Been living in the South East for nigh on 20 years, and I feel it’s time for a change. Over-inflated property prices, crowded, dirty streets, and a yearning for new trails have got a lot to do with it. Couple that with my NHS coalface worker’s salary being constant regardless of where I live (outside of Londinivm of course), the missus and I are setting off on a ten day road trip through Derbyshire and Yorkshire next week, in search of a new home.

In the STW’s humble and collective opinion, if you could, where would you? Or if you already do, where and why? We’re looking for reasonably close proximity to Wales, the Lakes and Scotchland. Also, good map-and-sandwiches-all-dayer trails from the front door preferably. Trail centres within a few hours’ drive would be a bonus.

I’m poised with the road atlas open before me…

Me and the other half moved from Spain. We agreed on Manchester. Been here 9 months now and loves it. Not too epensive, good nightlife, plenty going on. Plenty of mtbing fairly close by. Road cycling is horrible. Decent number of good jobs.

North Manchester BTW.

You’ll need to learn how to spell and pronounce ‘up’

HTH

Why move close to scotland when you can just move to scotland?

It’s shit up north, don’t do it 😉

Want a big city?
Sheffield.

You should deffo do it though, I left London many years ago, it’s just better in every way.

APF

The wall needs to be built asap.

Wait until the Thames rises, it will be horrific.

+1 Sheffield
Amazing local trails and the west side of town is 15mins away from the peaks

nothing here, go south.

We’re looking for reasonably close proximity to Wales, the Lakes and Scotchland

The lakes is about the most equidistant from those locations though its a bit closer to the lakes

I am presuming given where you have posted you want somewhere which offers decent mtbing and is practical in terms of career etc. Personally I would look at the peaks or south Pennines as these cover most bases. We moved to Oldham 11 years ago and the nicer bits are okay and you are near Manchester for work. There are loads of decent hills and bridle ways nearby. Calderdale, Kirklees, Sheffield, high peak etc are choc full of good trials as well.

If nothing else is of importance ie schools, house prices, culture, public transport links etc etc….., based on your simple spec. Probably Kendal(ish). It’s at the gate to the Lakes and equidistant on the M6 to North Wales and South Scotland.
Skipton (where I am at the Mo) was considered (the Telegraph?) the best place to live in the UK a year ago or so, I think the criteria was quality schools, quality of air, public transport links, night sky, house prices, closeness to great outdoors etc. It’s certainly a nice town with a fair amount of stuff going on, but not that cultural, mainly family events etc
TBH there’s loads of ‘nice’ places in that NW area that will give you access to the lakes and roughly equidistant to Wales and Scotland.

I moved from Northants/Bucks to Heptonstall 18 months (how time flies) ago, and haven’t regretted it for a second. Couple of hours from all of those locations you want with amazing riding on your doorstep as a bonus. If you’re passing through the Area, give me a shout and we can go for a beer in Hebden if you fancy.

What Simon said, leave us alone 😉

I’ve liked Calderdale a lot since moving up. Trails from my doorstep in every direction, and still discovering new ones after a couple of years. Gisburn, Lake District and Wales all in fairly easy reach. Manchester and Leeds both nearby.

There’s no riding up here at all. It’s all grey and we are outnumbered by wippets 4 to 1.

I live north of Manchester I can walk out of my back door straight onto a trail. It’s hellish

Righto chaps and chapesses, that’s given me some homework to do. Nice one, thanks! Nickc, will let you know if indeed we’re passing through Hebden. I forgot to add that proximity to proper pubs was terribly important, but I guess that’s a given!

You really want your kids to grow up with that accent ?

Not Northumberland it’s rubbish.

Move to Derbyshire – you know it makes sense

Our Wednesday night group realised recently how spoilt we were. We spend all week debating which ride to do, then often change at last minute, then change again mid ride. Rarely cover the same route back to back. Rides usually feature some good tech stuff and end at a good pub. More often than not from the door.

I built a new bike and put a list of must-do and favourite trails to hit and it must have been months worth!

We’re under 3 hours from the Lakes, Wales and 4 to Glentress. Nearish to Llandegla, Gisburn, Sherwood Pines.

We’re spoilt in Sheffield.

Bolehills, Parkwood, Greno, Wharncliffe, Endcliffe Park, Rivelin Valley, Rother Valley and then Lady Cannings, hopefully RADMires soon, then the almost endless Peak District.

Also good parks, pubs, music, industrial history, great outdoor scene and links to the M1. West side nice and leafy, not far from Manchester airport.

Downsides?
Shopping maybe limited, city centre lost out to Meadowhall but that’s not a factor to me.
No main roads head West, but the drive is scenic!
Can’t comment on night life any more!
Some narrow terrace roads so can still feel crowded.
It’s not as ‘obvious’ as other places in terms of a city to visit (compared to say York, Leeds, Manchester) but lots to explore. As somewhere to live to access the lifestyle it’s great.

I made it home 25 years ago and no desire to leave yet.

I miss London even 10years on. Still wish I’d never left (not my choice). Manchester is OK but ideally I’d live in the sticks and commute in. It’s just rampant suburbia. People dress up certain areas but at the end of the day its suburbia with a row of shops and pubs. Not a centre of activity. IMO Prestwich is the place for reasonable priced property to buy/increase in value still. Chorlton is way overpriced. Crackers. In terms of clean streets you need to live in the sticks, people in cities litter. I was in the Manchester Evening News paper about this.

