Just after seeing a comment that Staveley can be a bit… unwelcoming to people not from there. I am thinking of moving closer to the M6 than Ulverston (although probably not for a year or two yet). Anyone live there, and any thoughts on whether it is a good option or not!

5 years in Ulverston and it just hasn’t really gelled for me – no social circle so I am feeling unsettled and itchy footed!

It needs to be about more than mountain biking (which Ulverston is pretty rubbish for anyway) – a good place to bring up the family, have a social life of some description AND get out on a ride from the house every so often 😉 We don’t really want to be in a town as such (like Kendal), although may go for the outskirts if all else fails.

Although Staveley is still calling me strongly!

“Cough”!
http://www.itv.com/news/border/2013-03-17/kendal-is-one-of-the-best-places-to-live-in-the-uk/
😀

lol – well, maybe Kendal…. 😉

Couple of places that are on the radar as it were… just finding the money to get what we want/need compared with what we have which is proving stumbling block at the moment!

Am also looking at the outskirts of Kendal/ villages west of Penrith (but outside NP) for a, late, summer 2014 move.

Sedbergh is nice, and I’ve heard it has a friendly, welcoming community. Still a bit isolated for me (just my opinion) – I wouldn’t want to be driving to Kendal and Kirkby Lonsdale for things on a regular basis, and the charms of slogging up to the Calf might wear a tad thin after a while 🙂 .

Lol – that Calf ascent is a bit harsh! There is some other stuff heading towards Frost Row and Dent though which keeps the altitude a bit lower!

I am not sure I want to live in town again is the thing, I am more a rural type person I think! I don’t mind being near a town… just not in. Once you start looking at the obvious choices near Kendal (over towards Brigsteer/Levens) prices start moving rapidly north. Burneside is perhaps an option.

We are in Kendal quite often, so know of it’s charms and otherwise. I think next weekend we may go for a look about Sedbergh and a hike up Winder with the boys if the weather behaves itself. Good to hear reports it is welcoming and friendly though.

Sedbergh is nice, and I’ve heard it has a friendly, welcoming community

Agree with this (brought up in Sedbergh but now living in Dent)! I think it’s particularly good for families. However property of any size is expensive to buy – slightly better value if you’re willing to rent.

I am not sure I want to live in town again is the thing, I am more a rural type person I think!

Me too. We moved to Upper Teesdale a while back, to a slightly smaller village/town than Sedbergh.

However, while that was fine for us, we were conscious that as the kids got older, it might be mind-numbingly boring for them, and we’d end up shuttling them backwards and forwards from Barnard Castle to clubs etc. We ended up moving to Skipton which is next to the Dales, but with everything we and they need within easy reach.

Sedbergh might be big enough, just about – I think it has a swimming pool and sports clubs etc, but it’s worth working out in advance whether in a few years’ time you’ll end up picking them up at 10pm in February from the cinema in Kendal…

Hmmm – that is a good point. The oldest is 2 1/2 or there abouts just now so I haven’t really thought quite that far ahead.

Saying that, we were never picked up at that time when we were young! Infact… even when we weren’t!

Skipton is a lovely spot, I have some work out that way. Alas *most* of my work is in the Cumbria and particularly the central Lakes so it would be too far for me. Somewhere around Windermere would probably be about perfect but seriously pricey!

Luck enough to have relocated to Windermere, but I have to say that we really considered Staveley as an option. Good location, good nearby facilities, great riding and good community spirit. Personally I think Staveley will be the ‘next big thing’ – housing is markedly cheaper than Windermere and its in the train line to Kendal (West Coast Mainline).

Where dd you hear Staveley wasn’t welcoming to ‘outsiders’?

As above re Sedbergh – lovely spot but too small/out of the way for me.

Was a comment by Postierich on another thread.

Basically we are looking for something like an old farmhouse/barn conversion with the plan of having a place to stay put for a long, long time. At the moment we are just trying to focus down on the area we want to be in – Ulverston isn’t working either socially or for work (the only place for my other half to find work is Barrow and there is precious little suitable there, and whilst it is handy for my west coast work, it is less good for the stuff in Lancashire/Yorkshire/Carlisle/Scotland so I am spending way to much time on the A590).

My rough idea is an area around Windermere, Witherslack, Heversham, Sedbergh or anything inside that circle.

Be nice to have a good community, preferably not entirely made of OAPs – and a primary school to get the boys started within walking distance. Bridleways within a sensible distance from the house too, which is something we are really missing here!

The reason we are giving it a couple of years is an attempt to find the shortfall in funding between a very large, early 18th C town house in Ulverston and what we are looking for, without borrowing more cash from the bank. Family members are a different matter 😉

Lowick Bridge? I know of a house going for rent but it’s only a 2 bedroom.

lol – needs to be a minimum 3 bed.

