Upload folder not writable after host move

Following a site transfer to new hosting I get an error:

“Upload folder is not writable. Export and file upload features will not be functional.”

The site is a multisite installation and uses WP4.0

This follows a move between hosts which was basically a clone. All other aspects of the site appear to be working.

I have verified the uploads directory ownership and all sub-directories is “nobody” in FTP and tried various permissions including 777. I can upload an image to the file by FTP, but not through media or via gravity forms.

The error I get is a interesting one as WordPress appears to be attempting to create directories when they already exist:

“Unable to create directory uploads/2014/11. Is its parent directory writable by the server?”

If I change the target “uploads” directory in wp-config.php to myimages the upload problem is solved, but this creates an additional problem that all existing thumbnails no longer show in searches (which are critical to the site).

My feeling is that WordPress is not attempting to write to wp-content/uploads (which appears writeable) but to somewhere else – possibly the previous installation – and at the moment I cannot work out where that setting is (database or file structure).

Any help much appreciated.