Where to move too - up north

[Defrack]

Hi all, would love some personal opinions and advice on where to go.

Currently live in London, and looking to move out before we start a family as tbh we're both fed up of London.

Our jobs are portable, we can work from home all the time, so commuting isn't a worry however we do like to go find libraries, cafes and parks to sit and work in as well.

We are thinking of moving well out of the South East, and heading north.
We really like city living but then love hiking / and being out and about as much as possible.

At the moment we are thinking of Newcastle, Leeds, Huddersfield.

My family lives in hull so we don't want to be too far from them, maximum 2 and a half hours.
Our budget would be 300k max, prefer 250k.

A bit far from Hull but Cumbria is lovely if you like hiking and very cheap housing

Thanks, it's a bit far and there isn't really city life if you get what I mean?

Yorkshire is stunning. Lovely countryside and beautiful little places like York and Harrogate. Anywhere near the Lake District or the Cotswolds also lovely.

I second Yorkshire. My folks just bought in N.Yorkshire & its stunning. They live in a proper olde worlde area that is quiet but they can still access the bigger towns/cities. Cost of living up there is ridiculously cheap compared to down here (i'm Essex which is nowhere near as expensive as London but still crap!). And everyone is so much friendlier can you tell i'm a Northerner than down here i find

Warrington is great OP. Halfway between Manchester and Liverpool, lots of open spaces nearby and only an hours drive to the Peak District and 2 hours to the Lakes. You’d get a decent size house in a nice area for your budget.

Preston is relatively close to both the forest of bowland and the lake district, and cheap. You'd get a 4 bed detached in a nice area for your budget; but it's a small city, not really the same feel as Leeds or Newcastle. It's also a bit far, but no more than Newcastle.

Leeds has a great vibe and is close to Hull, but housing in nice areas can be expensive and traffic is awful.

Sheffield is quite nice, and right next to the peak district. Don't know it well.

Hull is very, very close to Hull, cheap for such a big city and has a vibrant cultural scene. When you have kids it's an enormous help if family are close- two hours is not close. I think the nearby countryside of S Yorks and N Lincs is underrated and places like the Dales are not too far.

Preston has lots of parks, the big one along the river has a cafe and there's a nature reserve just across from it. Pretty easy to get to Manchester if you want access to a bigger city for shopping, theatres etc.

Smaller but nice, nearer the lakes, western Dales (and the hidden gem of Silverdale) is Lancaster - also has a massive nice park in it. It's just about in your range from Hull.

York (small city, but has all the things you mention in your post and easy access to Hull and glorious countryside in the Dales, Wolds and North York Moors). You could afford a good semi detached in York on that budget.

Harrogate is lovely too - not quite a city but a large town with lots going on, and it is literally surrounded by parks.

Newcastle I think would be too far from Hull, not sure you'd do it in 2.5 hours.

York is awesome. Its smallish, but full of interesting things to do and see. And beautiful. And close to good walking.

Sheffield. If you live on the west side you’re really close to the Peak District.

Newcastle is fabulous, loads to do. City centre is vibrant and varied, the coast is so close and beautiful, the countryside is on the doorstep and it's so easily accessible. I live here and have no doubts that I will ever move away!

Liverpool. Best city in the world.

Leeds is great and Huddersfield isn't too far away and Hull is just over an hour from Leeds.

Leeds for the big city life, there's also all the hiking you could ever need, both close by and further afield. I live in a non Mumsnet approved location on the south side of the city, with good motorway access and there are lots of woods and hills walking right out of the door in the green belt sandwiched between Leeds and Bradford, it's surprisingly rural despite being only a few miles outside two large cities.

Also lots of big city parks and areas like Otley Chevin and Yorkshire Sculpture Parks with hills and woodland within a short drive and then you've the 'proper' hiking of Dales, Peak District, North York Moors and South Pennines about an hour's drive away, so good for a day out.

You'd have a huge choice with your budget, obviously depends on area and size of house you want - it wouldn't buy a larger 3/4 bed semi in the prime areas for example, but you could get a a smaller house just about anywhere or something quite special if you look away from the obvious property hot spots in North Leeds.

Also, housing is affordable, depending on your budget you can easily get a 3/4 bed in a really good area for £250/300k, or for less than £175k in a still decent area.

I'd go York too seems to have everything you like.

I'm just south of Hull and love it but York sounds perfect for you

maybe change your thread title, OP you clearly mean North of England - to many people the places you mention are 'down south'.

Leeds is great. Fantastic motorway and train access. Countryside right on your door step. Lots to do in and around the city.

As a previous poster said, Hull is very close to Hull, it wouldn’t take as long to get there as it would if you were living in say Rotherham, Dundee or Carlisle, so perhaps consider that first.

Otherwise could I suggest you clear the kitchen table, spread a uk map out, take a compass and with the point fixed in the centre of Hull, draw a circle with a radius of 150 miles, then taking each city within that circle in turn, google them..... etc

Have you had a look at the towns surrounding Hull? Beverley is really nice, and only a short drive from Hull.

And the Yorkshire Wolds have some fantastic walking / hiking routes

Well to be fair to the OP ifailed, Leicester, Nottingham and Birmingham are 'up north' to the OP .

She only says she wants to move north of London, not in any particular defined 'north'.

While Glasgow and Edinburgh would also be nice places to live, they don't meet the criteria of being no more than a couple of hours drive from Hull.

I'm a fan of York, Harrogate and Sheffield. But here's another alternative.. Lincoln. You've got direct commuter links on the east coast line and a fabulous city with tons of independent shops as well as being next to the Vale of Belvoir for all your outdoorsy needs.

It's also very cheap still compared to the above and close enough to Nottingham, Sheffield etc as well as having the sea within 30 mins drive.

Sheffield is brilliant and right in the hills. Hull has lots to offer too. Leeds is also lovely.

Depending how far North you want to go.. Sheffield. Particularly if you love being out and about and hiking, it's surrounded by beautiful countryside and the Peak District.

There's villages on the edge of the Peak District and in the Hope Valley too. Ringinglow, Hathersage, Hope, all very accessible and a short drive away from Sheffield city.