Bath v Harrogate

[Yorkie7]

Really interested in people’s thoughts about which is best to live with children. Particularly people who have lived in both?

Anyone??

Both are lovely

Bath is lovely.

My mom and I went there when I was 12 years old. We spent two days looking round the city and visited a Christmas market too. At the time my aunt lived there in a apartment by the riverside. The festive spirit was in full swing. I recommend checking out Bath on Trip Advisor. How old are the children?

Thank you. We already live in Bath but family are in Yorkshire and keep deliberating over whether to move. I really love Bath so just wondering if Harrogate could live up to it!

I was born & raised in Harrogate and been here ever since. It's a nice place to be if you have the money. I'm desperate to move as the cost of living here is getting like London. Also, not all areas are as 'chocolate box' as the town centre

You'd probably get more property for your money in Yorkshire.
I know what property prices are like in Bath (I live just outside the city)

If you give me an idea of the type of house you'll be buying/renting, I can give you an idea of the sort of price. I'm renting a 3 bed townhouse and it's £700 but I'm expecting it to increase soon as the average rent for 3 beds is approaching £800 - £895.
Schools are mostly good. Some fabulous private schools here too. Beautiful countryside for some amazing walks. Lots of little villages. Nice big park in the town centre with stream, gardens & huge play park. Lots of shops. Thousands of restaurants due to the International Conference & Exhibition Centre here. Every July there is the Great Yorkshire Show.
I do however, have to mention the traffic! Harrogate is known nationally for having a huge and frankly horrific problem with traffic; primarily due to the 'Stray' (parkland surrounding main roads which is protected. Preventing expansion of the roads). It can often take up to an hour to get out of Harrogate during rush hour. Knowing shortcuts pays off!

Personally, I would highly recommend looking at Knaresborough. This is within the Harrogate District but a lot less densely populated. Here is a pic of the 'Waterside' looking out over the river running through Knaresborough. Very picturesque with a Castle ruins at the top of the cliff. Just behind where this pic was taken

Thanks Powerless, really useful-and everyone. I’m originally from West Yorks but been down here for 20years now so feels like a big deal to consider movingly back but I know we could ger a lot more for our money property wise and also the state schools seems to be very good.. we have one child in private here and another who hasn’t started her but we will be stretched if send both. Have nieces at lovely rural primary who are likely to go on to Harrogate grammar and can’t help thinking it would save us an arm and leg if we did the same...

Sorry for typos!!

The average 3 bed semi stands at around £280k here. Whereas 15 miles away in West Yorkshire it will be around £80/120k!

We would likely be looking for something rural, around Beckwithshaw..

Yikes! Beckwithshaw is beautiful but there's only about 20-30 houses there? Very very expensive around there. But if you can - do it! Lovely little village x

Further along that road where Beckwithshaw is, there's another village called Leathley. Even cuter!

Thank you powerless, haven’t heard of Leathley. We can afford in Beckwithshaw- a lot more than we can down here! Which areas would you say to avoid and do you think the schools are good? We would like rural primary and then either Harrogate grammar or privately secondary if we can do it.

Also I keep hearing that lots of southerners are moving up to Harrogate and surrounding areas- is this true?

Beckwithshaw has its own primary! My Mum went there in the 1940s :)
I would avoid Jennyfields, Starbeck and New Park.
Currently the best primary according to Ofsted is Grove Rd (a fair drive from Beckwithshaw) and Western School (just down the road). I do believe Beckwithshaw School had a good Oftsed report also.
Secondary - in order of recommendation - Harrogate Ladies College (they take boys too...🤷🏼‍♀️), Queen Ethelburgas (is in Thorpe Underwood now), Ashville College (is walkable from Beckwithshaw and has a fabulous reputation!), Harrogate Grammar, St John Fisher or St Aidans. I highly recommend not even considering Rossett! I went there and it hasn't improved since!

The closest state secondary to Beckwithshaw (besides Rossett) is Harrogate Grammar.

Yes! I keep hearing lots of southern accents. Although there are three military bases here, so it could be military families. One of them is Menwith Hill, the US Intelligence Base for the NSA.

Leathley is about a 3 or 4 minute drive through the countryside from Beckwithshaw. Worth a look, I'd say x

Visit the area. Get a sense of whether or not you do want to live there or not. Pay attention to your gut feeling. Take a look at the statistics for the area too. Also take stock of the numbers and any other important information.
I recommend checking out the schools thoroughly. Look at the website of the school. Talk with former employees and family members of students currently attending the school.
Remember that local newspapers frequently publish information about the school that’s worth reading. Find out what local people think about the school.
Have a list of questions to ask the teachers and students too. Listen to the gossip about the schools. When you visit the school, observe a actual lesson in progress. Ask yourself if the children are learning or not.