Right, well got a phone call yesterday, i have the job 🙂 So now i need to get some info on Warrington, all i know is that it is 1 hour from Edale, and 2 hours from Coed Y Brenin. So that is brilliant!
I'll need to be renting a property for 1 year, so any areas to avoid etc... Will only be a 1 bedroom flat type thing, as I'll be on my tod.
Thanks.
place is basically flat... trying to get around by bus is a pain in the bum. but surrounded by the M6, M56 and M62 (so on a friday and sat the town centre is full of scousers on coach trips 😉 )
errrm other than my folks in law live in Grappenhall, theres not much i can say.
Llandegla aint too far, Rivington, Lee Quarry, Lakes...
Warrington does have places you need to avoid but they're not on the same scale as a major city and you'd be reasonably ok all over. As far as riding goes it is completely flat but Rivington and Delamere forest are both within riding distance. Also, Warrington is simply strewn with tracks, trails and paths. The transpennine trail goes right through the middle, as does the sankey valley trail with a whole load of other little ones all criss crossing the place. None of these are challenging or particularly beautiful but it's a nice way to get around the town.
I'd recommend finding somewhere close to the town centre as Warrington is surrounded by a mass of 'modern' housing estates which can be pretty mind numbing, they all look the same.
Where abouts are you working?
Happy to show you around Rivvy when you get here..dont know Warrington though
I spent my placement year at BNFL in Risley business park close by; I chose to live in Chester as hated the place!
so on a friday and sat the town centre is full of scousers on coach trips [;)]
Scousers going to Warrington on coach trips! What are you talking about?
howdo
I am based in widnes and get out most weekends to lakes / dales / peaks / wales and i know delamere well enough too - see dave doddon here re monday night rides there too - fire me an email if you need any info or riding partner - I use the trans penine as a training route and its ok - warrington is a lot better equipped than say widnes shops wise - its 2 hrs to lakes / 1nd 1n hour or so to peak from there - train station gets you to dales / lakes / peaks too....
paul
As Mark says Llandegla is probably only 40 mins away.
Clwydian hills half hour away too
Thanks a lot guys, very helpful information, and some kind offers (which i shall be taking up) in terms of riding. I'll be based in United Utilities, think it is actually called Great Sanky.
Riding sounds great! Especially Wales, and some news woods for me to play in.
I'm basically needing somewhere really cheap to live, so would live outside centre etc... if it was cheap, don't mind a commute to work either.
Warrington is ace - it's the home of Pete Postlethwaite, star of Brassed Off and Among Giants.
go to Chester, Warrington is a dump
Why not live in Chester? I lived there when I worked in Widnes (god awful place that that is!) which is only about 10 minutes closer than Warrington. There are loads of great flats to rent in Chester and prices are very reasonable (I know, I have one I rent out and have felt the impact of over supply in the market!) My place rents for £600 a month but it's a huge two bedroom two bathroom top floor flat. You can pay around £400 a month and still have a decent sized place that's close to the motorway.
Chester then puts you a perfect distance from all the great riding spots - you can even get to Gwydyr Forrest in about 70 minutes, making it almost possible to do an evening ride mid-week on the Marin Trail. Coed Y Brennin is a little further as it's harder to drive to, maybe an hour and three quarters. Lakes are two hours away, Peak district is an hour and a half.
Your local riding spot is then Delamere Forrest which is great fun, has loads of loamy single track, a jump spot and a 4x track. It's only 15 minutes from Chester and perfect for summmer evening blatting around.
Rent for 6months in Warrington whilst you learn the surrounding areas?
The Marin, Penmachno and the whole of Snowdonia are very close by! There is some fantastic riding to be had!
I live in Bangor and have to travel to the Sankey area of Warrington regularly, its about 1.5hrs easy.
cool, just find a place alongside the transpennine trail or the sankey valley trail and you'll have a nice commute in. Is it Lingley Mere or Dawson house you're based at? Both have good cycle facilities with showers and changing areas so you'll be good for cycling in. email me direct on samur2@hotmail.com if you need any more information about those sites or commuting to them.
jon.
