I’m a died in the wool home loving soft southerner but lack of local employment and a great opportunity may soon force me to work away from home (Berkshire) during the week.

What’s Ormskirk and the surrounding area like? Easy to ride out into the sticks and wilds or dark satanic mills etc.

Never thought I’d have to do this

Just fine. Bit flat but good road riding.  Prices vary widely depending on town.

Don’t go to skelmsdale ever.

I’m from Formby originally

Don’t go to skelmsdale ever.

+1

Love north of ormskirk between it and Preston nice area, relatively low crime and tons of nice villages. Croston, Newburgh, Parbold, ruffled, Burscough are all a bit north. I’d not go to far south, aughton is nice but expensive for what it is, magull is ok but busier.

Ormskirk itself is ok, but the town centre is getting a bit tired.

Loads of road riding, canals and can ride to Parbold hill/ashurst beacon for an off-road loop.

Easy enough for motorway network as well.

Liverpool is 20 Miles, Preston 15, Manchester 30 so all easy enough. Decent train link to all from Burscough or ormskirk as well.

Which town is the job in?

I don’t live far from there and have been putting in a lot of road miles on the west lancs flatlands recently.

Ormskirk seems quite nice. I’m not such a fan of the villages around. It all feels a bit blue rinse to me.

Is MTB important to you? If so you might want to base yourself a bit further east closer to Rivington and the West Pennine Moors.

quite flat and windy,trains every 15 mins to liverpool,bikes go free on merseyrail trains,lots of lanes to explore,skelmersdale is like fantasy island, lots of the things,crap road signage and drivers who cant afford indicators or brakes,

+1 for Rivington for MTB. Used to live in Southpot and a weekend trip to the Baths and the Market was a weekend treat.

That was 40 years ago mind…😁

as others noted semi rural flatish area ok for road riding but i doubt there is much MTB there so rivvy will be the place – plenty on here willing to show you round  ranging from those who ride to those who ride to the pub – LOOKS AT LOWEY.

Student area due to edge hill so this may affect rental prices.

Little quarry by aughton, few bombholes,, jumps etc… Dont tell anyone though.. Plus bickerstaffe has a man made track too

voodoo_chile where’s the secret quarry near Aughton? Email in profile if you would rather not post the address?

What voodoo_chile said . I live in burscough myself which is only a couple of miles north of Ormskirk. Some pretty decent road riding around here but if I want a run out on the mtb’s we usually head towards gisburn, llandegla , whinlatter . What is the job opportunity if you don’t mind me asking ?

never ever go to the lakes to ride whinlatter* – its ok but FFS you are in the lakes its got nothing on the natural stuff,

* its also about the furthest away from you in the lakes.

I used to live in Ormskirk,detest the place,worst town I’ve lived in..

The locals have a chip on their shoulders about not being from Skem. They’re also a bit ‘odd’ in that if you left them in a room on their own they’d probably end up arguing with themselves,I’ve thought long and hard about why they’re the way they are,I think it’s down to lead in the pipes.. It’s saving grace is that it’s well connected for the train to Liverpool,it’s a proper PITA to drive around.If you are moving there make sure you recce the area first,especially if you’re driving.I wouldn’t want to have to negotiate the bottom of Holborn hill any time between 8am & 9.30,gridlock.. The surrounding countryside is lovely,great for road cycling,some nice villages in the surrounding area.I live in Aughton,just down the road,love it.I just go to Skirk to see my mates.None of us go drinking there any more.

Its right by town green station not been there for years but enough for an hour or so ..

Also wooded area in ormskirk called roughwoods used to be good for a blast around

Brought up in Tarleton.  Good for road cycling as it’s so flat but you will always be cycling into the wind (I don’t know how).  Less good for mountain biking.  It’s so flat driving test hill starts are done on rail bridges.

Like others said avoid Skem unless you love the roundabouts of Bracknell then you’ll feel right at home in Skem.

No dark satanic mills.  It’s all fields in West Lancs.  Most of the villages used to be pretty small as employment was based on agriculture.  They’ve grown a lot as they become more commuter dormitories for people who work in the towns.  You’re allowed to call yourself local after 4 generations!!

Bickerstaffe is a couple of miles away and is okay for an hour in Summer (although you’d be riding round in circles, the track is only a mile or so long), but terrible in winter.

There used to be some DH/jumps in woods near Billinge but they got torn down last year, not been back to check if they’ve been rebuilt.

Ruff Woods in the middle of Ormskirk – used to ride there as well but you get grief from the dog walkers.

You could ride out to Formby to bimble along the forest paths but there’s not many interesting bits and you’re supposed to stick to the fire roads.

I have a freeride spot near Preston if anyone is interested in that side of MTB’ing.

If anyone is up for a Sunday morning session at Aughton then drop me a pm, always interested in checking out new riding spots.

Tarleton seems ok, due to the police hq up the road if you live on a modern estate you are likely to have police as neighbours.  My niece lives there and has senior police on both sides as neighbours, i doubt there has ever been an unsolved crime on the road.  Very agricultural in the surrounding area.

If I were working in Ormskirk I’d look at living over closer to the M6, off the flatlands and closer to the hills.

Would be a nice ride to work from somewhere like Orrell, Appley Bridge or Standish.

But depends what age you are and what kind of area you like?

I like my home, my kids, sometimes my wife and I’ve bottled it. I spent a decade or more with Sunday night syndrome and I’m buggered if I’m going to do it again.

Luckily there was a substantial salary mismatch and also luckily I’m experienced enough I insisted on a telephone call before flogging 200miles for an interview.

Sorry to waste your time.