To ask what it’s really like to live in the Peak District?

[Walkingwinnie]

Considering permanently relocating to Derbyshire this summer, looking at the village of Tideswell.

Currently live in Central London but now I can mostly work from home it’s an option to move up there. Husband super commutes but can fly from Manchester.

We don’t have any family ties to the area but we are both very outdoorsy and love walking. As it is we spend most of our weekends (pre-COVID) driving out of London to hike/cycle.

Moving there would also allow us to live mortgage free in our 30s and mean we could have a great lifestyle and also save for a very comfortable retirement.

Has anyone made the move? Loved it? Regretted it? It’s fairly low risk for us as we could always come back (no kids, no plans to have any) but I’m aware I may be romanticising the long winters and the culture shock of leaving London!

Chapel is the weirdest place l’ve ever been to. As is Buxton. A high street full of charity shops and decaying grandeur.

10 minutes from Castletown and like two different worlds..

The Peak District is commuter land for Manchester and Sheffield. I second what the poster upthread said. Lots of docs/ academics etc live there, so quite open minded.

Rammed in summer though.

You might experience - as you say - 'culture shock'. But, not in the way you might expect. Buxton Opera House is one of Frank Matcham's gems - reminded me of the small but incredibly opulent theatres, you find in even the lesser Italian Cities.

Glossop is fine, no better or worse than any town of its size and its definitely gentrifying, there's even rumours we are getting one of those fancy food halls. It doesn't have the village vibe the OP is looking for though

I live in Dore. It's wonderful! Beautiful countryside/walks from the village. Separated from Sheffield proper by Ecclesall Woods. Range of shops, NHS Dentist, GP Surgery, Opticians, good pubs, restaurants. Excellent schools. Links by train to Manchester/Sheffield / 2 hours London from Sheffield/ Chesterfield, half hour drive to J29 M1. Sat Nav says 3 hours drive Central London. Fantastic village feel. Best of both worlds. Excellent Hospitals, Theatres, Universities in easy reach in Sheffield ( 5/6 miles).
You name it, it's got a club/society for it. All sports, arts, gardening, choirs, annual fete/show, women's groups, history, Village Society, etc etc. People lovely/friendly.
Cold/ snowy in winter ( but rarely stops you getting out.) but lot dryer than the west side of the Peak District. Housing not cheap though. ( Forgot, you're coming from Central London it'll seem cheap to you!)

I live in South West Sheffield (S11) and I can actually walk into the Peak District from my house or alternatively jump or walk into the city centre in half an hour to go to the theatre / cinema etc. I think it's well worth considering the outskirts of Sheffield as well as the Peak District. The houses aren't cheap but you have easy access to the Peak District without the lack of facilities / services in the Peaks

Fulwood on edge of Sheffield also beautiful. Just miles of open countryside. On our daily exercise walks we keep finding new footpaths in the country. It’s endless!

The only weird thing about Furness Vale is that it has no centre to speak of - there's a chippy and a community centre, that's it. It's between New Mills and Whaley Bridge which are both really close if you're in a car.

I used to live in a village near Tideswell and moved a few years ago to the Vale of Belvoir - about an hour away in Notts/Leicester.

Personally I find it a lot better located, facilities and connections. We have the fast trains to London on the east coast, multiple cities within 30 mins drive and still a fully functional Trainline between villages which mostly stopped in Derbyshire in the 60s. But still with the gorgeous countryside, cute villages and local producers, think stilton, pork pies, locally produced elderflower presse and greengrocers in most villages, mixed with cute wine bars, gastropubs and village drinking pubs.

Derbyshire had a more old world charm and is a bit cheaper to buy property. We have friends in Wirksworth who I do have house envy, when I see how much more they get for their money..but for now, the facilities and connections (and number of outstanding schools) currently win for me.

Yeah, Peak District and Hope Valley aren’t cheap.

DH went to see the Fleet Foxes about 10 years ago in Sheffield. They’d been taken on a tour of Castletown during the day before the concert.

Dh said most of the concert was taken up with them going on about the cost of housing and ‘for such tiny little cottages’😁

I’m not far Tideswell is quite isolated and I imagine quite parochial. If it were me I would be looking more closer to Sheffield or Manchester. On the Manchester side I think Whaley Bridge and Hayfield are worth considering- far easier to get to Manchester and the airport but good bases for outdoorsy stuff. I know in both there will be southerners who have moved there for the same reason as you - not sure you’d find them in Tideswell.
Ashbourne is gorgeous but super expensive and not at all handy for airports except poss East Midlands.

@IstandwithJackieWeaver

Rainow gets cut off in snow and Macclesfield, the closest town, is nothing to write home about. It's also in Cheshire so property prices tend to be higher.

The problem with Rainow is that it isn’t self contained - there aren’t any shops. The primary school however is fantastic, and one of the highest rated in the Macclesfield area.

My DC goes to school there, we live in Macc and haven’t had that much of an issue with the snow, getting to school etc, but the further out areas can be problematic.

