[Closed] Whats Lancashire like?

Its bloody great! lots of nice place to live, small village etc

Thats a big area you are covering there.

I've been to Blackburn and Bolton for the footy. Bolton is the nicer of the two ime, Blackburn is a proper crap hole. The country side looked nice. They talk a bit funny mind, oh and it's always raining.

I live in Norden village, about 10-15 mins from Rochdale train station but perfect for riding, everything is right on your doorstep including the new Lee Quarry trails just over the tops about 20-30 minutes ride up and over Rooley Moor road.

Don't live in Burnley I've been there and it's crap..

Preston's nice though

It always rains

Rochdale is a ****hole - Lived there for about 14 months last year. Bury isn't much nicer.
There are nice smaller villages around, Norden as mentioned above, Summerseat is nice too. Ramsbottom is also worth a look

Horwich near Bolton is nice enough, and has some small villages nearby that are very nice. It's also right next to Rivington for riding 🙂

There's a few stations in the area, all on the same Preston-Manchester line, so it's easy to get places if you're car less or don't commute by car.

grew up in rochdale. the actual towns are ok, but a bit rough really (i'm talking CBD, inner suburbs) but they also all have really nice outer suburbs surrounded by hills!

It is true about it always raining - its not got the greatest amount of rain a year but the most days when it rains.

Some nice villages in the area - and some dumps!

If you like rain and incomprehensible locals who say like at the end of every sentence, fill your boots!

Thanks guys! Not sure where we will be living yet. It depends on where I can get a job as the bf is flexibile as long as its in Lancashire / Cumbria. I know its a huge area and ideally we'd go to Kendal but it seems as though the best places to get work for me are Preston, Bolton, Blackburn, Rochdale, Blackpool.... We're moving from Sheff and the Peak District and ideally it would be nice to find somewhere that is close to riding, climbing and kayaking. We're looking for a nice village with a good train line to the towns above or maybe even Manchester.

don't tell people you're from yorkshire.

It is true about it always raining

What kind of work are you looking for?

I think the main consideration is that many small towns in lancashire had industry in the past that is no longer there. So you can get situations where there are lots of people and few jobs. Even though places can look pretty, things can go down hill pretty fast and socially be worse than the bigger cities as a place to live. Some places have ended up with a bad reputation for drugs and crime which doesn't help the towns recover.

I don't want to be negative but would choose very carefully.

i am no longer scared of death, it will either be just like sleeping, or i'll go to heaven (which i hear is nice at this time of year), or i'll go to hell, which will be merely an inconvenience when compared to living in Lancashire.

Bury is especially awfull - Picture in your mind, a small town you are familiar with, somewhere really crap. somewhere you wouldn't go back to, ever.

Now imagine that the highstreet suffered sustained shelling with incendiary explosives.

now imagine that the fires have burned out, and it's raining hard. a few survivors are trying to pick a living out of the rubble.

what you now have in mind is an accurate vision of Bury town centre.
(yes, i lived there, and i left as quickly as possible)

Rochdale is even worse.

(edit, i've just seen that you're moving from Sheffield, crumbs...)

I've worked and travelled alot in that area and tbh most of the towns you mention are horrible and depressing, full of chavs and pikeys (in my view), I think Preston was OK. However, there are lots of nice bits round the edges and nice villages. Ramsbottom was ok (Iworked there for 2 years) and some parts of Bolton, Clitheroe etc and the whalley? area around Blackburn is nice from what I recall.

But overall there did seem to be a larger than normal proportion of ruff oiks! 😉

and ignore people talking out of there arses

I agree with Horwich - 30 mins from Bolton or Wigan for work, regular(ish) trains on the aforementioned Manc-Preston line. Chorley's another option, as is Adlington. I escaped to North Wales 8 years ago, but my g/f's just about to move to Belmont, which is brilliant, but somewhat lacking in trains...

I'm not from Yorkshire (I'm a southerner) but do love living here!
I'm looking to re-train but I am a part qualified accountant so will be looking for that sort of work initially.
We have spent a couple of weekends driving around Lancashire / Cumbria. I did find all the towns I mentioned a bit depressing.. but they seem like the best places to get a job. I have been on the lookout for work for the last 2-3 weeks and its pretty dead out there.

Areas around Chorley are nice IMO- lots of riding to be had, good transport links, M61 & M6 plus good train service

I'm prob biased as moved up here just over a year ago, but very happy so far

Garstang?

We're looking for a nice village with a good train line to the towns above or maybe even Manchester.

[url= http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=bromley+cross&cr=countryUK|countryGB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=uk&ei=aqUKSr20J4asjAfQiu2UCw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1 ]Bromley Cross[/url] is the answer - I grew up there.

But TBH I'd hold out for a move to Kendal. It is far nicer. Oh and Horwich is OK, but only OK IMHO.

Another one for Horwich, I have lived here for 3 years, mint for mountain biking, road work as well, some climbing also.

😆

could always consider Todmorden and Hebden Bridge - still in Yorkshire, trainline through to Manchester or Leeds.

Bury has the Metro to Manchester - but has big traffic problems on the surrounding roads to the town centre.

Bolton - again train direct to manchester.

rossendale (Rawtenstall, Haslingden, Bacup) is nice, has a bit of a bad rep. but it is nice round here. no trainline except the historic railway to bury.

I grew up In Ramsbottom - I think it's a good choice, as it has brilliant access to the countryside (loads of MTBing, decentish pubs & restaurants, plus is reasonably close to Manchester.

