[Closed] The Best Outdoorsy Town In The UK?

OP wants

somewhere that's not too cut off from the rest of the UK.

STW suggests Plymouth, Fort Bill, Aviemore and Inverness!

Last I checked, none of those places are particularly cut off from the rest of the UK. IT doesn't matter where you suggest you are always going to be a long way from somewhere.

Yep big n daft has it Fleetwood's north shore awsum. The three year storm builds builds near piel island sending a swell that as it feels the sand bar near the seacadets rears up to create huge sets of between 18 or 20 inch waves. Coupled with the single track round the back of the old ici. nirvana.

Interesting, so Bristol seems to be topping the list. Scotland also has potential, although it can be a might cold in the water that far north.

I know North Wales well, and yes I agree it puts up a very strong case.

Interesting that no one has so far mentioned Manchester or the Kendal/Stavely area of the Lakes - wonder why? Also no mention of Exeter?

The Edinburgh area has all the things you list and is really very nice.

Interesting, so Bristol seems to be topping the list.

And the nearest mountains to Bristol are how far away? Fine if you like cragging though. Kendal, I suspect, gets forgotten because Keswick is so dramatically right in the mountains, but is actually more affordable and practical with it I think.

Manchester? Yeah, but you're driving to do anything from there aren't you. I have a straight from the front door ethic. I don't get the xxxx is just an hour's drive away thing. That's an hour each way wasted, though obviously if you love driving and congestion you may view it differently. 🙂

Bristol has one crag, well it has a few more but cant remember the names and they didnt impress when there.
I just had a brainwave.......
Harrogate

Interesting, so Bristol seems to be topping the list.

I don't live there, and I can't see why everyone goes on about it. Sure, it may have a great middle class scene, if you like that, but it's really not that well situated for outdoor stuff. There's a bit of biking nearby, but second or third advantage people list is that it's near the M4 to get to Wales. Lol.. I'll tell you where's even nearer Wales - Cardiff! The ability to get to other places to do your outdoor sports isn't really a great advert 🙂

If you can live ANYWHERE in the UK, and you want outdoor sports, you could do a hell of a lot better than Bristol. I can't speak for other apsects of life there. Apart from the traffic, which is awful, and the city centre, which is also awful. For outdoor stuff, there's absolutely no comparison between a big city with a few bits of woodland and somewhere like Llanberis.

I don't live there, and I can't see why everyone goes on about it

Make the connection, Mol... make the connection. 😉

So wait - if I lived in Bristol I'd notice all the mountains and great coastline there? That I can't currently see?

Bristol is awesome, and mol has always had a bee in his bonnet about it because it gets suggested anytime there's a thread about this kind of thing. He's always eager to be negative about it.

I wouldn't have suggested Bristol for the OP. As a place to live, sure, it's great (no matter how down or chippy mol likes to get about it) but I don't think it fitted the OP's requirements as well as some others mentioned.

if I lived in Bristol I'd notice all the mountains and great coastline there

Ach, I was joking... something about [i]you[/i] not living here, but telling us who do how it is.

great middle class scene

We were all proles until DD arrived, with his fancy ways.

Dudley.

+ 1 for Dudley.

.piemonster - Member
fort william or aviemore, probably fort william, for easier acess to surfing spots on the west coast i'd imagine(I know nothing about surfing.)
Fort Bill, no. Not in a million years could I live in that midge infested rain drenched pit of driech tourists tat.

When I asked Darcy if there was any good riding near Bristol he suggested it probably wasn't worth bringing my bike. 😉

Riding? WTF would I know about riding for crissakes? 😆

mol has always had a bee in his bonnet about it because it gets suggested anytime there's a thread about this kind of thing.

Fair play, I am taking the piss somewhat 🙂 I can that there are some nice bits aside from the ugly bits and it sounds like there is a lot going on.

However, good or bad as a city it's wholly inappropriate for this thread!

Bristol FFS!
There's more in Bream. Dowies finishes there(ish) The FoD climbing is better, its nearer the hills and no further from the surf.

Scarborough is a good shout. North Beach picks up a fair amount of swell. North York Moors close at hand. If you don't wan't to be 'cut off' then York has a fast train to that there London.

Some of the comedy replies are golden. Given that he specifically mentioned climbing and hill walking I'm struggling to see how many of the towns south of the border even get a look in. (Unless you're restricting it to rock climbing only of course)
Given how important skiing/boarding is to any self respecting outdoorser I think it's cut and dried that it has to be somewhere in Scotland.

Whenever someone asks for a recommendation, people almost always recommend the thing they have.

Although I didn't recommend my town I did recommend my region 🙂

Given how important skiing/boarding is to any self respecting outdoorser

Nonsense. Skiing is niche in outdoor people - it's something rich people do. Walking and climbing is traditionally done by skint pepole.

[quote=molgrips ]Skiing is niche in outdoor people - it's something rich people do.
That's bollocks.

Walking and climbing is traditionally done by skint pepole.

I've been assuming that the majority of replies have been posted, through some time machine, from a post-2016 UK.

We've just moved to Fort William. First neighbour I've met has a swallow tattoo 🙂

So is skiing cheap then? Wasn't last time I looked. I've never been skiing so I suppose I'm not a real outdoorsy person. I know loads of climbers, mtbers and roadies and I'm not aware of any of them having been skiing. In fact hardly anyone I know has.

