Settling in · Atherstone
Landing in Atherstone? Start here.
The first fortnight in Atherstone, in order: the paperwork that has to happen, then the places that make it feel like somewhere you could stay.
Week one and two
The order to do things in
1
Ring your Sama contact when you land
Whoever placed you. Tell them you arrived and that you are all right.
2
Apply for your National Insurance number
You can start work before it arrives, but do not leave it: your tax will be wrong until you have it.
3
Open a bank account
Passport, visa or share code, and proof of address. A letter from your employer usually does it.
4
Get a UK SIM
A local number makes the bank and the GP straightforward.
5
Register with a GP
Free at the point of use. Do it in your first week.
6
Check your tax code with HMRC
Get on the right code early or you will be paying too much for months.
7
Save your share code
You will be asked to prove your right to work and rent more than once.
8
Find the nearest shop, place of worship and club
The part that decides whether you stay, and the part no handbook covers.
Official, and free
Official finders
Run by the State, so they stay current. Search each one for your own town.
Find a GPThe NHS list of GP surgeries, searchable by postcode.Apply for a National Insurance numberYou need one to be taxed correctly. Apply once you are in the UK.Find an NHS dentistHarder than the GP. Start early and ring around.Check your visa and BRP or eVisaView and prove your immigration status online.Find your local police stationEmergency is 999 or 112. Non-emergency is 101.Understand your tax codeCheck what HMRC thinks you earn, so you are not overtaxed for months.Driving on a foreign licenceHow long you may drive on it, and whether it can be exchanged.Renting: know the rulesYour rights as a tenant, deposit protection and what a landlord may and may not do.Citizens AdviceFree, independent help with anything at all.Public transportNational rail and bus times and tickets.
Near you
50 places in Atherstone worth knowing in week one
From OpenStreetMap, the map that locals build, plus places our team knows. Every card has a map link. If one has closed or moved, WhatsApp us and it comes down.
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Places of worship
Every faith near you, listed so people can find a community when they arrive. Sama Talent Group is not affiliated with any religion or religious organisation.
Churches
Stoke Golding Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
2 Main Street, Hinckley and Bosworth, CV13 6HE
About 9 km away
Hartshill Quaker Meeting House
Christian, Quaker
Castle Road, North Warwickshire, CV10 0SQ
About 4 km away
St Michael & All Angels
Christian, Anglican
Rookery Close, Hinckley and Bosworth, CV13 6BB
About 4 km away
Church of the Holy Trinity
Christian, Anglican
Church Close, North Warwickshire, CV10 0LZ
About 4 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Birmingham
About 33 km away
2 Causeway Green Road Oldbury, West Midlands B68 8LD
Worship services: Wed 7:00pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:30pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Nottingham
About 45 km away
Leyton Crescent Beeston, Nottingham NG9 1PR
Worship services: Tue 7:00pm · Fri 7:00pm
Addresses and worship service times from the Iglesia ni Cristo directory, checked October 2026. Times can change, so check the locale's own page before you go. directory.iglesianicristo.net
Food and takeaways
Crossed Khukris
Nepalese. restaurant
115 Abbey Street, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV11 5BX
About 8 km away
Sports and clubs
The Fitness Centre
Fitness, exercise. Fitness centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 05:45-21:00; Sa,Su 08:00-13:00
Corporation Street, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV11 5AH
About 8 km away
Tamworth Indoor Bowls Club
Sport club
Eagle Drive, Tamworth, B77 4EG
About 9 km away
The Nuneaton Academy Sport Centre
Sports centre
Charnwood Avenue, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV10 7NS
About 8 km away
Lychgate Fisheries
Angling. Sports centre
Upton Lane, Hinckley and Bosworth, CV13 6EU
About 8 km away
The Pingles Stadium
Athletics. Sports centre
Home Park Road, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV11 5UB
About 9 km away
Community and support groups
Newtown Centre
Community centre
Bond Street, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV11 4HG
About 8 km away
Bermuda Pheonix Centre
Community centre
The Bridleway, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV10 7PY
About 9 km away
Wilnecote Parish Hall
Community centre
40 Watling Street, Tamworth, B77 5AD
About 10 km away
Arden Forest Estate Community Room
Community centre
Arden Forest Estate, North Warwickshire, CV10 0RF
About 3 km away
Baddesley Ensor Village Hall
Community centre
Keys Hill, North Warwickshire, CV9 2DF
About 4 km away
St. James' Church Hall
Community centre
Church Lane, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV10 0EX
About 7 km away
Stockingford Community Centre
Community centre
Haunchwood Road, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV10 8DY
About 7 km away
YWAM - King's Lodge
Community centre
Watling Street, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV10 0TZ
About 7 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
The Hairloom
Hairdresser. Hours: We 09:00-17:00; Th-Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-16:00; Su 09:00-14:00
Church Walk, North Warwickshire, CV9 1QZ
Garry Dolman
Hairdresser
55-63 Ansley Common, North Warwickshire, CV10 0PP
About 5 km away
Aabid's Professional Cuts
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:30-18:00; Sa 09:00-17:00
Church Road, North Warwickshire, CV10 0NB
About 4 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Warwickshire Library & Information Service
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Fr 09:30-16:00; Tu,We 09:30-17:00; Th,Sa 09:30-13:00
Long Street, North Warwickshire, CV9 1FG
Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu,Th,Fr 09:30-13:00, Th,Fr 14:00-18:00, Fr 09:30-13:00, Tu 14:00-19:00, Sa 09:30-13:00
Bridge Street, Tamworth, B78 1DT
About 7 km away
Nuneaton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Justice Walk, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV11 4DR
About 8 km away
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. We do not make places up: if the map has it wrong, fix it on openstreetmap.org and it comes through at the next refresh.
Saving money
What locals use to spend less
The shops and sites people here use for cheap clothes, second-hand furniture, a car, and the weekly shop. We are not paid to list any of them.
Facebook Marketplace and GumtreeSecond-hand furniture, bikes, tools and cars, often for very little. Meet in public, and never pay before you see it.Freecycle and OlioThings people give away for free, and food from neighbours and shops that would otherwise go in the bin.Too Good To GoSurprise bags of food from cafes, bakeries and supermarkets at the end of the day, at a fraction of the price.PrimarkCheap everyday clothes, work basics and bedding.Aldi and LidlThe cheapest big supermarkets for the weekly shop.B&M and Home BargainsCleaning products, kitchen kit and household bits for less.Charity shopsClothes, coats and furniture, and the money goes to a good cause.MoneySavingExpertFree guides to cheaper phones, energy, bank accounts and sending money.
Getting around
Getting around from Atherstone
TravelineBus, coach and train times for the whole of Great Britain.National RailTrain times, tickets and railcards.Transport for LondonThe Tube, buses and the Oyster and contactless fares.
Driving here on your licence
Once you live in Great Britain you can drive a car or motorcycle on your full, valid licence for 12 months. After that, a licence from a designated country can be exchanged for a GB licence; from other countries you apply for a provisional licence and pass the theory and practical tests. Lorries, minibuses and buses have stricter rules: check before you drive one.
Check your licence on GOV.UK Exchange a licence
Hiring a car
Each rental company sets its own rules on age, how long you have held your licence and which licences it accepts, and young drivers often pay more. Check those rules before you book, and bring your licence and passport to the desk.
Driving rules taken from the official pages linked above, checked October 2026. They change, so the official page is the one to rely on.
While you are here