Living in and around Manchester (again!)

I live in East Cheshire. Given the choice I’d live in one of the villages to the east of Macclesfield. Good pubs, reasonable mountain biking and not too pretentious.

Good access to the Peaks too.

Delamere’s a bit flat.

Ah, just checked google maps. A) Salford isn’t where I thought it was. B) The drive’s a bit long.

I live in the damp North. If you could tolerate the moisture I'd be looking at Ramsbottom.

It’s Cheshire you want?

I’d go with what @Kramer said. Macc and wilmslow have the distinct advantage of being close to the roads up to Manchester and the M60 and being within taxi distance of the trainline to London and manchester.

more interesting could be further out towards the Peak or into the fringes of West Yorkshire if you dare go East.

Nearer to the city and still pleasant are Cheadle Hulme, Didsbury, Chorlton, etc.

For value for money and hills, head North not South (or West). Plenty of people here live out that way... prepare for lots of advice... I'm out to the East, direct trains to Salford... it's very well connected to a lot of places.

South East - Marple/Bredbury/Romiley/Woodley/Gee Cross. Although Marple is shoot for traffic getting to the motorway.

Henbury and Bollington are quite nice, and a bit closer to Salford.

If you're selling in leafy Surrey, you can probably afford the nice bits south of town.

Near Macc is a decent suggestion, but how close to Salford do you need to be?

It can be a PITA to get across most of the time.

You might like it round Lymm, Altrincham way. Closer to Salford and M6.

According to the ever-reliable MEN, Norden is the new Didsbury.

i always remember Alderley Edge as being a bit ‘gauche’

Alderley Edge is very much the home of the orange-skinned trout-pouted lady driving a lime green Lamborghini SUV.

Villagey wise, we live in Disley. We like it, it's weird that it's intersected by a very busy road but within minutes either side of that you're in countryside. I grew up in Poynton, very different now to when I grew up and I'm not keen, but I can see why people like it.

I like Bollington, MrsIHN ain't too keen.

Marple/Bredbury/Romiley/Woodley/Gee Cross

None of these could be described as villages.

Norden is the new Didsbury.

I was in Norden at the weekend.

Seems nice enough and has plenty of pubs.

In between Altringham and Warrington is where I'd look. Dunham Massey, Heatley, Lymm, Broomedge Little Bollington those sorts of places. I used to live in Northamptonshire, and it's the closest I've seen up here that replicates that sort of countryside. 

Norden is the new Didsbury.

Nordens always been nice. As usual I'll recommend where I live (Rammy), because its ace. Rawtenstall is also very nice nowadays. Beyond that it all gets a bit 'high six'

I'd rather remove my own kidneys with a teaspoon than live in any of the places mentioned in Cheshire as they're just completely flat, boring and characterless and a sea of 4x4s and tennis coaches

Anywhere north of Manchester is better for access to Salford. Don't underestimate just how bad the traffic is southside. As noted, it rains here A LOT. The locals have webbed feet 😀

If you head out North East-wards you've got Saddleworth which has some nice villages, and plenty riding on your doorstep. Salford 40-ish mins is away depending on time of day etc.

In between Altringham and Warrington is where I’d look. Dunham Massey, Heatley, Lymm, Broomedge Little Bollington those sorts of places. .

If you have more than a passing interest in mountain biking then DO NOT live in any of these areas. I live in Alti and for evenings and short days it's a bloody nightmare.

If you want somewhere hilly you could always look at Uppermill but would need to factor the travel to Salford, if you need to have a short drive then Culcheth could be an option but it's flat so road bike from the house rather than MTB for the other options like Rammy etc

How 'village' does OP want. How good for cycling (MTB and road is North, East, and South East of Manchester. Road mainly would be West and South West.

None of these could be described as villages.

Unless you're an estate agent... 😉

Can anyone recommend any quiet little villages that are out of the way, but within a 40 minute(ish) drive?

As IHN says, most of what is around Manchester is a mix of small town urban sprawl where one bit blends into the next...