I love living in Macc due to the proximity of the peaks, the forest, the canal etc. So much beauty but much more commute friendly than higher up in the peaks.

But yeah, the town isn’t much to write home about, Bollington, just up the way however, is lovely (and out of my price range or I’d move there in a heartbeat)

I second a PP who suggested the outskirts of Sheffield as close to the Peaks but with slightly better facilities. Chapeltown is lovely for example

@chonkyy

I live in Disley and I love it. We moved from London to Disley and I think I'll die here

Ah bless you’ll be near me (a little further down the hill). I like Disley a lot EXCEPT for the a6. I have to go up that way a lot for work and it’s so often down to one lane for roadworks etc it find it excruciating and the one reason I couldn’t live there sadly.

I'd also reccomend Sheffield, not that theres anything wrong with any of the villages in the Peak District as far as I know but Sheffield is great, definitely the best of both worlds, loads of stuff to do, great parks and quick to get somewhere where you feel like you are properly in the peak district.

1/2 of West Sheffield is in the Peak District. It’s really rural.

I love the comments on Ashbourne being weird as ..., alternatively amazing - the differences of comments will often be the wealth divide. For example in Buxton the Fairfield’s council estate has quite the reputation - pretty deservedly at least years ago, and I imagine it’s there you’d find the strange folk and think it’s rough as.
Saying that however I definitely found Ashbourne more than very weird on a night out (and Youlgreave) and both from the wealthier side of the divide - dancing in barns or halls with illegal beer - lots of fun - but realising swinging or at least being extra friendly was on most folks’ agendas later on, not so much. Dodged all the after party events if you’re wondering lol - young, fairly fresh from the city and shocked! Possibly depends on just where exactly you end up but definitely think you will find some village customs and ideas quite strange after London.

@Frazzled2207 god tell me about it! The roadworks are a fucking nightmare especially when it was 4 way traffic lights for weeks!! We live off red lane so can walk into Lyme park in seconds and can see the cage from our house it's lovely. Worlds away from Chelsea! I adore it here, I love the pubs here too, I love my drive home from work

I'm a Londoner with Derbyshire family & if I was going to move back I'd choose Wirksworth - it seems quite a cool little town.

Not strictly in the Peaks but within easy reach is Prestbury and Bollington. Also good for the airport as you don’t have the same issues with being snowed/rained in. They are not cheap, but with London money it might be doable. If you do need to go to London occasionally, you can catch a direct train from Macclesfield. Journey time is under 2 hours.

[quote ArseInTheCoOpWindow]Dore and Totley are on the edge of Sheffield and the Oeak District. They are village type suburbs. Dore is one of the most popular places to live in the U.K. It is right next to acres of open moorland and Burbage and Stanage which are major climbing places

They have their own little station which goes directly to Manc Airport

I’m not sure what the weird leaflet I’ve attached is, but it gives you an idea.

dwell.group.shef.ac.uk/DWELL_Dore_visions_2015.pdf[/quote]
I was just about to mention Hathersage or Stannage. Gorgeous little places though the traffic can be bad.

Both Snake Pass and Woodhead Pass are frequently very busy, or closed due to bad weather or accidents. I’ve been stuck on them for hours before when there’s been an accident as they’re not fit for modern life.

Picturesque drives if you’ve got the time to pass but a pain if you’re in a rush.

I've lived in Rainow, Macclesfield and in a tiny Peak District village between Leek and Ashbourne.

I've also lived in London for many years.

I would certainly steer clear of the Macclesfield area and look at the villages around the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border. However you do get snowed in in winter and the commute wouldn't be good. But if you want a complete change of lifestyle to country living that's where to be.

Buxton is ok but it certainly used to have a reputation for drugs. Problem is that there's not much else to do. The opera house and park are lovely though.

But you don’t need to use either the Snake or Woodhead unless your’re driving Manchester-Sheffield direct.

I HATE those roads. Not fit for purpose absolutely. I used to live in Manchester but came from Sheffield. I moved back as those roads were such a nightmare.

But Hathersage is so near Sheffield you just mosey out via Burbage and Suprise View, and it’s there!

Buxton, Matlock and around there have issues with drugs as it’s central and many big road links go through from across England - surprised me when I first found out as they’re generally known on the outside to be just nice places in the lovely Peak District but the reason makes sense. Still every place has its drugs/crime of course.

@SwedishK

Not strictly in the Peaks but within easy reach is Prestbury and Bollington. Also good for the airport as you don’t have the same issues with being snowed/rained in. They are not cheap, but with London money it might be doable. If you do need to go to London occasionally, you can catch a direct train from Macclesfield. Journey time is under 2 hours.

Bollington is nice but I don’t think Prestbury is what the OP is after. It’s flat round there and is very footballer’s wives. Staggeringly expensive.

Peccary I think we're neighbours *waves

I would add marple bridge to your list. It's much easier for the airport in any weather and still a lovely little village with great walks and access to the moors.

These threads always amuse me because everyone is always really negative about places that I think are really pleasant. I think Whaley is lovely. New Mills is weird though ;)

Good luck with your search.