Like Duncan said, it’s horrible here and we are still relying on steam powered electricity and washtubs.

But seriously, I live between Manchester and Preston and can be on trails within 5 mins, lakes, peak etc all about an hours drive.

Going away from cycling also within an hour I can either be in the middle of big cities like Manchester, Liverpool, Preston Lancaster etc or on the beach or out in the middle of nowhere on my own on the moors.

loads of property available as its a bit of a commuter belt.

If I was moving, I wouldn’t be so excited by being “close to” the trails. You’re either riding from the door or not. I do occasionally driving to other trails for variety but having the choice of a few great rides out the door makes a huge difference to me.

I think the reality is that loads of locations will satisfy the riding side of things – I live in the Manchester side of the Peak and it’s a nice balance of easy access to urban culture, riding from the doorstep, reasonably fast access to London if needed, Manchester airport and general lifestyle pleasantness…

… but you could equally live in the South Lakes, Calderdale, Sheffield etc. Or up towards the Dales – Harrogate is pleasant in a southern market town transplanted up north sort of way, where it has the bonus of being drier as well.

But whatever you do, I would definitely move. 🙂

OP as you say your main “problem” is that your pay is the same in Surrey or Sussex as it is in Yorkshire for example.

I would factor in travel to/from airports and Channel Tunnel for holidays. Not meaning to be funny but think about weather, I’m good with all sorts and love going out in the wind and rain but that doesn’t suit everyone. You might want to consider the South West, Dorset and Devon too ?

You may consider renting your house out at first. Making a mive up North is one thing, trying to reverse that if you don’t like it is another. Good luck.

Sheffield- good call. With your employer OP and it’s up and coming/nice with great pubs. Pook on here lives there but otherwise it’s OK 8)

Plus your close to Peak and much more road and off road.

The weather? B/holiday looks a bit wet in London tomorrow..

You’ll struggle to find flowy trails up north you’ll find in the Surrey hills.

Lived up north most of my life (till going way South)
In the end I couldn’t get on with the stuff North East of Manchester, too many people crap traffic etc. That and for some reason the weather felt more miserable. Lakes was and is still my favourite I’d move back there if I could. Incredible trails in actual mountains in all directions, great people a lot quieter during the week than other places. On a good day I could do NW lakes to Warrington in about 2hrs, on a good day I could do Whitworth to Warrington in 90 mins (35 miles ish?) most days.
Being able to day trip peebles etc was great a short drive and your on a direct train line to Manchester (and the airport) , Glasgow and London, n Wales is an easy drive.

What thecaptain said. I’m in glamorous Rochdale; I can ride to the end of my road, turn right and a mile later I’m on open moorland.

If I couldn’t ride from the door, I wouldn’t get out much at all.

I live near Thirsk. Nth yorkshire moors from my door, Dalby 30mins, Reeth (dales) 45mins, lakes 2 hours.

Find somewhere you can ride from home and an extra 30mins drive to other places once in a while isn’t too bad.

You’ll struggle to find flowy trails up north you’ll find in the Surrey hills.

Molgrips is that you?

Do you want a town or city? Do you need to be close to a hospital for work or are you in primary care?

Personally I moved up from near London a few years ago and have settled a bit north of Manchester (family in area and in case I need to work there). Don’t regret coming up here in the slightest.

If I was in your position I’d look at Kendal, Penrith, Lancaster – maybe Carlisle or even Dumfries.

Great riding over in Calderdale too as others have said, but not so handy for Lakes and Scotland – which you have prioritised in the OP.

Honestly it is grim here….. I live Ribble valley/ trough of bowland, so great road riding if that is your thing and some descent trails, 8 miles to gisburn forest trails I like a lot better than most trail centres but people will disagree, 45 mins to Manchester by car on a good day,1 hr ish on dire t train .
Dales 30 to 40 minutes away, lakes aka ambleside 1 hr 30 ish maybe less on a good day, north Wales same, Scotland 2 to 3 hrs depending where, calderdale 40 to one hour.

Hebden is expensive but okay, tis odd in a pleasant way we have plenty of friends who live there…..
Sheffield is good, daughter one went to uni there personally I prefer Manchester
Harrogate okay but plenty on the a59/a65 skipton Leeds corridor, ilkley is lovely tbu pricey,

Tis grim here…avoid

Can this sort of thing be stopped by Brexit!

I’m sort of OK with Eastern Europeans, but southerners moving north – that’s a step too far!

I would factor in travel to/from airports and Channel Tunnel for holidays

you’ve a point with the tunnel, but Airports..?

Tweed Valley?

Not sure which branch of the NHS you are in but search for NHS Borders.

I would factor in travel to/from airports and Channel Tunnel for holidays

That’s only relevant depending where and how often you travel to the continent. You travel to work and leisure pretty much daily, holidays tend to be a little less often.

You travel to work and leisure pretty much daily, holidays tend to be a little less often.

Honestly Drac, you are doing it wrong

I said factor in, not “make it your sole criteria” – make an effort please

I have many friends with kids for whom a holiday means an extra 2 rooms for 1 night at the airport hotel and a long late night drive home after or more hotel rooms.

Seems odd to move somewhere that’s close to Wales, when you could move TO Wales. I can ride to Cwmcarn, sod driving three hours!

In other words (and this is what I would be doing if I did a job that was needed all over the country) pick a place with good riding from the door, regardless of latitude. Lots of the North does NOT have good riding from the door, it’s not a given. Of course lots does, but that’s true elsewhere too.