Where to move in/near Leeds

[longestlurkerever]

Hello. I currently live in London though am a northerner by birth. Due to dh's chronic health conditions he may have to give up work for a while and we are considering a relocation to somewhere more affordable on one salary. I have the potential to relocate my job to Leeds and have a budget of about £600k for a 4 bedroom house (tbh I have no idea really about accuracy of this figure in future housing market but that would be ballpark figure based on recent market prices).

What areas would be good to look at? Priorities would be state schools for our 2 dds currently in y4 and reception - I think there are grammar schools in Leeds? Is that right? What kind of percentage of children end up at grammar school and what are the alternatives like?

It'd be nice to live somewhere with access to the countryside but with a reasonable commute to leeds central station - I think properly rural would be a bit of a shock to the system and dh doesn't drive, but it'd be nice for there to be some positive aspects to the move and where we currently live is a bit urban grit.

I have no real idea what I am looking for - I wouldn't be leaving where I currently live if circumstances weren't forcing my hand but trying to look on this as an opportunity/adventure. Please help get me excited, mumsnetters!

I’m from Leeds and used to live in the Roundhay area. Leeds is a bit hit and miss, some areas are bloody abysmal as with any major city really. Ilkley is quaint but super expensive.

Priorities would be state schools for our 2 dds currently in y4 and reception

Many Leeds primaries are full, especially at the top end. You are likely to have to wait or be offered different schools possibly.

Are you religious?

No i am not. The in year place thing is a bit of a worry. Where i live now there's loads of movement so even the most sought after schools have spaces opening up quite regularly and you'd be top of the list if you moved close by. But i suspect that might be different somewhere like Ilkley where the population is more settled?

I don't think i am really after a grammar school in particular. Just a decent state secondary school. For a start i don't know for sure that they'd pass the 11+, though I'd hope they would. Don't really know enough about it to judge.

So I'd be looking for somewhere that has in year places now but also within catchment for a decent secondary because i will be applying in late 2021. Does such a place exist do you think?

Avoid anywhere near Farnley Academy, then, as I've been hearing dreadful things about it. There's also Dixon's Academy in Leeds 12 which was formerly Swallow Hill? which had a horrific reputation though I believe it's turning around.

As someone who moved in to a grammar school area assuming my kids would easily pass the 11+ I would say it’s very competitive and just not a nice system. Very stressful too.

I’d shoot for a decent secondary in a non grammar school area.

Otley is also a lovely market town. Not quite as posh as Ilkley but I prefer it as there’s loads of independent coffee shops and bars and it’s so friendly. You have some amazing walks on your doorstep up the Chevin!
No train to Leeds but lots of buses. You’d get more for your money then Ilkley.

Ilkley is nice.My mum isolating there and the community is good.Theres a big Tesco's and Booths supermarkets and a nM&S food hall as we as lots of local suppliers.Thete train into Leeds is good and schools good.
There are lots of celebrations/festivals in Ilkley too for adults and kids and a good area for your husband if he doesn't drive.
You also have the Moors just upthe hill.
However properties with gardens are inshort supply.

Kirstie and Phil did a programme on Leeds just a couple of weeks ago, might be worth watching. I know they went to Adel among other areas, but can't remember the others. They usually have a cheaper budget and a higher budget that they are working to.

I love Otley Delatron. We always try to go to Otley show every year.

North Leeds suburbs is where I’d look- Roundhay is lovely; fab schools (primary and secondary), beautiful park and some beautiful houses but probably the most expensive area. It’s also v convenient for the city centre.
Alwoodley is also wonderful- lots of v good primaries and outstanding secondary Allerton High. The catchment area is quite tight so you’d need to investigate that. The Grammar School at Leeds is a fee paying private school.

Moortown is quite nice too.
I personally love Harrogate; it also has a great selection of schools, particularly secondary. It’s not that convenient for Leeds City Centre in terms of travelling times compared with North Leeds and property prices are high but there is a bus and train service to Leeds.

I love Otley Delatron

No train though.

