Where should I live? Commutable to Sheffield and Manchester.

[TipsyandTom]

Want somewhere within an hour of both, ideally not by car, as offices both near train station. Relocating from south, not sure where to start.

Where is nice in Sheffield and on the train line to Manchester, or vice versa? And what about all that countryside in between - can anyone point me at a nice/convenient village for a family with little kids (need to think about primary schools)? Nice is, for me, a good mix of people, parks/outdoor space and at least enough local shops for daily basics.

We'll rent initially, but budget will be in the region of £450K - would like somewhere where this would buy us a 4-bed house with garden, please!

Would appreciate any suggestions to get our long-list kicked off - thank you!

[MissFenella]

west Yorkshire.

Penistone line will get you into Sheffield and Huddersfield goes to Manchester both within an hour.

So anywhere in a 10 mile radius of Huddersfield I would guess.

[BikeRunSki]

Hope Valley line may have the folk train, but Penistone Line has the jazz train!

[RCheshire]

If you want to feel closer to Manchester then I'd suggest Marple (inc, Marple Bridge & Mellor)

Alternatively if you want to feel closer to the city/more urban than most of the suggestions you could consider the fact that the Stockport > Sheffield train is 40 mins and (if you'd be willing to change train) that means you could live in places like Cheadle Hulme or Bramhall and get to Sheffield in an hour or so (purely trains + walk to station)

Really you either want somewhere 'in the green bit in the middle' which won't feel remotely close to either city but will give you beautiful countryside, great biking etc, or you want to choose a city to be on the outskirts of (probably driven by either a preference for either city or which of you is likely to be doing more drop-offs/pick-ups of kids if they need it)

Do you know any of the area - Manchester or Sheffield themselves?

[NipLash]

Think we might live near each other!

[BikeRunSki]

Hello Niplash, I live in a village that starts with S, whose name is usually mispronounced and has a.middle school and swimming baths. If you are nearby, you' ll know where I mean.

[bringonyourwreckingball]

We live in Millhouses, outskirts of Sheffield, and dh used to commute to Manchester from Dore. Good schools, great park, big Sainsburys and some nice local pubs and restaurants. It's not rural but 10-15 minutes gets you into the Peak District

[flow4]

I'd second NipLash's suggestion of the Colne Valley.

Marsden and Slaithwaite have train stations with direct trains to Manchester within 35-40 mins; the service/connections to Sheffield are not so good, but you could drive to Lockwood or another station on the Sheffield line in 15 mins, or direct to Sheffield in under an hour.

Property prices are much lower than the Hope valley: you will be able to get a 4 bed with garden for under £300k and a beautiful detached barn conversion or larger property with fields for £450k! Here are the rightmove search results for up to £450k.

The area is beautiful, with easy access to open moorland, Pennine hills and lots of water.

There are lots of arts and cultural activities, not just within reach in Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield, but closer at hand in Huddersfield and the valley itself. There are theatre companies, community arts events and even the annual Marsden international jazz festival! There is a thriving local economy of alternative/green businesses, including The Green Building Company and The Handmade Bakery. The Colne Valley was the birthplace of the Luddites, so there is a long tradition of independent thinking and local action!

The one downside is schools. The local high school is awful - currently in special measures - and in the middle of Academy conversion. But other nearby schools like Honley, Holmfirth, Moorend and Royds Hall are good or outstanding.

[Orangeanddemons]

Dore in sheffield. Very countryish, has its own little station which is on the M/c line.

If you want to drive, beware of the snow. The Snake Pass between Sheffield and M/c shuts a lot in the winter. This is the quickest route. For that reason I wouldn't live in Glossop, as well as the hideous traffic.

The are between Sheffield and Manchester in nearly all country, so there are little villages in between.

I live in Sheffield, just off the A57. It used to take me 35 mins to drive to M/c over the Snake. Takes much longer nowmthough

[TipsyandTom]

Wow, some of those Colne Valley houses are just amazing! There is definitely a premium price for houses in the national park - but then again it would be great not to have to drive, so somewhere on the line to both would mean extra quality of life, for us at least. Lockwood is over an hour on the train to Sheffield, so that would definitely be a drive. We need to think about the amazing house/journey type trade-off a bit more.

