Considering a move to Sleights: schools, family life and meeting people

[User4472]

We are looking to move to Sleights, just outside of Whitby. We are a couple in our 30's with a dog and a 12 month old. Interested in people's opinions of the schools around there and what it's like in general to raise a family in the area. Also anyone who has moved there - how did you find meeting people and making friends? Many thanks.

It’s a lovely area (I don’t live there but have holidayed in Whitby a lot and sometimes need to go to Pickering for work). The thing that springs to mind is schools, particularly getting to secondary school, and being a teen-taxi in years to come.

Schools will be the issue. The primary is church of England. Secondary is also limited unless you want a trek. . Plus I don't believe there's much before/after school provision.

It does have a mini market and a Bothams (worth moving to there for that alone I guess) as well as a small drs surgery. And a chip shop. Oh and a nice butchers.

If you need to travel west towards Pickering or North towards Guisborough/teeside during winter it can be tricky with even a small amount of snow on blue bank (west) and Birk Brow (north) . Travelling towards Scarborough (a171) or Pickering (a169) can be nightmare ish during winter and high season (traffic and weather) . On all the roads out if you get stuck behind a wagon or a caravan you have little chance if overtaking.

As the bulk of sleights is off the main road it's quite 'nice'. If you are wanting village feel though it is quite sprawling .

I'm not sure I'd personally choose to live there as it's a trek to anywhere else. And not much really for children or adults. It's always struck me as a bit of a 50+ type place. And posh people residing in their big houses

It's uphill out on all three roads so even taking bikes out for a ride will be a bit of a non starter.

You won't get deliveroo or an uber.

And then theres the tourists gridlocking Whitby every day of the year (feels like that anyway).

It is lovely though! . That whole part of the national park is lovely .

Hospitals are a trek, you are looking at Scarborough or James Cok in Middlesborough as Whitby is shall we say small and impoverished. And not fit for purpose.

We hired an air b n n in Sleights and it was lovely and we used the local buses a lot to get to Whitby etc……
It is beautiful but can imagine it would be quite remote in the winter.
why don’t you book to stay for a week and see what you think? 🤔

How many times can I type trek !!