Staffordshire: Leek vs Uttoxeter

[LittleFoxKit]

I'm looking to eventually move house, as I currently live in staffordshire but work the other side of the peak district. Unfortunately though my husband works in staffordshire and dosent drive. So we are currently considering either Leek or Uttoxeter.
Leek would allow my DH to cycle to work although it would be approx 25 mile round trip and be problematic in the winter as theres very little public transport. Whereas Uttoxeter has a train but would be too far for him to cycle as its approximately a 40 mile round trip.
Whereas for me Leek cuts my travel to just over a hour, but limits me to going over the peaks even in the winter or taking longer to go around to the M1. Whilst Uttoxeter still allows me to cut through the peaks but is better positioned to go up the motorway if its icey.

I was wondering if anyone knows what either of those places is like to live? As I'm flexible as either is better for me to travel then our current location. And I'm not sure whether train vs cycling would work better for my DH as he can cycle along the canal from Leek, but worry the train will get expensive from Uttoxeter and trains can be hit and miss in bad whether anyway as Stoke station loves to flood!

I don't know about Leek but Uttoxeter is lovely. Such a nice and friendly community with so many amenities but doesn't feel busy/bustling etc. You've got all that you need within the town but still feels as though you are out in the country!!

Hi
Leek is also lovely, no train station but nice market town with a good community.
Where are you both commuting to? I'd go for the easier commute tbh. I don't think i would rely on the trains!

South Yorkshire and Stoke-on-Trent, it's a logistical nightmare as DH dosent drive, and public transport is questionable at best! But currently hate living in a city, I get Ill a lot from air pollution (always have done with ear and throat infections) and hence grew up in rural moorland and really want to move to more rural area and rent with a garden we can sit in!

Would be much easier if DH drove but unfortunately looks like we wont be able to afford that for a while

Oh goodness!

I'd definitely go leek or one of the surrounding areas. Really lovely & easy to get to beautiful country areas e.g. tittesworth, the roaches, dovedale.

Uttoxeter is lovely but the commute would rule it out for me.

Just a thought op - have you considered somewhere like rode heath? Semi rural on a canal, no train station but very easy for you to get to motorway, similiar into stoke as leek. I lived there & commuted to leeds, it was do able.

As a person from Uttoxeter, who moved away for uni and never went back apart from family visits, I wouldn't recommend it. The schools get good grades but they are horrific. Bullying from teachers and students with nothing done about either. My family are still there and a few friends so I see a lot of stuff that goes on. There is so much gossip and busy bodying that you can't breathe without everyone knowing the exact intake of breath. Everyone knows everyone but not in a good way.

There's a lot of crime and uneducated people. I sound like such a snob saying that as some people are lovely but most aren't.

There are lovely areas but the people let it down. I hear leek is a lovely place.

Blythe bridge has a train station that connects to Uttoxeter so I assume same route for travel. You could live in tean/cheadle and he could cycle to the station.

My daughter lived in Leek for several years,it is insular,full of people who have never lived anywhere else.

Yes it is a pretty place to visit,but not great for living.It gets a lot of snow in the Winter as well,the roads in aren’t great for driving on then.

I like Uttoxeter and know several people who live there,it has a low crime rate,check the U.K. Crime map.Leek has significantly more crime.

So for me I would choose Uttoxeter over Leek.

Leek is a lovely place, busy and friendly. But it is quite insular too. I used to live there but I don't think I'd want to go back. The access over the peaks is great though.

Seems like I'm ruling Uttoxeter out tbh, as I've been hearing it's not as nice as it sounds on paper!

If I'm honest even Leek is one hell of a cycle commute, but although it's technically 20 minute drive from me currently moving towards leek or the equivalent cuts out almost 30-60minutes of my driving commute as I dont hit the worse of the traffic going through Stoke-on-Trent and into Leek. I dont actually mind driving through the peaks, but do worry about it come winter time as it gets slippy but unfortunately offices and work have moved so it's my new commute!

Not actually considered rode heath but I'll definately have a look! Considered Endon but the renting prices were considerably out of our league!

Did look at Blythe bridge and Cheadle (I used to drive through cheadle regularly and it's beautiful!) but I dont think it actually benefitted us with our commutes when I looked into it as Cheadle isnt the easiest to get from with a car/train and I dont actually trust trains around here as they seem to close the station whenever theres any negative whether! So trying to balance the whole cycle/public transport/what if it shuts etc, as unfortunately I cant drop DH in work for 8 and be in Yorkshire for 9 >.<

Honestly I'm not quite sure how we managed to get into this logistical pickle

I live close to Uttoxeter. Be aware that there is only one train per hour each way, so difficult if you need to rely on that.

