of CO4 and the rest of the city, since a half-mile difference can still keep you near the same schools, the hospital and the country park. Check your tenancy type and any rent arrears first, then start talking to people. Most good swaps come from a bit of patience and a few honest conversations.
Tell me when a home appears near Highwoods
One email, the first time a council or housing association home is listed within your chosen distance. No newsletter, no spam.
Live in Highwoods? Add a photo
Tenants' own photos help other people picture the place. Approved photos are credited to you. Submit a photo.
Nearby place guides
Thinking of moving a little further? Compare homes to swap, rents and local landlords in places near Highwoods.
All place guides in Essex → · All place guides in the East of England → · All regions →