Also, a 40 min drive in quiet times can easily be a 90 minute one in rush hour.

Around Delamere / Antrobus etc looks quite nice?

Can anyone recommend any quiet little villages that are out of the way, but within a 40 minute(ish) drive?

I live in Delamere, and if it's a quiet village you're after it's perfect. There's a mainline station into Manchester and on a good day / outside of rush hour you can drive to central Manchester in under an hour.

Incidentally my in-laws house in the village is on the market

OP are you more MTB or road?? Makes a bit of difference potentially.
Not mentioned yet, but west lancs is interspersed with nice villages, decent rail links to Salford/Manc from Burscough, Parbold, Appley Bridge. Flat as a pancake from the coast until Parbold, good for road riding as easy to warm up and then hit a hill 5 miles into the ride, MTB is lacking though with the exception of Pimbo Bike Park for jump lines. However within an hour there’s North Wales and South Lakes. I’m west lancs and despite the lack of door step MTB I’d not move to Cheshire. I work in Cheshire (Daresbury) and even so it doesn’t appeal enough to consider a move, even though there are lots of nice villages.

Villagey wise, we live in Disley. We like it, it’s weird that it’s intersected by a very busy road but within minutes either side of that you’re in countryside.

Disley is ace... miss that area. I wouldn't chose it, or anything out that way, for easy access to Salford though. If it wasn't for the Salford link, I'd suggest Rowarth or Mellor.

OP are you more MTB or road?? Makes a bit of difference potentially.

Agreed. Any negative comments about Cheshire (including by me) assume mountain biking is the main interest... loads of lovely road riding (with plenty of mtb still an option with a drive)... and transport routes to Salford can be very good considering the proper rural vibe you can find (with the right money).

Not mentioned yet, but west lancs is interspersed with nice villages, decent rail links to Salford/Manc from Burscough, Parbold, Appley Bridge. Flat as a pancake from the coast until Parbold, good for road riding as easy to warm up and then hit a hill 5 miles into the ride, MTB is lacking though

Actually you can pop over to Rivington pretty quickly, and there's great gravel and road from the door as you say.

Caution on Saddleworth is the roads east of Manchester are generally shit. And Salford is on the west.

Lives in the North East side of the urban conerbation that is Madchester.  15 minutes for the centre by train.  Local riding from my doorstep inc The peaks, 20 mins drive if that to Yorkshire  and quiet enough to sleep well at night .

Don’t underestimate just how bad the traffic is southsideeverywhere

Binners likes to give the impression that south Manchester is a car park, whilst in north Manchester they're picnicking in the streets. IME experience the traffic is equally crap wherever.

South Manchester is a car park ! Hence cycling to work.

Swing by Tarporley on your way back down south as that village is very English, but slightly longer than 40 minutes away from Salford.

Binners likes to give the impression that south Manchester is a car park

It is. I lived there long enough to know. Its not great in the north either, but if his folks are in Salford and thats going to be a regular journey, then living north makes more sense than having to get across or around the city every time, at walking pace.

If it was me in that situation, looking at it for myself, I wouldn't be contemplating South Manchester, even though there are some great places to live

Used to live in Chorlton for 6 years. Didn't like it much. Very much depends where you live. I was surrounded by scrotes and had bother. Also, cycling from the door is crap.

Been in Congleton over a year now, really like it. Hills to the east, flat to the west. Small enough place, and we live in a quiet area. Salford would be doable in 40 minutes.

In Cheshire Goostrey and Comberpatch are quite nice, I ride around that area quite a bit. It is primarily road but there are quite a lot of nice bridleways (unsurprising given the horse/population ratio) if you like a bit of gravelly stuff. Further east towards Macclesfield is Gawsworth which fits the village bill including an excellent olde worlde pub. From there the Cheshire roads and Derbyshire lanes are accessible. Sutton up above Macclesfield is a pleasant spot and Bollington mentioned above, not to be be confused with Little Bollington, is really nice if you like that sort of thing (I do, gritstone dourness, great pubs, hills nearby).

