North Yorkshire forever home location!

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Hi mumsnet, I've posted about moving before and am planning on moving later this year to the North Yorkshire area. Work will be in York (or possibly Leeds). My son has ASD and needs decent public transport options for some independence as he gets older.

Can you recommend me somewhere for us to live?

We like:

Off road walks with a bit of variety from the house (or nearby);

Good bus or train links;

Within 30 mins of decent shops / culture for a mooch and to do and take part in stuff. Son loves having a go at theatre.

Ideally no more than an hour from the coast as currently live 500m from a beach and scared of being landlocked ...

Is there such a unicorn?

Sorry, yes, Stockton on the Forest. I also drive through Sutton on the Forest, but I was meaning Stockton here.

I just hope you're ready for the North Yorkshire climate. It can be lovely - like today but it can also be a bit damp and foggy. Something to do with being low lying and having the Ouse near us.

Not everywhere though - beyond the Vale of York the climate can be lovely - I live on the edge of the Dales now and cannot believe how much better the climate is here and how much easier it is to grow stuff than when I lived 70 miles further south. Forecasted bad weather invariably misses us!

It’s a beautiful day on the coast.

@Ametora The roads are awful
though in West Sussex

Glorious up by the Moors too!

i'm liking all these positive weather updates they are cheering me up!

Anyway, if it was just the weather that was a fact in me moving, I would stay where I am because Jersey is undisputedly the recipient of by far the highest number of sunshine hours in Britain and years can pass without it going below freezing.

Plus it's been biblical rain and hail and high winds here in Jersey today!

Bright blue skies east of York! Always drier than further north due to the Pennines. I would live in Pocklington, still got independent shops, plenty going on. National Railway Museum has a volunteer programme.

https://where2walk.co.uk/walk/pocklington-the-wolds-way/
https://pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk/whats-on/
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144539021#/?channel=RES_BUY

Northallerton is good - main line rail which for some reason is a cheap station to travel to - my daughter always gets off there from London rather than Darlington. It has a decent market town-type high street with lots of small shops, a good traditional outdoor market, a theatre and a Betty's! Quite a lot of new housing estates going up with prices in your budget. Fairly flat though as in the trough between the Dales and the Moors.

@EwwSprouts aw
that is such a nice house. And blue sky backdrop!!

And the wolds look lovely. I'm definitely visiting Pocklington on my next visit and will try that walk.

The Haxby Bakehouse is my happy place!

Re island weather and York weather, the winters are milder. York is sheltered so you don’t get the winds you do on an island. The summers are nothing to get excited about though.

I see Heworth has already been mentioned. Is Scarborough too far - Scalby even. What about Beverley or Wetherby or are they too toppy price wise.

That's useful to know. I will need to go to London ten weekends a year to do a course so would be able to catch it at Northallerton if living there or Thirsk looking at the map, or from York obviously, for the fast train down.

Northallerton is a better service than Thirsk as it is direct on LNER

By summers nothing to write home about - what is typical spring and summer weather like?

@RosesAndHellebores Beverley has been mentioned but I have no idea about travel to York and what it is like. Isn't it closer to Hull?

What is Hull like out of interest. Worth a visit for an afternoon or for shopping?

Wetherby hasn't been mentioned I don't think. Is it nice?

It's nice - summer is fine. Doesn't get too hot and it doesn't get too cold in winter.

Plenty of chance to sit outside in street cafes people watching.

Wetherby is not in North Yorkshire - it is Leeds
No train and really really bad transport
It is a small place, limited employment, places to go out
It is nice- good schools but very much a commuter town.

Boston Spa is nicer- still no transport but a busy high street- also in Leeds.

Wetherby is quite nice - but I don't know about public transport. Easy to get by car to Leeds, Harrogate and York.

Seems to be a good range of shops there - I haven't really explored Boston Spa much.

I liked Beverley. Lovely shops. Very good vibe. OK bybcar to York. Not sure about public transport.

I have family in Wetherby, Boston Spa and Newton Kyme all excellent places to live in lovely country and easy access to the A1 but no train stations - wouldn't want to live there without a car.

The bus from Wetherby to York is not frequent 6.45am and then the next one is 8.50am. so not ideal if you are working there/need to catch a train etc

York summers will be cooler than Jersey, as it’s further north. But you get pleasant days and it can be hot.

We moved to York about 2.5 years ago. Decided on York itself because it's easier to get to work (can walk it), better public transport, lots of things around to do. There are nice walks along the rivers and the strays within York itself (Rawcliffe, Clifton backies) and it's very quick and easy to get out to more countryside.

Weather-wise, one thing I've noticed is we don't get that much snow in York itself, it's pretty sheltered. Whereas colleagues travelling in from further out were dealing with blocked roads and travel problems.

There's a flood risk map, I think on the council website so easy to avoid any particularly bad areas.

We initially rented in Clifton, then bought in Heworth. Both are nice. Also like Haxby and it's cheaper but not walkable to the city centre.

Beverley often does well in lists of nice market towns. Plenty going on multi-screen cinema, local theatre https://www.eastridingtheatre.co.uk/ walks on the Westwood popular. Has a train station - have to go into and out of Hull for York/Leeds or most locals drive to Brough (surprisingly fast trains to London). Direct bus hourly to York & plenty of local buses. Car to York 45 mins. A good number commute to York/Leeds. Depending on what your DS plans both East Riding College and Bishop Burton College offer a variety of 18+ courses.

Hull is not worth a trip for shopping but the old town and marina are good for a wander and a variety of food options.