If you must live 'in' Warrington, Stockton Heath is at the nicer end of things.
Second that, and around Appleton is nice though rather pricey
Avoid Orford. Other than that its not too bad. Good riding locally at Delamere and close to everything else as has been said. I live in Northwich and cycle to Warrington about 14 miles on nice country lanes so there are nice areas just out of town.
Aye. Just moved to Stockton Heath myself, coming from the high peak area. It's only temporary and I was sceptical, but it's good, nandos, nice independent coffee shops, nice Thai place and a few routes for the CX bike. Wales a bit easier too and M6 handy. Serving it's purpose nicely.
Area seems confused a bit though, equal amounts of scouse and Manc accents.
If I were single and in pursuit of an exciting out of work lifestyle, I'd rent in Manchester and commute in by bike on the TPT. You'd have a flat but like todally off road commute, doood. You'd be mighty fit.
Same could apply for commuting in from Liverpewel, cept it's not so central for mtbiking I suppose.
Live in Manc, and commute out.
If you're driving it's against all the traffic and it's cycleable as above.
I did this for 3 years whilst working in the Birchwood business park.
I'd suggest you live as close as possible to work (eg Westbrook, Whittle Hall). Why waste time commuting? Loads of property to rent in the 'New Town' areas. South of the Manchester Shit Canal used to be Cheshire, so folks are a bit snobby. Stick with the 'Lancashire' part, it's much friendlier
Other Warrington stars are Kerry Katona and Chris Evans . . .
Warrington is the perfect place to live - good facilities and low unemployment. And within an hour's drive of wonderful biking in North Wales, Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, etc.
What more could you want?
If you live in Warrington (ask binners hes from there) you will have to support liverpool.
I spent my placement year at BNFL in Risley business park close by; I chose to live in Chester as hated the place!
I worked near there for two years and lived in Manchester for similar reasons! No traffic problems going out of Manchester in the mornings... 😉
Warrington is mostly a suburb of Manchester/Liverpool. It's grown quite a lot in the last 20 years and the centre of town is much better than it used to be. Best areas are south of the Mersey and ship canal - Stockton Heath feels like a nicer part of a larger northern city, the rest of the south is suburban, and parts of the north of the town are semi-grim (though it's still only a little town, not a big city so not too bad).
Traffic can be bad because Warrington is boxed in by motorways and any problems people drive through the town (and there aren't many bridges).
Pubs in town centre used to be full of blokes with taches and no neck (because of rugby league) but might be less scary these days, though I doubt it.
If you live in Warrington (ask binners hes from there) you will have to support liverpool.
Or Man U, which is actually pretty close to the east of Warrington. Perhaps depends on which bit of Warrington you live in - you can certainly buy both the Liverpool Echo and the Manchester Evening News in most shops, depending on which estate you were shipped out of in the 70s.
If you live in Warrington (ask binners hes from there) you will have to support liverpool.
Manchester United territory!
you will have to support liverpool.
I grew up in Warrington (well Thelwall) and support City.
There are places that arent too nice (Dalham, Orford, Bewsey)but nothing bad compared to a city, if you stay south of the Mersey you will be ok.
As already mentioned, Stockton Heath is good (mum lives there now) and has the advantage of being close to the M6/M56 junction which brings Snowdonia, Peak District and the Lake district within two hours.
Having said that I wouldnt go back. As Chris Evans said when asked 'Do you miss Warrington?'
'Every time I am on the M6'
[i]Why waste time commuting? [/i]
because riding a bike to work and back is freaking ace.
Well safe to say, i wont be supporting any football teams 🙄 Anyways.
Again great information, so thanks guys. I'll be working at Lingley Mere. I never even considered Chester...that does sound a good idea.