Don't know if you have kids, but the schools in Ramsbottom are generally good.

Quite a few nice places around Preston. The motorway links are excellent - but the traffic can be an absolute b*stard at peak times.

You've got easy access to the Lakes, Rivington etc etc

interesting to see th eold prejudices of people who see a few terrace houses and can only see slums for some reason.
Like any area the bigger towns (biry and Rochdale are inManchester BTW) Preston, Blackburn , Burnley have their areas I would not want to live in but also have plenty of nice areas to live in.
The smaller are mainly nice and its rough areas are not like big city rough just poor /downtrodden
Riding is reasonable/good but not spectacular including Rivvington , Todmorden mary townley loop but is mainly moors rather than mountains.
Stick to the west for driving links via M6 and M61
Active amount of STW on here as well so easy to meet riding partners etc.
Generally friendly folk but from mainly working class backgrounds but now we all work in offices as they closed the mills and other stuff we think we are middle class now 😆
Chorley resident for me waves to fellow posters most of whom I have met at some point

Thanks for all the info!

No kids.

I'd support the general drift of comments here. The rural areas outside some of these towns can be really charming, dahlink. Think Trough of Bowland for eg (Chipping, Clitheroe) - stunning wild country, some v challenging biking if you look for it. But if your hub is going to be a medium sized Lancashire town, most have their challenges to get your head around.

Preston is probably the biggest and most thriving hub outside Manchester, but see others comments re sophistication generally. The relatively large student population here is good cos it introduces the concept that people exist outside the town/city itself, and they can serve as a decoy if you're out on a Friday night - they'll probably get hit before you do. Learn to say "Buuuurrrrnaaarrrrnurrr" - really slowly. That's banana, and will help you pass off as a local.

The other towns all feel like smaller versions of Preston - quite similar in many respects, and probably more run down generally, apart from maybe Bolton. Much pointing at planes and cousin loving... Blackpool is worth singling out as the pits, although some of the outlying villages can be ok - v flat place though if that matters.

If you're going to live in the urban areas, I'd defo go for Manchester rather than the other towns. It's a different world.

you could have a look around the saddleworth area. good connections in & out of manchester & really nice villages (with at least one good bike shop). Have a look at Diggle, Denshaw, Delph, Greenfield. Great riding/climbing/hiking on your doorstep and good access to the peaks. although might not be all that far from where you are now.

[i]I'm not from Yorkshire (I'm a southerner)[/i]

Adlington is jam pack filled with southerners all stretching their red braces and talking about house prices, try there.

edit: And Peter Kay lives there too.

Ramsbottom is also filled with southerners and is surrounded by lots of poor, angry locals living in shoe boxes.

Lancaster is nicer than any of the above places imo (yes I'm biased). Not many good jobs except at the uni though.

Apart from the traffic its a great place to live, and only 30 mins from Stavely in the Lakes.

Oh and... I went to uni in Preston and it doesn't have a lot going for it tbh. Blackburn is also horrible imo. Bolton doesn't seem too bad to me.

But...

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geoffj - Member

We're looking for a nice village with a good train line to the towns above or maybe even Manchester.

Bromley Cross is the answer - I grew up there.

But TBH I'd hold out for a move to Kendal. It is far nicer. Oh and Horwich is OK, but only OK IMHO.

I live in Bromley Cross, near the Spread Eagle. Where abouts did you live Geoffj?

Hebden Bridge is nice too and pretty near Manchester etc - not cheap and a bit yoghurty though. 😛

I grew up in and around Chorley/Leyland/Preston. Lived in Eccleston and Leyland, went to School in Leyland and Preston (Hutton Grammar).

At 18, I escaped and went to Poly. When I returned, I lasted about 6 months before I had to leave the godforsaken sh*t hole. I wandered a few miles up the A6 to Lancaster and fell in love (with my Wife and the city). Lovely place. Unfortunately, I left there 15 years ago because of the lack of work. I now live in a pretty, rural village in Leicestershire and am very happy. However, if I could find work in Lancaster, I'd be back like a shot.

Might be worth finding a job and then looking for where to live. My partner works as an accountant and they are all making people redundant, meaning not many jobs and lots of people looking. Your best bet is looking in manchester and then choosing somewhere on the train out I guess.

Hebden Bridge is nice too and pretty near Manchester etc

and also the lesbian capital of England :o)

AND yes, Lancaster is ace!

If you are going to use public transport forget the Rossendale area. I live in Helmshore (which is Ok) and work in Manchester. NO trains. Closest station in Accrington (can't stand the place) but that line only gets you to Manchester if you go via Preston. Nearest Tram station is Bury, but the car park is full by 7 in the morning so forget that. Next closest is Radcliffe (horrible place) or Whitefield.

My GF lives in Skipton. Guess where I'm looking to go when I can find a job over there.

wors - I'm in Bolton and it's raining. 🙂

yes i retract my earlier comment.

Not raining in Lancaster!

Having lived there for a few years myself, I fancy that Lancashire is a bit like the Missippi of England.

As far as I could make out, had it not been for the fine young men and women of those innumerable Lancashire villages, Fila, Adidas, and Umbro would have gone out of business long ago.

Yeah - Lancaster would be ace but no jobs that I can find.

The plan is to find a job first and then move (I cant afford to do it the other way round!). Just trying to get a feel for where is good and bad which also helps with the job search.

What kind of work are you looking for?