I've seen far more climbers with ancient threadbare gear hitchiking driving knackered cars than most other sports tbh.

molgrips - trolling again or do you have a bit of a chip on your shoulder about this?

Yes lots of people who ski are well-off but lots aren't. I learned as a child in Austria where everyone does it.

Last holiday I went on cost under £500 and one of the people in the chalet was a lorry driver from Notttingham (so therefore totally not posh 😛 )

Climbing and walking used to be quite egalitarian - not so much these days IMO.

In Swansea's defence i've been here since 94 and never been robbed or burgled or otherwise picked upon.

[quote=molgrips ] I've never been skiing An expert opinion then.

I've seen far more climbers with ancient threadbare gear hitchiking driving knackered cars than most other sports tbh.

And this guy wasn't short of a bob or two either...

http://www.smc.org.uk/Gallery/SMC%20Pioneers/HM.php

I've never been skiing so I suppose I'm not a real outdoorsy person.

Guess not.

Aviemore offers great outdoor choices but no surfing.
I don't know much about surfing, but Aviemore is not far from the Moray Firth, and only 2.5 hours from Thurso, where I know there is god surfing.
Other towns close to a range of outdoor pursuits.
Golspie,
Peebles
Fort William
Portree
Llanberis
Keswick

I know plenty of non posh skiers although don't ski myself. I do climb, and hardware and practical climbing clothing is not cheap. You do learn though that duck tape is your friend. My winter sallopetes are held together with the stuff.

When Thurso gets good, it gets really good.

I have sat in the harbour in Thurso eating fish and chips, watching perfect tubes coming in. Like a cold Hawaii.

I'd say Aberystwyth. I'm going off the OP stating 'town' rather than city. Has everything the OP wants. Loads of natural riding, many trailcentres within an hour, surfing (the trap) on the doorstep. Birmingham is 2 1/2 hrs away so not too cut off from the midlands or the north. The Cambrian mountains are 15 minutes inland - for walking they are fantastic- generally you wont see anyone else all day.

Have you seen the cost of gore-tex jackets, high-end rucksacks, proper walking boots etc?

Yep, and I've also seen how many climbers either aren't using them or are using old cast-offs 🙂

The reason I've never been skiing (apart from the cost) is that being carted up a mountain by a machine with thousands of other people is anathema to me.

I think you may not quite be hitting the mark molgrips. Climbers normally have high end gear, although it may have been high end 10 years ago. Climbers tend to buy end, but then try to make it last.

I tried snow boarding a few years ago at Cairngorm on a busy day and loved it. Really hard work, and I reckon it caused an achiles tendon rupture a few days later, but nevermind.

I reckon climbers these days spend as much on their hobby as skiers, but like to keep up a facade of reverse snobbery. I know I have been guilty of this belief during climbing holidays in the Alps.

Last I checked, none of those places are particularly cut off from the rest of the UK. IT doesn't matter where you suggest you are always going to be a long way from somewhere.

Bristol scores highly because it's a good compromise.

The MTB'ing isn't true "mountain" biking, but it's accessible - meaning that you can slip in an evening's ride after work, because it's only 10 minutes' ride from the centre.

I live just south of the centre (Southville) and live that dream. I have two small kids and just wouldn't mountain bike, road ride or walk as much as I do without being here.

Parking and traffic are rubbish - but that means I walk and cycle everywhere.

The reason I've never been skiing (apart from the cost) is that being carted up a mountain by a machine with thousands of other people is anathema to me.

You know that bit isn't compulsory. I went skiing with a mate last weekend very close to Glenshee. Didn't use a lift, hardly so a soul but I did see many many hare.

The reason I've never been skiing (apart from the cost) is that being carted up a mountain by a machine with thousands of other people is anathema to me.

Your loss.

molgrips - Member

Nonsense. Skiing is niche in outdoor people - it's something rich people do. Walking and climbing is traditionally done by skint pepole.

I think you will find the opposite if you went to a ski resort, maybe if you said
"A once a year ski holiday is what most British skiers have and they pay through the nose for it"

Kendal excellent road and rail links not as touristy as Keswick plenty of riding walking,skiing ;-)houses on the reasonable price range!

Walking and climbing is traditionally done by skint pepole

True.

Any decent climbers and walkers I know are skint'ish. By decent, I mean at the top of the game.

If you love climbing enough, you'll scrape a living to climb as much as you can.

I've been living in Bristol for 18months and can vouch for most of what most people have said about it, especially the traffic.

However, where are you guys riding? Bristol doesn't have a good MTB trail scene afaik. I have to go to Wales, Dartmoor, Quantocks and the Mendips for my fix.

Shortly to be moving to the Keswick area for similar reasons to OP, apart from the surf stuff but the coast is only a short drive away.

Bristol is awesome, and mol has always had a bee in his bonnet about it because it gets suggested anytime there's a thread about this kind of thing. He's always eager to be negative about it.

Smacks of jealousy if you ask me.

I moved to Bristol about 15 years ago and have never wanted to leave. It's a fantastic mix in my view - the attractions, culture and amenities of a proper city, coupled with very easy access to the countryside. There aren't many big towns where you can be on half-decent, purpose built mtb trails within 10 minutes ride from the centre. We can also get to all the really good riding in S. Wales, with the added bonus of not having to live there.

The traffic is of course terrible, but like all sensible people, I cycle everywhere.

toxicsoks - Member

Shortly to be moving to the Keswick area for similar reasons to OP, apart from the surf stuff but the coast is only a short drive away.

At last thats you off my patch 😛