Favourite town in Yorkshire?

[RafaelAndJane]

Okay, blatantly stolen this thread idea from the best village in Yorkshire thread. However, I'm fantasizing about my new (single) life and I'd really like recommendations.

My ideal wish list would be:

A lovely town with plenty of shops and pubs
Very touristy (because I'd like to house swap for holidays)

Ideally within an hour's drive of Manchester
Good rail links or connections to places like Leeds, Manchester, York, etc.
Lots of pretty options for dog walks
Friendly and welcoming community
A WI and/or options for groups like book clubs, classes, etc.
Dog friendly pubs.

I'm 48, (will be) single, no children, one dog. I freelance so I'll need good broadband.

I only need a teeny tiny 1 bedroom place, but it needs to be picturesque so it's appealing to house swappers going on holiday. Budget £170k.

Help me feed my fantasy please! Does such an oasis exist??

Knaresborough

Otley and Saltaire good choices

Otley is gorgeous but no rail links.

Ooo thank you everyone. This is my evening sorted looking at Google images and RightMove. Holmfirth looks gorgeous. And great idea to also look at the Peak District.

Bonus points to the poster who went the extra mile with a link to a property for me

Hathersage has a heated outdoor pool. I'd live there for that alone should circumstances allow.

Knaresborough. Beautiful. Good rail link to York and Leeds.

Harrogate. Agree Skipton too.

user1471504234 Wetherby is definitely not an hour to Manchester unless you own a helicopter! Ditto Knaresborough and Harrogate! The nearest station to Wetherby is a good 20 minute drive so no rail links either - buses to Leeds and Harrogate but very sporadic (two or three times a day, tops) bus to York. Unlikely to find much for £170k either!

Holmfirth, Saltaire, Hebden Bridge and Saddleworth all better matches for your criteria. Or maybe north into somewhere like Clitheroe?

Harrogate

Buxton? Decent rail line to Manchester. Think youd need to change for Leeds.

Most of Yorkshire will be way over an hour to Manchester.

I live in holmfirth. On a good day you will get to Manchester by car in 45 mins. On a bad day, or in rush hour, it will be double that time.
There are good rail links from Marsden and Slaithwaite (both 15 mins drive from holmfirth) or Huddersfield (25 mins drive).
Holmfirth has really improved since the Tour de France came through in 2014. There are now loads of lovely bars and restaurants and lots going on in the area. Good luck!!

I love the look of Holmfirth. And loads of reasonable priced properties too.

Oh and you will definitely be able to buy a small property for £170k. Try the villages around holmfirth......Upperthong, Netherthong and Holmbridge are all lovely and have a proper community feel. We have a dog and he is welcome in most pubs around here and there are just countless dog walking places around here!

Definitely Hebden Bridge but check for flood risks. Its about 45 mins on the train to Manchester.

Saddleworth.... technically not Yorkshire but just over the border and was Yorkshire until 1974. Parts of it are very touristy and you're close to Manchester.

Hebden Bridge, my absolute favourite - there is just something so creative and free spirited about it.

Ilkley is also lovely.

Uppermill is exactly what you've described but places like Delph, Dobcross or Greenfield would fit the bill too ( all Saddleworth)

Ilkley! Beautiful little town.

Richmond. No contest.

I think I want to move to Netherthong, just for the name.

A Machpelah, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX7
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-63580431.html

What about here? Hebden Bridge is lovely!

Ilkley - very touristy , cute , bit of a bottleneck for traffic but great restaurants, pubs, walks, shops
Otley - like Ilkley’s little sister -not quite as popular or buzzy but still very pleasant.

Saltaire is smaller but quite trendy and has a great atmosphere

Ilkley has a Booths, which for the uninitiated, is a small supermarket chain in northern England that makes Waitrose look like Tesco.

You’d never get to Manchester in a hour from Richmond though.

I love that house in Hebden Bridge.

I might have to rent and move around to try all these places!

Pickering.