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??

Boris is the latest in a long line to pledge a Leeds/Manchester fast train (30 mins). Currently takes 44 mins on the fastest train available.

Someone mentioned Ripon upthread, it really is a fab place to live, Booths, Curzon, Cathedral which is an arts venue, pubs, restaurants, community, WI, Fountains Abbey, dog walks galore ... but it doesn’t have a train, it does have an amazing no 36 bus link to Harrogate and Leeds but it really isn’t quick!

Hebden Bridge or Mytholmroyd

The thing about Hebden Bridge (and the rest of the Upper Calder Valley) is that, even if you live above the flood zone, the main transport network and amenities are in the valley bottom. When the river floods (2000, 2004?, 2012, 2015) it can take months for these to be up and running properly again.

Hebden Brudge ticks all your boxes, gorgeous place, love it!

Skipton ticks every box, and you have the Dales on your doorstep

Doncaster is quite jaw-dropping.

Skipton

Hawes

Pately Bridge

Skipton

Marsden or Slaithwaite
Hebden Bridge / Calder Valley flooded again yesterday and even if you arebt affected directly the road through was blocked in places and I think trains were cancelled
Hey Bike !

I live in Ilkley, love it but the house prices are high.

Lots going on though and good rail service to Leeds and Bradford.

Manchester about 45/60min Drive.

Manchester about 45/60min Drive

Not even on a Sunday morning, and it could easily be double that.

Hawes and Pateley Bridge 😳. You need to allow a good half a day to get to Manchester.

I drove to Hawes for a meeting today ... 37 miles took 65 mins each way.

You need to factor the landscape into your journeys OP. I grew up in Upper Wharfedale, it doesn’t take much for the weather to change your plans at certain times of the year. Hence I now live somewhere that is relatively unaffected by the weather, i.e. on the edge of the hills rather than in them. Of course if you lived somewhere with a train station you would be fairly ok.

Whoops apols

Missed the close to Manchester bit

Buxton

Manchester

Sorry meant
Macclesfield

Bakewell

Congleton

Barnard Castle is my favourite, but it's an hour from Newcastle, not Manchester

Holmfirth, Saddleworth, uppermill Ikley, Skipton, Haworth

Definitely check out the flood risks, it is true that the calder valley often floods as it’s built up over canals and rivers.

York. A city, but doesn't feel like it. Touristy, definitely. Ultra fast optic broadband. Good rail services to much of the country. Great food and drink options. A fringe festival.

Anywhere with a Betty's!

Hi @Hoppinggreen, we’ll get all of MN living and holidaying in HD postcodes at this rate!

I'm from York..while id like to go
Home it's not all that!

It's bloody expensive now!

I wouldn't go to York either hellen, too big and too busy (lets not mention the stag and hen parties). I wouldn't go to Skipton either, I know it won't be a popular opinion but I think it has a whiff of decay and definitely feels a bit run down in parts.

As pps have said, Marsden, Meltham or Slaithwaite

Read the op and straight away thought Holmfirth. Ticks all your boxes op. It's absolutely lovely x