I was toying with renting this one out and renting somewhere else… but not sure if we really want to go that way unless we are desperate. Mainly as I want to – eventually – be running the business from there and so we need to be permanent.

The other thing that attracted me to Sedbergh was the wee industrial estate on the way in. Thinking that if the business expands somewhere like that could provide very handy premises.

Oh aye – Grumm – do you have an alternative view on Staveley?

Be nice to have a good community, preferably not entirely made of OAPs – and a primary school to get the boys started within walking distance. Bridleways within a sensible distance from the house too, which is something we are really missing here!

One thing Sedbergh does have is a decent state secondary school. And another even swankier one for when you win the lottery. Don’t know if there’s any town vs gown tension there.

lol swanky school will involve scholarships if they are to go there! I had heard Settlebeck was very good too though.

Oh aye – Grumm – do you have an alternative view on Staveley?

Not especially – we considered moving there a bit ago and I’ve always liked the atmosphere of the place. I’d be surprised if it was any less friendly to incomers than any other village of its size though.

Don’t know if there’s any town vs gown tension there.

There’s a bit, usually when the ‘big’ school forgets that it’s part of a wider community. But by and large everyone gets on OK. Second the observation about the local state school being pretty good.

I have always liked the look of Kirkby Lonsdale. Just looks a good place. Was stuck there for 24 hours in the snow and it was fantastic. Love where we live though (Austwick), a great village with real community and of course the riding is second to none. 30 mins from the M6 (at Lancaster or Kendal) though

C

Ha ha, yes, I’ve only ridden up the Calf once, but nearly straining my neck looking up at it didn’t fill me with confidence I must admit.

Love where we live though (Austwick), a great village with real community and of course the riding is second to none.

I’m trying to persuade my mother to move to Austwick because it’s pretty much perfect, and I need more excuses to ride out that way…so if you know of any nice two-bed cottages coming on the market….

I’m trying to persuade my mother to move to Austwick because it’s pretty much perfect, and I need more excuses to ride out that way…so if you know of any nice two-bed cottages coming on the market….

Ha Ha, my mother-in-law looking for the same thing in Austwick too! It is a good place

C

I have a job out Austwick way – some nice riding to be had when I finish early 😉

Alas most my work is the other direction otherwise I would be quite keen to live out Ingleton way…

Can’t blame you for wanting to leave Ulverston, Rob. It feels like it’s becoming a mini Barrow at the moment. Smackheads roaming the streets, random violence, people with absolutely no respect for the place they live.

Last time I was in Sedbergh was after a ride, so I headed into the sweet shop to obtain as much sugar as possible. I was amused to find the place full of late teens from the school, buying fizzy pop and sweeties for a raucous Saturday night in. I guess when you’re at a private school in a small village, it’s tough to get off your mash in the same way a kid in a town would.

We house sit for two weeks a year in Sedburgh, it’s lovely 😀 chippys nice as well..

Yeah – Ulverston is going downhill for those reasons, and others. Since I don’t have any social circle here (working on my own probably hasn’t helped) I have no connection to the place so am wanting to move before my boys start school if possible so that they don’t get disrupted.

Besides – the riding is rubbish from the door, well, on the mountain bike it is. Some of the roads are lovely when I break the ‘Guzzi out for a blat!

Alas most my work is the other direction otherwise I would be quite keen to live out Ingleton way…

Your knowledge of travel times will be better than mine, but I would have reckoned it would be about the same from Sedbergh to Lakes as it is from Ingleton to most parts of the Lakes.

Cartmel peninsula? Plenty of bridleways and just that bit nearer the M6, but close enough for the Barrow commute.

I only go to Barrow once every 3 months 😉

Carmel does keep cropping up though – I have half an eye on it! I rode the BWs there many years ago, some are good – some are filthy bog fests!

I think it some ways the Kendal – Staveley area is probably still the front runner, with Sedbergh/Cartmel/Witherslack/Levens and a few other places bringing up the wildcard positions! Windermere would probably make the most sense, but I don’t think the kind of house we need and our projected potential budget marry up at all there!

If budget were not an issue though:

Fantasy House

It has a bridleway running right through the grounds!!!!

You could join my MTB club – Disgruntled Southlakes Dads MTB, consists of me and and stevestunts. We meet up every 6 months to moan that we can’t afford new bikes and then get told off for being late home.

I work beyond the M6 and 590 everday is a **** considered milnthorpe (head south after the junction) but that seems like living death. Re the riding from the door, there’s a bit more on kirkby moor and woodland fell than is immediately obvious.

lol – that sounds like a club for me! My bike is currently newish but in DC being fettled up after some scrote in Cornwall took a hammer to it after failing to steal it!

I have found bugger all in Kirkby Moor as yet – everything I tried was overgrown and painful going! You will have to give me a shout next time you are going out… if you can cope with my blistering pace… which would put an arthritic snail to shame!