You can afford to live in a nice bit of Harrogate with that amount of money.

Do you want new build or old?

Horsforth is great, have lived here 17yrs now, have two kids who went to local primary (all the primaries are fantastic) and both at local high school (also fantastic).

Phil & Kirsty filmed here last year and it was shown a couple of weeks ago. £600k is a very healthy budget for this area.

We have two trainlines and great bus links to Leeds/Bradford/Skipton/Harrogate/York. My commute to Leeds is 9mins by train, or I cycle in about 30/40 mins (canal is great for this, and I run home along canal in the summer).

Horsforth has two high streets, lots of great bars and restaurants, and genuine caters for families. There are very active sports associations for tennis, football, rugby, running, yoga... everything really. The local university - Leeds Trinity University - has excellent facilities for sports and is a great uni in its own right.

There is a good mix of ages in the town, with the primaries, secondary and university it does not feel like an ageing town.

Lots of green space - we are 10min walk from river and canal and right next to woodland, so perfect for dog walking and at the moment perfect for our daily exercise! I cycled to Otley yesterday and I'd also rate it highly, it's a fab little town, but the lack of train station is a big factor for me.

Traffic in rush hour Horsforth can be bad, but try finding a town in England where it isn't! Airport is handy which is fab for returning from holiday - can be home with feet up and a cuppa an hour after landing!

It’s great isn’t it @Ginfordinner

My parents live there and are very happy. I always enjoy going to visit!

Lack of train is a pain if you need to work in Leeds though.

Horsforth could be what you are looking for like other posters have said. Links in to Leeds are great and it’s a vibrant town with lots of cafes/restaurants and shops.

Lack of train is a pain if you need to work in Leeds though

Definitely. Back in the 1980s I used to drive to Hunslet from Guiseley every day, and it was a pain even then. Otley will be even worse. I would definitely find somewhere near a station to live.

We often used to walk up over Otley Chevin to Otley, have a tea and cake in a cafe then get a bus back to Guiseley.

Thank you everyone. I will have a look at horsforth too. Bradford council actually emailed me back straight away to say there are yr places pretty much everywhere but y4 places are limited - none in ilkley but there are a couple in burley in wharfedale.

Also the councils are different. So Menston, Burley, Ilkley are Bradford.

Otley, Horsforth, Guiseley are Leeds! So may be worth emailing Leeds too. Sorry if you already know this but it can get confusing.

Yes, thanks, i thought that was probably the case. At the moment I'm homing in on places with stations on the wharfedale line only because i get myself in a pickle with too many options. Can't really progress things till after lockdown anyway so is a bit academic at the moment.

We live in Chapel Allentown in Leeds. You would like it. Parks, restaurants, great community feel, close to country side and urban too.

We live in Chapel Allentown in Leeds. You would like it. Parks, restaurants, great community feel, close to country side and urban too.

Very hard to get primary school places though?

Love how someone said you may want to stay away from Bradford then said ilkley is nice. Erm ..... technically ilkley is Bradford lol

Ilkley is lovely and beautiful but getting in and out in a weekend or in busy summer months when the lido is open is a nightmare!! The one road out is often jammed. Ilkley grammar is not a grammar school and isn’t really all that to be honest.

If you wanted Leeds I would recommend menston. Great opportunities within your budget and the schools are fantastic.

To be fair most of Menston is Bradford even though it has a Leeds post code. Menston Primary comes under Bradford.

Ilkley is technically Bradford but it's a world away from actual Bradford!

I would be concerned about Chapel Allerton with kids. I used to live there, Roundhay, Moortown and Alwoodley. With kids, I'd go Alwoodley every single time.

Or do what we did and move out of Leeds - Boston Spa would be good for you I think OP, except for transport. Would your DH learn to drive? Tadcaster a bit parochial I think. Wetherby a possibility, and definitely Harrogate.

Here's a good house in Boston Spa www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-90123905.html

@CheriLittleBottom I agree with Alwoodley- lots of families, v convenient by car/bus to city centre, on the A61 so v convenient for Harrogate etc.