Where are the best places to live in north England?

[GooseWhiskers]

I currently live in an absolutely gorgeous town in Cheshire, but with a little one on the way we're going to have to think about moving within the next few years.

Unfortunately in our area, the price difference for the houses we'd want is too big so we're looking at other towns in the UK.

Ideally we'd like:

• Strong sense of community
• Nice town centre with shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs etc.
• Not too far from a good train station (roughly 1/2hr or so)
• Near motorways (my family live in south west London, husband travels around for work)

What are your favourite northern towns?

My list is getting longer, thanks everyone!

@WhatAreWordsWorth yes Nantwich is lovely. I’ve only been a couple of times but was really taken with the town, it’s like a bigger Knutsford.

Thanks for the recommendations on where to live! As long as we’re walking distance to the town then that suits me just fine.

DH wasn’t hugely keen on the idea of moving further south (even if it is only 25 mins) but I can do some good arm twisting! He’d love to be in N Yorks (his best mate lives in Northallerton and has family scattered all around there) but it’s a little bit too far for me.

Morpeth was my first thought- nice market town, community, good secondary, lots of independent shops, train station with good links to Edinburgh, Newcastle and London

We live in the North East which is a great place to live but there are so many places fulfilling your requirements. You have a great excuse for lots of mini breaks to explore the areas. The world is your oyster - Northumberland, North Yorkshire, the Dales, the Lakes ......

VickyEadieofThigh

I love Beverley

My cousin rents in Knutsford and my uncle says it's am expensive rabbit hutch.

He lives in Sandbach, that could be an option.

The posher southern suburbs of Liverpool are worth a look like Woolton.

I was a bit underwhelmed with Durham when I went there. Ditto Alnwick.

York is great but may be too expensive. Fast train to London though.

I also like Chester but I don't know what the house prices are like.

Saddleworth has unfortunate connotations, I wouldn't want to live there.

Lincoln might be worth considering?

Northallerton is fabulous

I'm a manc living in Durham, I love it here

Ilkley and Skipton are lovely, but both miles away from sensible motorway links and mainline stations.

If you want to stay in the NW, what about Poynton or Marple Bridge?

@WhatAreWordsWorth

Nantwich definitely ticks all of your boxes! It sounds like you’re already familiar with it.

I grew up around there and my parents still live there. I moved but would have no issue going back, it’s a beautiful town with lots of fabulous independent shops/restaurants and a thriving community. Great schools too. Just a 10-15 minute drive to Crewe station too, or 10 minutes to get to the M6.

You could get a stunning 4 bed within your budget as well.

My only advice for Nantwich would be to avoid living very close to the town centre. It’s a popular spot on Tuesdays (student night), Fridays and Saturdays and could probably get a bit rowdy.

The area just south of the station is lovely, as is the area surrounding Crewe Road (Mount Drive etc). Stunning houses. Willaston is also nice, especially the older style houses. It’s just a bit further out (but closer to Crewe station).

I second this.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86127007#/
(a friend lives just around the corner from here)

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/99386216#/
Mount Drive (needs tlc)

Whalley or clitheroe

I've recently moved from South Manchester to the Tottington/Greenmount border. I LOVE it. Everyone is friendlier...

Malton, North Yorkshire. Food capital of the North
You get boutique shops, amazing restaurants, train link to York in 25 mins, then a speedy train to London......well as speedy as you get get without any investment, but still a small price to pay for living in the most beautiful County in England (except maybe Cumbria. I am especially fond of Cumbria....and Northumberland to think of it.) Oh bloody hell now I'm second guessing myself.....so many gorgeously amazing places in the North! Too many to choose from. Oh....Thornton Le Dale too..so pretty x

If not Lytham (which I agree is lovely) then Poulton-le-fylde is a little bit inland from there but still fylde coast - lovely market town, under 15 mins direct into Preston by train and quick onto M6, lovely houses around your budget and great schools. Famous for being the home of ex Spurs player Paul Stewart and Keith Harris of Orville fame!

Clitheroe or nearby village - Ribble Valley regularly comes high up in best places to live.

If you are in Cheshire already, Northwich is good. Houses are reasonable, town centre decent and you are on two train lines (Birmingham to Liverpool and Chester to Manchester), and good walks. If looking outside of Cheshire Lancaster is gorgeous.

If you moved to where your husband wants to be @GooseWhiskers we could do coffee 😆😆

Durham is nice but feels cramped, the traffic is usually awful and it's filled with students which might not be a bonus to some people!

400k would easily get you a nice detached 4 bed in Hartlepool.

Bit over budget but lovely: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/74715984#/

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/72006435#/ Near the sea

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/85375054#/ Outlying village that used to have an amazing pub! (Not been back in a while!)

Hi @GooseWhiskers I just wondered where you’d decided to move to?