Initially i do want to commute on the bike, however after being told i will be traveling around a fair bit i think i may have to take car a couple of days, then bike when i'm in office all day.
The mounatin biking just seems to get better and better! So much new stuff which i have never been to, so looks like i'll be on the bike sooooo much!
Think next stage is go on rightmove and find a flat/house etc...
surfer - MemberIf you live in Warrington (ask binners hes from there) you will have to support liverpool.
Manchester United territory!
Aye- Im winding Binners up. Warrington is surely closer to the Wirral than it is to Man Utd? 😉 😆
Ah, Warrington...
Home of such delights as TJ Hughes:
(The restaurant is particularly unique)
The new bus station:
And pulling into Bank Quay is an experience for which you truly cannot be prepared. What wonderful treats can possibly be in store, for the excited and awestruck visitor?
Hmmm, defo commute in!
That will be the only Virgin in Warrington then?
my mates a copper in warrington, he doesnt really have much nice to say about the place
he took me on a tour of the crack houses he has to monitor round the area; some really nasty bits, even the 8 yr olds look like they could beat the crap out of me
i also have another mate who lives nearby and he, really lieks it and when ive stayed at his its been absol;utely fine
snowdonia is very near , bonus!
Warrington isnt too bad, its just a general large town in the north west, far better than some areas of liv and manc, and about as dodgy for a night out as wigan or st helens, though st helens has a massive drugs scene. As with anywhere there are nice areas and not so nice, keep away from the not so nice and you'll live happily ever after. PErsonally I'd rent somewhere expsensive for 6 months to get to know the place.
1 hour from edale???????????
snowdonia is very near , bonus!
Well in the same sense that London is near the Cotswolds or the New Forest, or that Oxford is near the Peak District, or that Newcastle is near the Lake District...
Warrington is ace - it's the home of Pete Postlethwaite
He may have been born there but now lives near the Long Mynd - good mtb territory!
technicallyinept - Member
1 hour from edale???????????
That's what google maps is telling me.
Reckon on an hour and a half to edale and 2 to snowdonia. I used to live in Wigan and it takes me an hour and 15 mins to get to llandegla down the motorways and driving at the limit the whole way, for reference.
It would have to be Stockton Heath if I had to live in Warrington again. I also lived in the Birchwood areas...all very dull and rubbish for walking anywhere (lack of pavements) but fine if you just need decent accomodation and are driving everywhere.
p.s. I also commuted from Chester but it [traffic] went wrong on too many occasions
Newton-Le-Willows (north of Warrington) is a pretty nice area and the commute in by bike is cool and varied. There's actually a lot of housing right around Lingely Mere, I'm sure that there will be some flats too. I work at the same place as Samuri so know the area pretty well. Drop me an email (in profile) if you want dome more advice / help.
I just luv all the "expert" comments from people who know bugger all about the place or have just passed through or their mate once worked there. Warrington is ok, of course there are better places, there always are but as someone who has lived around Warrington from the 60's and has done a fair bit of traveling Warrington is ok.
Forget Chester, yes its nice but the drive to where you work will drive you crazy in next to no time. As said before avoid parts of Orford, Bewsey and Dallam. Lymm, Stockton Heath, Grappenhall and Walton are all good places south of the Mersey, the Bridgewater Canal runs along side each of them. North of the Mersey, Croft and Culcheth are also nice and an easy bike ride to your work.
Warrington town centre has a surplus of newish flat developments and if your cute you will be able to get a discount from the advertised rent.
Fwiw I'm not a fan of Warrington town centre from an eating and drinking point of view, I'd rather go to Manchester. As for riding Warrington is a good central location, the lakes are approx 60 to 90 mins depending on location, the peaks are about 60 mins, Dellymere is 30-40 mins, Llandegla about 60 mins, Rivington 30 mins and so on.
I would look up the http://www.bogtrotters.org/ and http://www.chestermtb.co.uk/ for informal organised rides, any more questions just shout up. All the best Paul