Uttoxeter does have some nice places to live. There is only one high school in Uttoxeter. We use the three tier system, so start high school at 13. It is very large and over crowded. There is JCB Academy in Rocester which is engineer/ business based. They take children from year 9 [ when middle school leave to go to high school ].

I certainly don't recognise the town as pp poster has put with it having "uneducated people " and a high crime rate. The people from here are lovely and I say that as someone who moved into the area, not born here.
It takes 45 minutes to get to the M1 or M6 from Uttoxeter.

Checked Rode Heath and it actually increases my commute >.<

Worse case my DH will get himself back into shape cycling from Leek daily and I'll have to either take long way round or be very careful over the peaks in the winter (as a post grad I drove them regularly and found it beautiful in the summer!).
I'm going to write Uttoxeter off. Just waiting game to try and find a suitible property to rent within our budget which allows pets! I honestly think we have made things harder for ourselves the past few years

There is only one high school in Uttoxeter but the others in the area also leave a lot to be desired. The other usual option is QUEGS. I didn't go there but some friends did. That is a worse school than alleynes I would say. JCB academy wasn't around when I lived there. I nearly went to painsley but the commute would have been tough and it's a different tiered system. My dad went to cheadle high and loved it.

I didn't experience any crime when I lived there. Just things that go on now which the police dont get involved in. Your car won't get stolen. It's not that sort of crime.

There are some really nice places in Staffordshire that will be a easy commute to stoke and have that Uttoxeter feel but without the grime.

Sorry if that sounds harsh @Toomboom

I certainly don't want to offend you or where you've chosen to live.

Just moved to Leek from Stockport area and I bloody love it! Locals have been warm, friendly and helpful. Love the arty, creative atmosphere and can't wait to go to the totally local markets when they start up again.

We're 10 mins away from Rudyard Lake and went for first time today - absolutely stunning!

Already feel very at home here and only moved in on Wed!

I live near Endon (in Baddeley Green) which has much cheaper rentals than Endon but is only 2 miles difference. Easy to cycle to Stoke station or use public transport.

We regularly go into Leek for shopping and then through to the Roaches, Buxton. Leek is a lovely market town. I have a few friends who live there.

I used to live in Leek, and at one stage was working in S Yorks, and used to drive via the Peak District, I never thought of going to the M1. It was only for one winter mind you, but I didn't have any problems weather wise. I wouldn't go via Crowdecote in a bad winter though. Leek, from what a friend who still has family there tells me, has developed something of an arty alternative vibe.
I don't know Uttoxeter.

Thank you so much everyone for your help! I think we will definately look at Leek/Endon/Baddeley Green area, as I think it may become pot luck as to when a cheap but suitible property pops up, particularly in the current climate!

Peregrina I had a quick look at where Crowdecote was to work out if I drove through on my way to S Yorks and just by looking at the map I knew exactly which part of the drive that was ! Last time I drove to S Yorks was just before lockdown and I had my old 1.1 ltr runaround and it definitely did not appreciate the up hill twisties (have since gained possession of a much more suitable car). I may have to look at alternative routes across the peaks, potentially sticking to more commonly used A and B roads for when the weather turns!

Leek is an insular place to live but that’s what love about it.
It can be difficult going over the peaks in winter because of the snow and ice but you can use a satnav which will direct you another way, it may take longer to get to work but it’s only a few days-a couple of weeks year. Why not look at the villages that surround leek also? If you moved to Cheddleton for example this may add 5-10 minutes onto your car journey but may reduce your DH cycle to and from work.
Leek is a fab place to live, people are friendly, there are plenty of restaurants and pubs to go to. Of course there is anti-social behaviour but that’s like most towns and cities.

Hi, I live fairly close to Leek but a different Moorlands town and my dh also doesn't drive.

Leek gets cut off a bit in winter. Its a beautiful drive over to Macclesfield or Buxton but I would not like to do it in winter. I have family in Stockton Brook and the school at Endon is very good but I wouldn't like to be there not able to drive. You could consider Biddulph or Congleton (Congleton has a station and its cycleable along Route 55 from Biddulph) Depends which train line you need really.

There is also Kidsgrove station, I wouldn't go for Kidsgrove itself but I used to live in a place called Newchapel/Harriseahead which is easily cyclable to the station.

Congleton is on the main London - Manchester line, which doesn't help with S Yorks. I suspect that might also make it a bit more expensive, because it makes it something of a commuter town for Manchester.

It's a bit more expensive, but nowhere near as expensive as Macclesfield.

Kidsgrove is on the London - Crewe, Stoke - Manchester and Crewe - Derby lines but it's not as desirable a place to live. But as I said Harriseahead/Newchapel is only a 5 minute drive/20 minute cycle. Church Lawton or Scholar Green are nice and they would be even closer.