Best places to live West Yorkshire

[Maybenexttime08]

Hi all,

Having lived in the south for the last 15 years, we’ve decided to relocate to West Yorkshire.

With 2 boys age 10 and 7 I would love some advice on best places (commutable to Leeds or Manchester) to live - good schools, friendly people, affordable!

Any info would be mega helpful!!

Have a look at Bingley, wilsden, harden, Eldwick, otley, ilkley etc. You'll get lots for your money xx

Ooh I love spending other peoples money!!

What about this one?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/fullscreen/image-gallery.html?propertyId=66536302&photoIndex=1

Beautiful little village near me and close for Leeds and Bradford! I reeeeeally want this house!

@lifechangesforever I'm near Birstall :) Depending on where in Birstall you are The Morley Academy is a really good school. I think it's 3rd in the whole of Leeds.

Lovely house OP and I’m sure you would like Holmfirth, it even has a vineyard!

@hairytangerine - that house is lovely, but it's tricky as the secondary - Saddleworth - the results are apparently below average according to this site?

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/105736/saddleworth-school

(though not sure if a great indicator as personal recommendations much more important!)

@BikeRunSki thanks for info on the road of that house - we might take a look as the garden is lovely!

@shaggedthruahedgebackwards - we need to keep our option open on jobs but would prefer Leeds. My DH is a contractor so changes jobs regularly!

maybe DH is a Contractor (IT) and has worked in
Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield.
He finds the market a bit busier in Manchester and rates tend to be higher so might be a good idea to move where you can access both easily

Thanks @hoppinggreen - my DH is a PM in the finance / IT sector so I agree it will be best to keep options open!

@Maybenexttime08, New Mill/Holmfirth is probably as central for Leeds and Manchester as you’ll get, and also gives similar access to Sheffield. Beware however, that all the trans Pennine routes are subject to the vagueries of weather, especially snow and high winds. The road over Holme Moss/Woodhead Pass is the quick escape from Holmfirth to Manchester, but does often close. The M62 is kept open as much as possible, but is also very heavily congested at peak times, with lots of accidents. If this is a concern, there’s a FB page called something like “Holmfirth Traffic and Travel”. You could ask them further advice. I only ever go west to Manchester for work about twice a year!

OP, I moved to Hebden Bridge from London and love it - 35 mins fast train to Manchester and 45 mins fast train to Leeds and I commute weekly to both. Agree re avoiding the M62 at rush hour!! You'll get a 4 bed house here for c. 300 - 400k. Got a theatre, a great music venue, lots of pubs, three excellent local grammar schools in Halifax (10-15 min train) and two state high schools (also within 10-15 mins). Good luck!

Will you be working as well OP?

Another vote here for the Golcar/Slaithwaite/Marsden area. Fabulous views around there. You could even lower your budget a bit and still get something nice, somewhere like this (if you don’t mind a bit of work - that kitchen!)

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76313906.html

@cricketmum84 I'm right in the village centre but there are busses that go through Morley - I used to live in Morley but there were always complaints about the academy on the local Facebook page so I ruled it out  I'll take another look though.

BBG is excelling though, which is closer and Heckmondwike Grammar but they're always so over subscribed.

The dream is Wakefield Girls but I'm probably living a dream, even if the bus does go right past our house lol.

I only have experience of primar school in Saddleworth but I thought it was rated good.

Friends there have daughter there and she has done well.

Saddleworth is just perfect. I live in Uppermill, which feel like I am in the lakes. Tea shops, walks, fields, cute shops. The village has choirs, book clubs, great pubs.

I have only moved here a year ago from abbey hey (rough estate in Manchester) so I still pinch myself!

Thanks @cricketmum24 - for some reason that link only shows me the photos and I can't see the description?? It looks lovely so grateful if you can repost for me?

@whatsthecomingoverthehill - the plan with my work is to take my job from here with me! It is in international development, so distance working is the norm - but depends on how much they value me - already nervous!

alwayswiththericecakes - that is a lovely house, but we want a really big garden. The boys are very excited about the prospect of a dog and a tree house. My youngest wants a pig (even wrote a letter to santa asking for one) but I think that might be a bit much!

@Maybenexttime08 try this link instead :)

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66536302.html

@cricketmum84 - ooh thanks, yes I saw this one! Lovely!

Annoyingly the 2nd school doesn't seem to have great results :-(

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/142761/tong-leadership-academy?tab=secondary

But again - personal recommendation of schools are often more important!

No Tong isn't a great school, there are better ones locally though. We are just past Tong towards Bradford and managed to get my eldest into Morley Academy which has just got world class status. There's also BBG academy which is really good and the Farnley Academy which is in the same group as Morley Academy.

I would definitely avoid Tong school though!

@cricketmum84 - are they really strict on catchment areas? Down here, if it’s not your closest school you don’t stand a chance!!

@Maybenexttime08 I think it depends. They certainly weren't 3 years ago when DS got in! We are waaaaay out of the catchment for Morley, put it down as first choice and he was offered a place.