My girlfriend and I are leaving that London for a year to move back to Yorkshire, where we both come from. Its only for a year (initially) so we’re going to rent. Current thinking is Ilkley/Otley but open to suggestions within 45 mins of Leeds.

Our criteria/wishlist: ~750 pcm for 2/3 bedrooms; somewhere beautiful; decent public transport links; at least 1 very good pub; swimming pool within reach; good riding and walking nearby/from the front door; decent restaurants nearby; live within walking distance of town/shops etc

In summary, we’d like the cultural life of London, convenience of a small city and the beauty of the Yorkshire countryside. Easy, right?

Any help gratefully received and insiders take on life in Otley/Ilkey also welcome!

Don’t know about rental prices, but Ilkley is a pretty good bet for a couple in terms of bars and whatnot. Not sure it quite matches the cultural life of London town, and there are a lot of older denizens hanging about.

I live up the road in Skipton. Bit more rural, very good town centre with some decent pubs and restaurants, 40 mins approx to Leeds on the train. No culture to speak of, but you could always go into Leeds! There should be plenty of decent flats to rent, possibly quite a bit cheaper.

Riding from both is excellent.

Don’t like Otley much, but that’s personal prejudice rather than based on anything factual.

Can’t see how you’ve overlooked South Elmsall.

Yeah, slightly concerned about it being like a retirement village – suppose that’s the risk of living somewhere a bit rural..

Wikipedia tells me South Emsall has a super drug AND a hallmark cards shop. I think our search is over!

Saltaire?

Will you be working in Leeds? The commute from Ilkley would do my head in.

No, I’ll work from home… but how long is the train (presume the length of the commute is what would do your head in?)

Saltaire’s on the long list. Seems a bit small though – potential cabin fever. Is there much going on other than the pub?

There will be some Hebden Bridge advocacy, I predict. Not entirely unjustified for a young couple, though.

Train from Ilkley is about 25 mins.

Saltaire itself is nice enough, but living cheek by jowl with Shipley is not exactly a nice prospect.

IMO the riding out of the door in the Aire Valley is better than Ilkley or Otley.

(presume the length of the commute is what would do your head in?)

Yeah, the train would be about 30 mins to Leeds, then factor in the walk either side (I work 15 mins walk from the station), and the shitty overcrowded/cancelled/late trains and train prices. You’d be lucky to get to Leeds in 40 mins no traffic and double it for commuting times. Doesn’t sound like an issue for you working from home though.

Saltaire’s on the long list. Seems a bit small though – potential cabin fever. Is there much going on other than the pub?

Hmm I think it ticks most of your boxes, just with less options than bigger towns. I like that it’s on the canal path too, which opens up more riding options from the door. Pretty parks too.

Holmfirth is a lovely place to live with easy access to Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and so on (Huddersfield’s big supermarkets and cinemas are within 25 minutes), trails on the doorstep with the added benefit of the Dark Peak trails which are excellent within a 30-40 minute drive.

It is indeed stunning, and has good night life in terms of bars and pubs (to the point where people are coming from Huddersfield for a night there), and an impressive music scene (google the Picturedrome for an idea of what bands play there).

Holmfirth has easy access to Leeds? It doesn’t even have a bloody train station! 🙂

Gotta be the ‘Gate….

while Saltaire may be small, it blends into Shipley if you’re desperately in need of a swimming pool or supermarket, while Bingley also has (had?) a pool and is one stop further up the train line. Baildon is nice & just over the moor from Saltaire; some great trails right on your doorstep.

Shipley itself is a bit grim and kind of blends into Bradford, which is the nearest big city but again, a bit grim in places, although it does have a few plus points (Alhambra theatre, National Media Museum, more curry restaurants than you can shake a stick at, cheaper housing than Leeds, big swimming pool at Richard Dunne Sports Centre; university & college; Bradford Bulls rugby League & Bradford City FC if you’re into your spectator sports).
But if you want proper big city, Leeds is it and on the direct rail line from Skipton via Keighley, Bingley, Saltaire and also on two direct train lines from Bradford).

No doubt the haterz will be out later but Hebden Bridge ticks the largest amount of your boxes IMO. 🙂

Anyone regarding modern train travel as easy is deluding themselves.

Bingley still has a pool.

Is it an easy drive from Holmfirth to Leeds MB? Genuine question, not arguing with you. I like Holmfirth, just couldn’t imagine it being particularly “easy” to get anywhere from there

It’s not bad, I have done it when I worked in Leeds. Currently doing Holmfirth to Nottingham (short term, fortunately) before moving south (bleurgh) to Matlock and even that’s 1hr 15 minutes. It is closer to Manchester, though, which offers a great deal more than Leeds.

Think we had a big “where to live in Yorkshire” thread a week or two back, a search should find it.

So long as all you southerners keep heading to Yorkshire, and leave our Derbyshire house prices alone….