And being realistic much as fields sound lovely, it would be more practical for us to be somewhere big enough to have a nursery (and soon, school) near home, so we could share drop-off/pick-ups. I've been daydreaming about a village idyll, but that would definitely make child-care a bit less convenient (and a bit one-sided, if one of us ended up doing all the pick-ups) - will start by looking at outskirts of Sheffield, Cheadle, Buxton, Chapel, and anywhere else big enough to have a nursery....

Thanks everyone, this has been incredibly helpful, both in terms of setting out options and for helping me crystallise priorities.

[TipsyandTom]

Yes, Dore/Millhouses sounds good. Driving sounds less and less attractive the more I hear about those cold northern winters!

[Orangeanddemons]

Dore is like that. It's like a village. Lovely schools and good secondary. here needs some work.

Plenty cheaper than that

[TipsyandTom]

I like that a lot, thanks Oranges!

[flow4]

Marsden and Slaithwaite are villages, but large, not isolated and well served: both have child minders, nurseries (2 each I think) and primary schools, as well as hills and moorland, within easy walking distance!

[georgedawes]

Dore is lovely, I like it a lot.

I drove through Hathersage yesterday and thought of this thread, it's gorgeous and definitely has everything you need. 15 mins to Sheffield and in the Peak. Lovely place.

There are nurseries in New Mills, Chapel, Whaley Bridge if you're looking further into the peak. Disley too.

[TipsyandTom]

I'll let you know where we end up. It all feels a bit unreal - we're in a small two bed at the moment, so everything I'm looking at is like proper property porn!

[TipsyandTom]

Not to mention all that amazing countryside!

[BikeRunSki]

For commuting to Manc and Shef, then I don' t think anything can beat the convinience of the Hope Valley Line. Not sure about primaries, but Hope Valley College is decent secondary. Rather than co.sideri.g the villages in isolation, you' ll probably find all the amenities you need in a few close to each other. Lots of stuff goes on in village halls, and you' re likely to find say, Pilates in Edale, toddler group in Grindleford, nursery in Tideswell etc.

Hathersage fact - the post round here has more BMJs than anywhere else in the uk.

DD' s middle name is Hope, after the valley.

[Bosgrove]

Buxton is pretty and outside the national park so houses are a lot cheaper. The train line goes to Manchester and takes about 1 hour, when DH was in secondary school he used to travel by train to Manchester Grammar from Buxton and DBIL is a Sheffield Wednesday fan (and season ticket holder) and so he drives from Buxton to Sheffield all the time (again 1 hour journey).

[NipLash]

I know where you mean BikeRunSki, I'm in the next village. It's a lovely valley to live in. I moved here from somewhere very rural, and although I am a country girl through and through, I think it's just perfect here - beautiful countryside, but so many great towns and cities nearby. I had a great childhood, but I realised how sheltered and naive I was when I went to University and met people from different backgrounds, tried new foods, discovered that people can dress in different styles without being ridiculed, etc. The Colne Valley has the best of both worlds, I feel.

[BikeRunSki]

I'm not in the Colne Valley! But I realise that my post could have described Slaithwaite! I am in another S village in.the Dearne Valley, and do agree that the Dearne, Holme and Colne Valleys fo seem to be a perfect mix of rural, small towns and access to cities.

[1903HUAMAO]

I moved to a small village called Hapton, just outside Burnley.
It's located right on the M65 and 10 minutes to M66.
100k for a beautiful 2 bedroomed, back garden and front drive, countryside, easy access to anywhere you want to be.
35 minutes drive to Manchester City centre and 40 minutes to Manchester airport.
It's a no brainer especially for young families who want a fresh and safe environment.
There's also many opportunities for work here and also has a train station linked to Manchester, Leeds & Bradford