Harrogate or Chester?

[snowytrees]

Myself, DH and one DC (age 8) are looking to relocate to possibly Chester or Harrogate. We love both areas and looking for some advice on which would be best. Looking for good schools, shops, restaurants, etc, plenty to do, leafy green areas, good access to travel links. We are looking at min 2 bed house with garden in nice area. Budget wise we are hoping to reduce our mortgage to a minimum, so ideally don't want to go over about £300k, less would be even better. I believe in Chester we would be likely to get more house for our money. Can anyone help with comparisons of the two areas and what would suit our needs? Thanks

@snowytrees. I think Chester wins for both baby names and location!

Can anyone recommend areas in and around Chester please and also areas to avoid?

What's important to you, OP?

For central locations, which are a short walk from town, Hoole and Handbridge are very nice. If you want to live further out, there are several villages within a 10-15 minute drive. Christleton and Pulford are nice, with village shops and nice pubs.

Hope you don't mind me jumping on here OP, I've just posted asking for advice on relocating to Chester as we are seriously considering this too! It's such a lovely city. Does anyone else regularly travel to Manchester or Liverpool airport from Chester? I'm guessing both are relatively accessible?

We are in Chester and love it. We live 20 mins from Cheshire oaks, 20 mins from North Wales, a min drive into the city centre and our 3 bed house was £220k. Also not too far to commute to Liverpool or Manchester for work.

@snowytrees Nicest (but most expensive areas due to fanatstic schools) are Christleston, Waverton, Huntington. Areas with poor reputation and not so great schools are The Lache and Blacon. I have lived in the not so great areas and had no trouble but schools are important to me so we moved.

Other nice areas are Vicars cross, Hoole. Middle ground being Upton, Handbridge (some areas in Handbridge are stunning but very expensive as they overlook the river).

Thanks hiding, so useful to get your insight. Schools v important to us too. DCs are all currently at a brilliant primary, DS1 previously at a school where he was really unhappy so I have seen the difference the right or wrong school can make. If we do relocate I need to reassure myself that we will have good options in terms of schools.

Thanks all and of course I don't mind you jumping on @devadreams. We really love having fairly easy access to shops and facilities but also love leafy green areas without being isolated.

@devadreams,

Does anyone else regularly travel to Manchester or Liverpool airport from Chester? I'm guessing both are relatively accessible?

Train links to Manchester and Liverpool airport aren't great - it's around an hour to Manchester on a slow line, and although there is a train from Chester to Liverpool every 15 minutes, you need to then change in Liverpool to get to the airport.

To drive is relatively easy - Manchester Airport is a straight drive on the M53/M56 and Liverpool Airport you get off the M56 at Runcorn (you would need to pay the Mersey Gateway toll). The M56 is not a nice motorway at rush hour, though! It took myself and dd nearly an hour and a half to get to Salford a couple of weeks ago - otherwise it's probably about 40-45 minutes in good traffic.

Thank you zhx3! I should have said it would be by car, definitely sounds easier than by train. It would also be either early morning (6am ish) or later evening (8pm ish). So hopefully not caught too badly in traffic?

Oh, I think those times would be fine! Manchester Airport isn't too far from Chester, it's about 10-15 minutes' drive before you get into Manchester on the M56.

Schools in general are pretty good. For primary, Belgrave and Christleton have good reputations, there are also the smaller village primaries such as Eccleston, Barrow, Mickle Trafford and Guilden Sutton. I am sure there are others.

For secondary, there are Christleton, Bishop's Bluecoat, Bishop Heber, Upton, Catholic High. Queen's Park has a relatively new Head, whom I think is excellent. There will be more, I can't think of them at the moment! There are quite a lot of students who go to the grammar schools on the Wirral, and there are also independent schools such as Firs, Abbey Gate, King's and Queen's.

Harrogate is beautiful! So close to the Yorkshire Dales too. Would definitely recommend Harrogate, it's a brilliant place to live and there's so many lovely pubs / places to eat close by too.