...living north makes more sense than having to get across or around the city every time, at walking pace.

I often drive around the M60 from Stockport area up to the M61 passing Salford. Outside of rush hour it's rarely a problem.

I'm being rather selectively quoted, but I think we're all pretty much saying the same thing - the traffic everywhere around Manchester is crap, and if he needs to get to Salford regularly, that possibly needs to be higher up his list of decision factors.

(FWIW, if I had to drive from from Disley to Salford once a week, say at the weekend, I'd probably live with it. Any more than that, especially in weekday evenings and mornings, then that would quickly become less than fun)

I live in Salford.

...

Not exactly sure what I'm contributing here. Um, getting here is really easy, from here?

Binners likes to give the impression that south Manchester is a car park, whilst in north Manchester they’re picnicking in the streets. IME experience the traffic is equally crap wherever.

South Manchester is a car park ! Hence cycling to work.

Its ALL Bad. I regularly travel round the fringes of the M60, both directions, all parts - and all of it, and its surrounding villages/towns, are just as bad as each other. Thats modern life, unfortunately. Its not possible to live in the densely populated corner of the NW and avoid it. Just as per West Yorkshire, Birmingham area, etc etc...

ETA - I do have friends in Uppermill, and know little about it other than getting the impression 'this must be a great place to live if you like riding bikes'.

(FWIW, if I had to drive from from Disley to Salford once a week, say at the weekend, I’d probably live with it. Any more than that, especially in weekday evenings and mornings, then that would quickly become less than fun)

I'm just down the road from IHN and my next door neighbour commutes to Salford most days.
She has to leave by about 6.40am if she wants to do the journey in 40 mins, otherwise it can take over an hour in rush hour.

That said, she loves this area and seems willing to put up with the commute and timings.
I'd cycle it but obviously that's not practical for everyone.

Its ALL Bad. I regularly travel round the fringes of the M60, both directions, all parts – and all of it, and its surrounding villages/towns, are just as bad as each other.

That's pretty true - most of the surrounding areas are absolute traffic sewers, especially anywhere it gets hilly. Glossop for example and that whole stretch of the M67 into Mottram.

If you have more than a passing interest in mountain biking then DO NOT live in any of these areas.

The man lives in Surrey currently. MTB mecca it ain't. And arguably there's more MTB an hours drive from any of those places than there is in the entire SE England, so while local riding may be shit, it's still a better option that he's got now.

The man lives in Surrey currently.

This is a good point

Alderley Edge is very much the home of the orange-skinned trout-pouted lady driving a lime green Lamborghini SUV.

He'll love it 🙂

The OP hasn't mentioned cycling at all so a lot of the above concerns with places may be a non-issue 🙂

The man lives in Surrey currently. MTB mecca it ain’t.

Erm, I'd bloody love to have the Surrey Hills trails up here. It is literally (a metaphorical) MTB Mecca.

I'd swap them Rivi in a heartbeat - and they're better than most of the Peak, Hebden etc too.

Lymm and then M62 / M602 into Salford

I’d swap them Rivi in a heartbeat – and they’re better than most of the Peak, Hebden etc too.

😳

I’d swap them Rivi in a heartbeat – and they’re better than most of the Peak, Hebden etc too.

Takes all sorts I suppose.

I'll stick a hand up for Ramsbottom and Rossendale.

Yes its a bit damp but houses are cheap, the the cafe/bar culture is on the up and the riding is fantastic.

I’ll stick a hand up for Ramsbottom and Rossendale.

Ramsbottom and Summerseat are different propositions to Rawtenstall, Waterfoot and Bacup

Yeah, apart from Rawtenstall my advice is stay out of the valley bottoms. Get up on the hills and its ace, proper riding from the door, both MTB and road. Rossendale is something like 80% moorland although you'd never know driving through. Apart from rush hour road links are good. Trafford centre is 45 mins from north of Bacup for example.

Not for everyone but its pretty good and cheap.