Settling in · Bere Alston
Landing in Bere Alston? Start here.
The first fortnight in Bere Alston, 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
63 places in Bere Alston 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
Salvation Army
Christian, Salvation army
Lancaster Gardens, Plymouth, PL5 4AA
About 8 km away
Crownhill Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
3 Crownhill Road, Plymouth, PL6 5AG
About 9 km away
Chapel of SS George and Thomas Becket
Christian, Anglican
Chapel Path, Metherell, PL18 9SA
About 3 km away
Other places of worship
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Plymouth
About 12 km away
Tamar View Community Complex, Miers Close, Plymouth, England, PL1 5BD
Worship services: Tue 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
Saltash Leisure Centre
cafe
Plougastel Drive, Saltash, PL12 6DL
About 8 km away
China Palace
Chinese. takeaway. Hours: Mo-Th 17:00-22:30, Fr-Sa 17:00-23:00, Su 17:00-22:00
52 Morshead Road, Plymouth, PL6 5AQ
About 9 km away
Anatolian Kitchen
Kebab, turkish. takeaway. Hours: Mo-Su 16:00-23:00
26 Morshead Road, Plymouth, PL6 5AH
About 9 km away
Baba's 40 Dishes
Indian, kebab, fish and chips, chicken. takeaway. Hours: Mo-Sa 11:00-23:30, Su 14:00-23:30
33 Morshead Road, Plymouth, PL6 5AD
About 9 km away
Crownhill Spice
Chinese. takeaway. Hours: Mo 17:00-23:00, We-Sa 17:00-23:00, Su 17:00-22:30
44 Morshead Road, Plymouth, PL6 5AQ
About 9 km away
Red Panda
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su,PH 17:00-22:15
Market Square, Callington, PL17 7AD
About 9 km away
Sports and clubs
Plymouth Snooker Academy
Snooker, billiards. Sport club. Hours: Mo-Sa 10:00-23:00, Su 12:00-23:00
21 Burrington Way, Plymouth, PL5 3LR
About 9 km away
Meadowlands Leisure Centre
Swimming, fitness. Sports centre
Canal Towpath, West Devon, PL19 8SP
About 8 km away
The Climbing Hangar
Climbing. Sports centre
6 Burrington Road, Plymouth, PL5 3LX
About 9 km away
YMCA Plymouth
Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 06:30-22:00; Sa 08:00-18:00; Su 09:00-16:00
Honicknowle Lane, Plymouth, PL5 3NG
About 9 km away
Derriford Health & Leisure Centre
Sports centre
Derriford Road, Plymouth, PL6 8DH
About 9 km away
Community and support groups
Horrabridge Village Hall
Community centre
26 Station Road, West Devon, PL20 7SS
About 7 km away
St Budeaux Church Community Hall
Community centre
Crownhill Road, Plymouth, PL5 2HN
About 7 km away
Lamerton Sports & Community Centre
Community centre
Green Hill, West Devon, PL19 8QN
About 10 km away
Buckland Monochorum Village Hall
Community centre
Hillside Close, West Devon, PL20 7EQ
About 4 km away
Harrowbarrow and Metherell Village Hall
Community centre
School Road, Harrowbarrow, PL17 8BQ
About 6 km away
Honicknowle Youth and Community Centre
Community centre
Honicknowle Green, Plymouth, PL5 3PX
About 8 km away
Honicknowle Reading and Recreation Hall
Community centre
Butt Park Road, Plymouth, PL5 3NS
About 8 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Barbers and salons
Jack's Olde Barber Shoppe
Hairdresser
7 King Street, Tavistock, PL19 0DX
About 8 km away
Damian's Barbershop
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu-Fr 08:30-17:00, Sa 07:00-12:00
23 Morshead Road, Plymouth, PL6 5AD
About 9 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Saltash Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Tu 09:30-17:00; Th 09:30-18:30; Fr 09:30-17:00; Sa 10:00-13:00
Callington Road, Saltash, PL12 6DX
About 8 km away
Estover Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Miller Way, Plymouth, PL6 8UN
About 10 km away
Ernesettle Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
3 Hornchurch Road, PLYMOUTH, PL5 2TQ
About 7 km away
Tavistock Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Plymouth Road, Tavistock, PL19 8DX
About 8 km away
St Budeaux Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Victoria Road, Plymouth, PL5 1RQ
About 9 km away
Crownhill Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Cross Park Road, Plymouth, PL6 5AN
About 9 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 Bere Alston
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