If you had a choice would you move to Chester or Clitheroe?

[Dappled]

We may have a family move on the cards soon, due to my OH's work. The possibilities are likely to be Chester or Clitheroe (Ribble Valley, Lancashire) or their surrounding areas.
I have never been to either place, and don't even know the surrounding regions. I've been doing lots of internet research and of course we will be visiting - but the current pandemic situation and the fact that we may have to make a fairly quick decision means it would be really useful to get the thoughts an experiences of people who know either place (and especially those who know both!)
Access to beautiful countryside with plenty of walking possibilities is really important to us. My children have been desperate to move to the countryside for years and we are a family who all need open space and not too much bustle so we are considering locating rurally within those areas as we are all feeling pretty tired of city life (We are currently in the suburbs of a large northern city). However, I also think that we''d do well in a small town or leafy city suburbs as long as we were close to plenty of open space and countryside.
Schools are a big one for us - primaries and we will soon need secondaries too. We will have missed the deadlines for secondary applications for September 2021 start in Year 7 so an area where the schools aren't oversubscribed would be a massive bonus! Would prefer good state schools rather than grammars or private.
We relocated north 6 years ago and know how hard work it is to settle and make friends in a new place. Somewhere with a generally friendly welcoming vibe would be much preferred. It would be good to get involved with a community. We're not small c (or large C) conservative. We're from arts and creative backgrounds and so if we were in a town or city a place that has an arts scene, an alternative vibe or just a bit of a cultural life would be great. If we chose to locate more rurally I do worry about being the "newcomers" forever and so an area that doesn't feel closed minded to outsiders and where you might feel you can contribute to a community would be great.
Also, rain...I'm worried about Lancashire ! (although I haven't looked up the rainfall stats for the Chester area yet) Those who know the Ribble Valley - does it rain ALL the time?!? (I have arthritis which isn't great with damp)
So, on the basis that I know neither place (or region) at all - anyone got any thoughts or advice for me on either (or both) areas? Thank you.

What about Wirral? I know practically nothing about it. Any thoughts?

I lived in Higher Kinnerton for a short time, I met nice people there. Had a house overlooking fields and a short drive to Chester city centre.

I moved from Lancashire to Chester. Live on the outskirts of the city close to some fantastic schools. I wouldn't go back to Lancashire. Weather is a bit better here, we get the big town (small city) but drive out into countryside.
Only thing is, to get the good schools you pay £240k+ for a small terraced house compared to the same for a detached house in Lancashire.
There will always be a compromise which ever you choose.

Thanks Teacher12345, I was just thinking that the house prices don't look too bad at all, but I haven't dug down into which the good schools are yet so perhaps I've been looking at the wrong areas. (Any recommendations for secondary schools to aim to be near would be great!) Sounds like we might be priced out of catchments for the better schools...

I don't know Chester. Clitheroe seems like a nice place and Lancashire is mostly very friendly. I live just over the border in Yorkshire and am sometimes taken aback by how much friendlier Lancastrians are!
It's wet in this bit of the world though, no two ways about it.

Chester is a lovely city - very pretty and appealing. It's sooooo rough at night! I've been in the city centre at night a few times, and I've never seen anything like it. It's absolutely packed, and there is a lot of drunken behaviour. Lots of police out on the streets - and the nights I was there were not race day nights.

That said, I don't have a lot of experience of Chester. It was like that on the few nights I've been there; that's all I can say.

The Wirral is gorgeous! I moved from down South 30 years ago and havent gone back. Lots of lovely places to visit, great public transport to Liverpool and Chester, grammar schools if that's your preference?

@Susiesue61, I don't really agree with the grammar school system, but it sounds as though the schools around there that aren't grammars aren't up to much? I don't suppose you know how oversubscribed (or not) the Wirral schools are do you? Feeling daunted anyway by the fact that we will have missed the deadline for secondary school applications - so we'd have to go for an in-year application for DD who will be starting secondary school in Sept 2021. Presume the grammars do some kind of version of the 11+ for in year applications? Adding testing to the mix just makes it seem even more overwhelming! Wirral does look as though it would be a great location for us though.

