Just browsing for the moment, but i have a job interview coming up in a couple of weeks north of Mansfield. All i know about living in Mansfield is that i don't want to live in Mansfield. Having driven through it, i know what a dump it has become in places, and having a look at crime statistics does little to improve the situation for them! However, i need to get a job, and this one seems near-perfect for me at the moment. being not too far from the peak district among other places to ride, i am sure i can bear living there for a while. when i go to my interview i would like to feel confident about talknig about living in the area, and hopefully show them that i have been researching the location a bit to show interest.

however, i have never stayed in the area for a prolonged period of time (i.e. longer than 20minutes), and so know little of the surrounding area. Does anyone have any information about where might be good to have a look for renting, anywhere between the M1 to the west, the A1 to the east, worksop to the north and Ravenshead to teh south? im talking roughly here as that would leave me no more than a 10mile commute in the mornings. if anybody knows of websites/ agents that i should be looking at, or avoiding, it would all be good information for me!

Cheers in advance,
Andy

I live in Gedling and it's ace! So many Nottingham city cops live there it's super safe.

Stay away from old mining vilages with nothing else there like Newstead. The local rag is full of tales of racism and casual violnce that deprivation brings. Riding through some is a scary experinec as everyone comes to their windows to glare at you for having the front to ride a shiny expensive thing through their village.

There are some lovely vilages out towards the East of Notts like Lowdham.

Kimberly and Nuttall aren't bad too.

. All i know about living in Mansfield is that i don't want to live in Mansfield

I'm from Sutton-in-Ashfield just up the road originally, born and bred, and I have to say thats probably wise, sadly

Sutton's not a bad place in itself, although it's a long time since I've even passed through……

Matt has some good points. However it all boils down to, like so many things. Price

I had such a bad image of Mansfield and the surrounding areas. However they aren't "that" bad really. I'd go and have a look in a few letting agents, see what they have and go and have a look at a few.

You could try areas like Arnold/Mapperly all of which are further from Mansfeild but slightly nicer. If it was me i'd try some of the villages in teh area, which will have to have a percentage of affordable housing so could be a good shout?

cheers guys, will take a look at some of those suggestions. i don't know if i am going to have a car so want to keep it close to mansfield until i know for certain.

Mapperly is a good idea as you're dead high up with a lovely (downhill)ride onto the A60 and easy access to XC routes accross to Mansfield.

Ravenshead is nice but pricey.

I live in Hucknall now and think that's reasonably nice. About 9 miles from Mansfield. Tram link to get into Nottingham. Robin Hood Trainline goes to Mansfield and Nottingham and lets you take your bike on without reservations. Five minutes away from M1 J27 for getting away, to Peaks etc. Reasonable riding from the front door.

You could do a really nice off road commute, along cycle route 6, through Newstead Abbey then up through Thieves wood to the edge of Mansfield

Move to Shirebrook a quaint little ex-pit village on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border about 7 miles from Mansfield and 10 minutes from J29 of the M1. That's where I was born and bred. On second thoughts don't.

Have you considered Sheffield and commuting?

"Sutton's not a bad place in itself, although it's a long time since I've even passed through….."

Indeed it must be a very long time since you were there 😀

"Shirebrook a quaint little ex-pit village" 😯 😆

Chesterfield?

all good suggestions, been checking some places out over the web and will hopefully have a chance to have a look when im down there in a few weeks.

cheers for the suggestions. havnt considered anything as far as sheffield, as i dont know if the work place has anywhere to shower/ wash if i arrived in a mess. Wouldnt want to turn up for the first day of work dripping wet/ sweating. Will be asking these questions at the interview. As a company who prides themselves as "green thinking", they might be interested in someone willing to commute on a bike instead of a car.
But if i am looking as far as Sheffield, then i may also be tempted to look at places like Matlock.

Keep the suggestions coming, more bike-friendly-close-trails the better

But if i am looking as far as Sheffield, then i may also be tempted to look at places like Matlock.

Even as someone with a silly commute, Sheffield to Mansfield is a bit too far for a bike commute I reckon – 20 miles by the shortest route at least.

Chesterfield is doable – 14 miles each way.

Matlock would be pushing it – 16 miles. Ambergate is possibly slightly closer, although whilst it has okay trains, it'd be a bit of a pain of a place to live without a car.

Personally, I'd either go towards Nottingham (although a)it is a pain to get out to the Peak District if you don't have a car and b)you'd want to live somewhere expensive, especially if you have nice bikes, or an aversion to being mugged), or towards Chesterfield / Matlock. Going west, you'll get to the better riding – at either Matlock or Chesterfield, you can bike into the Peak District from home, and even if you were 4 or 5 miles east of there, you could still get some riding in. Although looking at likely decent sized towns, I can't really see anywhere nice around there till you hit Matlock / Ambergate / Belper or Chesterfield to the N.

I wouldn't go east, because then you're getting into proper Nottinghamshire, where the riding is not as good by far.

If you don't have a car, the train lines are basically the Mansfield -> Nottingham one (branch line, okay service), the Chesterfield line (mainline trains from London), or the Matlock line (branch line). From Mansfield or those trains, you have no useful links for biking, which is a pain, whereas if you live within easy riding distance of either a station on the Matlock line, or Chesterfield, you can get trains to nice riding places quite easily.

Joe

I'd look in Ravenshead (not actually that nice, just lovely in comparison to the surrounding area, and very expensive), or to the East along the A38.

Hucknall's a hole I'm afraid. Starter homes or council estates galore.

Hucknall's a hole I'm afraid. Starter homes or council estates galore.

Don't really agree with that, it's got good bits and bad bits like most places (I live there btw). Close enough to Nottingham that you get all that stuff, but far enough out that you don't have to fight the traffic to be get away (I can be Cromford end of the peak in less than 30 mins).

As a general rule if buying in Notts stay out of teh NCC/central Polcie covered area (with a green wheelie bin) the drop in crime is quite dramatic in the conurbation outside of this border.

ebygomm is right, Route 6 through Newstead abbey is V nice, simple and will take you to Mansfield

slightly biased here, but rainworth might be worth a look. handy for nottingham, m1 and a1. crime rate not too bad. reasonably friendly locals,well catered for with shops and a couple of good takeaways, and only 5 mins ride into sherwood forest with miles upon miles of trails to everywhere

Another vote for avoiding Hucknall & Rainworth

Farnsfield, Papplewick, Linby, Ravenshead are worth a look.

Eastern Nottinghamshire has some excellent roadie type road riding so shouldnt be overlooked

Is Southwell too far?

Another vote for avoiding Hucknall

Farnsfield, Papplewick, Linby, Ravenshead are worth a look.

Parts of Hucknall adjoin Linby and Papplewick. My nearest pub is the one in Linby, just 10 minutes walk.

southwell isn't too far if i am planning on commuting in the morning, but much further and i may begin to consider driving.
all good suggestions, think chesterfield looks like a good plan, i will check the others later today. just got to crack on with company and job research now- anybody got any good interview advice?

and noone has suggested much north of mansfield- is it a bombsite, and am i likely to get raped/ mugged/ stabbed by commuting there every day?

North of Mansfield is a bit grim. Warsop is okish.

Did I really just read the word Chesterfield in a paragraph about nice towns? Sheesh.

Southwell and the surrounding area is nice, but expensive. Upton is very nice.

I don't really like anywhere in the Midlands to the East of the M1 – it all goes very flat.

Looking for a house or for a room?