Best place to live Lancashire ? Newly single

[30julytoday]

Can anyone offer suggestions (and why) on where I should look for my new home in Lancashire? I’m in my late 50’s and will be living on my own ( forever🥳)
My criteria is

1. Rural - large village or small town...preferably with hill views
2. Easy

Second vote for Scorton

[quote AConvivialHost]@30julytoday - Do you know Ormskirk? Are you moving up for work?

It's a relatively small market town, quite provincial but well served for supermarkets - Morrisons and M&S Food Hall - and has the usual Starbucks, Costa and a couple of independent cafe/coffee shops. It also has a small Waterstones (main reason that I visit). The town centre is a little tired, but parking is cheap and abundant.

It also has a Uni (Edge Hill) so it can be quite lively during (pre-COVID) term time. Although there is a community swimming pool/fitness centre in town, the community can also pay to use the sport facilities at Edge Hill. There's also a Park Run at Edge Hill.

Ormskirk does have a hospital, but A&E department is only for children - and I think adults have to go to Southport.

Aughton Park and Town Green are nice areas to live around Ormskirk, but quite pricey. I'd avoid anything too close to the town centre, as I believe a lot of the town-based property is owned by student landlords.[/quote]
Hi, thanks..had no idea Ormskirk was students!
I’m retired, no commuting needed. I live in Cheshire, but have never settled since moving here 10 years ago for my work from Berkshire. I’ve literally lived all over England- 17 moves and no where that’s truely home. But spent my teenage in Yorkshire and want to stay up north- miss the hills when down south.
With divorce I want to settle and now never move again. I’m looking for my “carry me out in a box “ house!
So, some close family near Ormskirk and Wigan which is why I’m wanting to be in easily journey, especially being on my own if I need help with anything. DC are both in south east hence why transport on west cost/m6 needed.
Probably should have included that having public transport is better - in case I end up on a zimmer in my dotage! 😱
Lancashire just seems a good bet. That or Yorkshire around Harrogate- it’s an area I know well but sooooo expensive

I’d second Standish - ticks all your boxes

@30julytoday what’s your budget?

Bretherton
Croston
Longton

[quote Milomonster]@30julytoday what’s your budget?[/quote]
Around £300,000

I live in Aughton and love it. I enjoy going into Ormskirk and don't really notice the students as not one to go there at night. The issue with students is only really that there is a shortage of normal rental properties as loads are HMO's.

I agree that Parbold and Mawdesley are lovely too but Aughton suits for the kids and my commute to Liverpool.

Re harrogate there was a programme on tv last year called 'escape to the town' (I think) with one of the guys off 'escape to the country'. A youngish couple were looking for something in that area for around your budget, maybe less ? £250,000, and he found quite a few nice properties for them so harrogate could be doable ?

You mentioned Yorkshire - what about places on the Yorks/Lancs border?

Cliviger is really lovely, Hebden Bridge too. You could try around Halifax too - some beautiful areas by there.

Saddleworth- lots of lovely villages to choose from and a real community feel.

Croston - lovely place but v small.

Burscough is lovely (I grew up on a narrow boat there), as well as Croston, Tarleton, Bretherton, etc but it's pretty flat, no hill views!

Parbold is on a bit of a hill, so might suit you better and still close for Ormskirk.

Otherwise maybe Rivington way might suit you?

If you were thinking Yorkshire, Wetherby would be a good one for you I think and very close to the motorway for getting south, although obviously a very long way from Ormskirk!

Bit further north Kirkby Lonsdale

Garstang
Clitheroe
Whalley

Cumbria / Lancashire border - Milnthorpe

@LookAtWhatYouCouldHaveWon

You mentioned Yorkshire - what about places on the Yorks/Lancs border?

Cliviger is really lovely, Hebden Bridge too. You could try around Halifax too - some beautiful areas by there.

My concerns are connectivity with south east where my DS are...don’t want to give then an excuse not to visit🤣 I know there’s the m1 to Leeds and rail links...but my experience of doing that journey from south east for years and years is that it is a pain

But agree they’re lovely

From your updates I’d look at Saddleworth or Hebden Bridge. You’re in proper hilly country there, but easy access to Manchester and all it’s travel links. When I was living in Ormskirk my parents were in Saddleworth and it was an easy journey.

Ps, I was working in London when I was living in both Ormskirk and Saddleworth and had to travel up and down once a week. Neither were a fun journey! Trains were ok. Wherever you live in the north is going to mean a fair journey to see family down south..

Agree with PPs - Garstang, Scorton. Lots of towns and villages between A6 between Preston and Lancaster essentially. Very close to M6 junctions at Preston or Galgate.
Preston and Lancaster stations both on WCML
Royal Preston ime is good hospital
About 45/50 mins drive to Ormskirk

^My concerns are connectivity with south east where my DS are...don’t want to give then an excuse not to visit🤣
I know there’s the m1 to Leeds and rail links...but my experience of doing that journey from south east for years and years is that it is a pain^

Umm, if you think the M1s bad, the M6 is far worse. At least on the Yorkshire side, you've got the A1 as an alternative and depending on where you're starting from in SE, is actually quicker. The East Coast train line is also very good, albeit expensive if you don't plan ahead, but I'm sure that also applies to the West Coast service.

It's as broad as long re M1 and M6 - there will always be roadworks on massive chunks of both, so it's not really comparing the same. Hebden Bridge and Todmorden also good shouts though, but research carefully - both for flood affected properties and also sun/daylight - depending on which way your house faces and how high up it is in Tod, you could end up with very little sunlight as it's in a valley. And if you're thinking of the NW/Yorks and are looking at depending on local rail services, research reliability figures - we're mainly covered by Northern, which is completely and utterly shite.

@BarbaraofSeville

^My concerns are connectivity with south east where my DS are...don’t want to give then an excuse not to visit🤣 I know there’s the m1 to Leeds and rail links...but my experience of doing that journey from south east for years and years is that it is a pain^

Umm, if you think the M1s bad, the M6 is far worse. At least on the Yorkshire side, you've got the A1 as an alternative and depending on where you're starting from in SE, is actually quicker. The East Coast train line is also very good, albeit expensive if you don't plan ahead, but I'm sure that also applies to the West Coast service.

Ah..so I’ve done both routes for years...prefer m40/m6 ...but each to their own experience

However, you are right..I checked timings on google and can see I ruled out something’s that’s possible..thanks for pointing out

Aged parents used to live in ilkley...lovely area..but it was that last 40 mins from end of m1 that seemed too long at end of long drive...stuck behind tractors🤣🤣🤣 but for those that know the area coming down the Chevin into wharfedale always felt like entering gods own county😉

South Ribble has some rural nice areas, close to Preston and the motorway networks close by at Bamber Bridge.

Thank you all for your help it has been very useful💐

Whalley. I used to work there. It's gorgeous.

Garstang is nice. Has a lovely Booths and is near to The Forest of Bowland. Longridge is also lovely.
Hello to all my Lancashire neighbours!!!

Parbold, wrightington, longridge area, whalley area, brinscall near Chorley. Out towards Lancaster? Good access to mways, rural but sought after.

Hello @HildegardNightingale!!