@Beamur, its true I haven't really been bowled over by Yorkshire friendliness to be honest.... I find the Yorkshire /Lancashire divide quite baffling/amusing as an outsider!

@Time40, sounds a bit grim, I'm getting a strong inclination to go for somewhere around Chester rather than Chester itself.

You'd be unlikely to get a Grammar place as an in year applicant.
Any mid year leavers usually have their places filled by whoever was next in the waiting list having sat the 11+ at the normal time but narrowly missed out on a place.

Have you looked at Tarporley/Tarvin/Kelsall or on the Welsh side?

I grew up in Clitheroe and live near there now. It's by no means idyllic, it's just a bog standard market town. Scenery etc is lovely of course, but it has issues. Lots of drugs about just now and bugger all for teenagers to do. Thousands of houses being built in the area so if you're after a new build you'll find one. Personally I wouldn't want to live there again, I prefer the surrounding villages.

Our local grammar won't even consider applicants that didn't sit the 11+ at the right time/place!

I'd move to the Wirral. Great value for money houses, great transport links to Manchester, Liverpool, Chester and also to North Wales. There are grammar schools but the other schools are good, too. If you want your children to go to the grammar, then make sure you buy a home in the right catchment area.

@DappledMine are getting towards the end of school now (DS2 is starting year 11) but as far as i know, the grammar schools aren't always full, as they don't take anyone who didn't pass the 11 plus. If they're over subscribed they offr places on distance but that doesn't always happen. Might be worth getting in touch?
Non grammar schools are ok depending where you are.

Chester is nice enough but I love Clitheroe and regularly go there for a day out. I live in Bury which is really nice and has a fair bit going on, and Ramsbottom just up the road is gorgeous.

Ihopeyourcakeisshit, RandomMess, Susiesue61, yes, that was my fear about grammar schools - we'll have missed the eleven plus and if there are no in-year opportunities that might affect where we decide to go. I guess it's worth contacting them to check.
Thanks for those village suggestions Ihopeyourcakeisshit. I've just been checking them out on Rightmove. Am starting to consider going over the border into Wales, given that my DH and DCs have a yearning to return to their roots...It would be more driving for DH though, although he can work from home for much of the time so it's not necessarily impossible. We don't know north Wales much at all, except we do have some family very close....Any suggestions for villages just over the border...? (A whole different school system to learn about though!!!)

Thanks @LamppostInWinter. Any particular villages you'd recommend taking a look at?

@Latenightreader, I've heard good things said about Bury and Ramsbottom before, also not places I know. They could work location wise so I'll check them out, thanks. How snarled up do the roads get travelling between towns round there?

The M66 isn't great coming from Ramsbottom towards Manchester. One small accident can snarl it up for ages. Chester and Clitheroe are very different but there are some lovely places on the outskirts. I used to live in Upton. Places for schools are competitive in Chester. We had to appeal for an in year transfer to Upton High

I've lived in the Chester area since I was a kid. I live over the border now in North Wales. I'd say Chester is small for a city and probably has the right mix of city and country life. The races are shit. The city centre is looking a bit down trodden, but we moved here in the late 80s and I still remember how sorry it looked then up until the early 90's. Liverpool, Manchester and Warrington are easily accessible within an hour. Public transport is piss poor unless you live in the rough parts. And they have randomly brought in 20 mph speed limits everywhere.

Just don't move to Blacon, the Lache, bits of Saltney are a bit ropey and Broughton is OK as long as you don't mind planes.

Whalley is very nice but pricey for the area. Waddington the same! It depends how far into the wilds of the Forest of Bowland you're willing to go

Definitely Clitheroe or the surrounding areas. Boyfriend lives at one end of the M66 (that end!) and I live near the other, the Manchester end. Rush hour isn’t great but quiet outside that, and there are loads of cut throughs if there is an accident. Well connected to M60/62/65/6. I cycle and walk a lot in the Forest of Bowland which is just stunning, and Ramsbottom/Clitheroe areas are turning very foodie - the grub at the Inn At Whitewell and the Parkers Arms (my favourite) is lovely.

Chester schools are fine. Wirral is nice if you want peace and quiet. Bit of a cultural desert and it isn’t called the insular peninsula for nothing but tbf gives you good access to Liverpool if you want more going on.