within an hour of Manchester

[momwhereismy]

Hi
We have an opportunity to move to near Manchester.
Can anyone recommend a village or small, small town within an hour or so of Manchester. We want to live a bit rural and will be renting at first
Thanks :-)

If you are thinking about driving a rush hour, then Leeds is more than an hour. A lot more. The Hope/Edale valleys are lovely, do have a train to Piccadilly, but it's only once an hour and a bit unreliable in bad weather. I'd advise staying west of the Pennines for hour long commute to Manchester (despite having adopted Yorkshire myself).

Todmorden, Hebden Bridge way would be ok though.

Agree Exit. Go north. It is marvellous! waves

Todmorden is a bit dark. And Hebden Bridge is hippy dippy.

jiltedjohns, that looks really nice. I want a detached house! (currently live in a semi and could kill my neighbours :D)
I suppose really as a non native i don't know where to avoid because when i move i want to stay there for the next few years (or at least the same area) for the DC.
Glossop may be nice but out of my price range!!! We will be renting out our house here so need to be able to manage mortgage if for some reason the rent doesn't come in.
Thanks for that negroni, the trainline is very important, as DH doesn't drive

I think Cheshire is out :-o
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-30142784.html

thanks to everyone for your suggestions it has really been helpful :)

what would Nelson be like?

Nooooo

I like hippy-dippy.
It's swishy -swashy, muddy-floody you need to be careful of up Hebden/Tod way.

Is that a definite no? :-)

I think you might struggle getting a detached for £700 anywhere in south manc, might be a stretch in some parts of North Manc too. If you're considering anywhere on the train route into Piccadilly via Bolton (so from north - preston, chorley, horwich, bolton etc) it is immensely busy. Your DH will stand all the way in and sometimes its so busy the train pulls into the station but doesn't actually open the doors she says bitterly.

My advice would be to test journeys from possible locations at rush hour before you commit to anything.

Nelson sadly is an extremely socially deprived little town with few redeeming features other than being cheap and surrounded by lovely countryside (sorry Nelson). Do not move there. Colne and Burnley are both in the same category.

Todmorden is a decent town with a variety of things going on, good market, rail links, good value decent housing. Hebden Bridge is very scenic, arty, and full of coffee shops but gets crowded with visitors and the road links along the valley are a nightmare....easily 1.5 hours to Central Manchester by road, but better by train.

Ramsbottom is great! Lots of little restaurants, a few bars, good pubs. Great countryside for walking and cycling and not far from manchester for shopping/ nightlife.

Most of the schools are really good.

YY to Ramsbottom. Rossendale is within easy commute of Central Manchester too.

Hebden Bridge is wonderful!

And it's just under an hour on the train to Manchester

For rural within an hour of Piccadilly have a look at Strines and New Mills. Also Disley

lovely and rural with a country feel and right on the Edge.

House near Bury advertised today for £750

Chottie- I suspect OP might struggle to rent a detached house for £700 a month in Alderley Edge- the cheapest one is £2000 a month!

Littleborough, Todmorden and Hebden are great places to live BUT a big word of caution. Even though they're on the main train line to Manchester Victoria and the A58 it takes one small accident or one train to be late to snarl up everywhere within a 5 mile radius. I speak from experience.
On the up side they are lovely places and quite cheap to live in.

Ribble Valley is lovely, Whalley, Clitheroe, and there is a train line into Victoria. £700 isn't that much if you want detached though.

Croston, Tarleton, Horwich, Rivington, Edgeworth, Tottington, Arlington,Anderson, Chorley.....

Should be Adlington....

And Anderton... Silly prediction spelling thing. Edgeworth and Tarleton expensive, but all others 700 goes along way