Harrogate

Is it an easy drive from Holmfirth to Leeds MB?

not really, you’ve got to get through/round Huddersfield, then negotiate the car park that is the M62, and then get off the M62 which is arguably even harder than making progress on it between J23 & J27. Then there’s the Beeston/Holbeck area to negotiate…

I do like the Picturedrome for live music, but it’s a PITA getting there from Baildon

Im from Hebden….if you can ut up with weirdos, tourists, guardian readers and locals (ex Tunbridge Wells ex-pats) then it des tick all the boxes, and more. Riding round these parts never gets boring!

When we were planning to move to Yorks we’d pretty much settled on either Otley, Horsforth or Adel (ish).

But then things took us in a different direction across the Pennines.

Try Keighley, Dewsbury, Batley or Bradford if you happen to be a middle class Guardian reader and truly believe in multiculturalism 🙂

I prefer Todmorden to Hebden but it’s nearly a full hour on the train to Leeds.

Sowerby Bridge has the edge for time-to-Leeds and loads more eateries, big supermarkets (and I think still a pool). Plus close enough to Hebden for an afternoon’s mooching around if that takes your fancy.

And the riding is good and extensive (i.e. right the way from Norland moor to Blackstone Edge above Littleborough including the Hebden / Tod trails… and over towards Oxenhope and right the way to Trawden north west – just a massive area to explore).

Sowerby Bridge actually has a lot going for it.
– Good transport links (40 mins to Leeds on train and 10 min drive to the M62 either at Saddleworth or Ainley Top.
– very reasonable house prices
– excellent new (ish – 3 years old I think) pool
– more and more nice places to eat and drink opening all the time plus Gimbals, the best restaurant in the world
– cracking riding, if anything, better than Hebden IMHO partly because its a bit unknown and off the radar of those who charge past on the way to the well publicised stuff around Hebden

Another option could be the Savile Park/Skircoat Green area of South Halifax. £5 trip in a taxi to Sowerby Bridge for a night out, 20 minute walk to Halifax station, 5 mins to M62, lovely houses and a little villagey feel in Skircoat Green with the shops and pubs. Riding is if anything, better than Sowerby Bridge….

BTW, we’re from York and moved to the aforementioned area of Halifax temporarily for a job with the aim of moving back to York. That was 12 years ago.

Put this on facebook the other night during a late evening ride from the doorstep… Literally cannot think of anywhere else around here I’d want to live:

Barnsley, York, Thirsk or even Northallerton could tick quite a few boxes for you too. Depends on your preferences for riding and countryside though.

If I didn’t need quick access to M62, I’d have moved to a Halifax area. The combination of property values and scenery/location is quite compelling, until you think “how will I get to work?”.

If I was always working from home? I wouldn’t think twice!

Quick access to the M62? I can be on it in 5 minutes from my house?!

I work in Bradford so 20 minute walk, 13 minute train journey and I’m there (in the hell hole that is Bradford).

I wouldn’t touch York if you want MTB from the door. Good road riding though.

Now now, that’s naughty and you know it!

If you live 5 mins from the M62 in an HX postocde then that’s super, but anything other than that, which the majority of options will be, the A629 is a **** to get onto motorway, at anything other than before 6:15am.

Worse still if you’re relying on the A58 to get to Leeds.

Move to Idle – see if you can still get membership of the Idle Workings Men’s Club.

Used to be a nice restaurant opposite, a long time ago….

DBW – pack it in, everyone will want to move round here if you keep selling it to them 😉

Think if I was you, my first choice would be Harrogate. Then Skipton or ilkley. Then Otley or bingley. I think skip is 40 min to leeds on the train. Harrogate is a proper big town and has some culture, with plenty to do and going on, loads of restaurants theatre cinema good town centre etcetc. Skipton and Otley town councils seem to be very proactive with plenty of events. Bingley a touch down market to the others but has the best doorstep MTB IMO. you won’t go wrong with Ilkley.

There’s plenty of riding on Otley Chevin and further afield if you know where to look. And plenty more to the North, regular 20 mile rides straight out of town.

Sorry Jason 😉

And agreed bear-man – A58 is a nightmare. I’d hate to regularly commute by car anywhere from Halifax towards Leeds. I do it now and again into Bradford from mine and its just tedious and takes as long as my usual train/walk commute.

I’d recommend Guiseley over anywhere.

its got the pool a DH track, great XC, pump track down the road, restaurants, bars, train station, great road rides out the door.

perfect spot

A downhill track in Guiseley? Esholt Woods I presume?

B-I-N-G-L-E-Y

Another vote for Guiseley. 12 mins by train into Leeds, train station has a large car park, plenty of cycling on your doorstep, variety of pubs (good, bad and ugly) a mixture of typical yorkshire terraces and some new build on brownfield sites.