Anyone "escaped" to the country from Manchester?

[abigailwendover]

Where did you go? How do you find it? Any regrets?

We're currently living in a leafy suburb, 2 young DCs, lots of amenities on our doorstep plus good transport links. Both work in city centre.

Since lockdown we've been fantasising about living somewhere more rural. The local amenities have mostly been closed and we haven't missed them. Spent most of our time in the local parks but would love to be able to just bundle the kids out of the house and have countryside walks on our doorstep. DH and I are both currently working from home and have realistic prospect of doing so permanently, or perhaps 1-2 days in the office. So we'd need to be able to get to Manchester but could handle a longer commute than if we were doing it 5 days a week.

I'd love to hear from anyone who's made the move - in terms of how you've found the experience - and/or from anyone who can recommend a lovely rural spot, suitable for a young family, within, say, 1.5h of Manchester.

Thank you!

“have countryside walks on our doorstep“

IME it is hard to walk in the countryside. Narrow roads, no footpaths and often fields are fenced off.

@Trut hmm interesting point. Where I grew up (another part of the country) there were plenty of easily accessible walks but perhaps that's unusual.

You could move to the countryside just outside Manchester. We're near Saddleworth and have walks like you describe on our doorstep; hills, fields, canals, bridleways. Around Glossop and across to Disley/New Mills seems the same. Or Ramsbottom/Rawtenstall, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Ripponden. You don't need to move far to be in the countryside.

We have many walks straight from our door (near Lancaster). We rarely have to walk on roads as there are public footpaths everywhere!

It might be just where we live then. We usually have to drive to get to a good hiking path. Or walk on the road for a while before getting to a trail.

I like living in the countryside but dislike having to drive so much for most things. You seem to be in a good spot, with amenities and parks close by.

Weirdly we have found countryside less good for walking (admittedly with dog) than urban parks. Dog has to be on lead in countryside b/c of livestock, or we are walking by a road with no pavements etc.

Culturally, we have dogs too!

Saddleworth 20 mins on train to manchester

Thanks for the suggestions @hellfireleather @Holdingtherope - Saddleworth definitely sounds worth checking out

I am on the edge of Delamere Forest - Cheshire has loads of amazing countryside and lots of lovely villages

What would your budget be

The countryside around Manchester is a bit crap, but the area around Alderley Edge is very nice and feels more North Yorkshire/Southern England-ish. East of Manchester with Glossop, Hebden Bridge etc is all a bit too Last of the Summer Wine-ish for me. West of Manchester is just flat.

We live in Glossop. 30-40 mins on the train into Piccadilly. We go walking about once a week - a couple of hilly walks within 15 mins walk of the house and then lots more a short drive away.

I live somewhere within commuting distance of Manchester. Less than an hour by car, depending on rush hour traffic. 3 miles from a train station.
Woodland or moor walks straight from my front door. Cam often walk for an hour on the moor without seeing another person.
Houses are very expensive in the village though. Two bedroom terrace cottage is £200 k ish whereas three miles away a much larger mid terrace just outside the town centre is more like £80k.

@Pieceofpurplesky are there any villages in particular you'd recommend? Budget around 650k.

@CoronaIsWatching would you recommend Alderley Edge itself or villages outside? I have a (possibly totally unfair) idea that Alderley Edge is very glam and WAG-ish, which is not us at all - I'm very scruffy and have never had a fake tan in my life! - would we stand out like sore thumbs??

@paddingtonbearsmarmalade sounds really handy. Is it quite a friendly place to live?

@Trytoomanytimes sounds good - where is it?

@abigailwendover living here was a compromise (it’s my OH’s house purchase) as in non-Covid times I work in Manchester City centre and having done London commuting I didn’t want to add lengthy commutes back into my life! I wasn’t expecting to like it anywhere near as much as I do! As a town it has just enough for pottering around at weekends and is close enough to Manchester (and IKEA 🤷🏻‍♀️) to go for full day visits for when you want to do things or go clothes shopping. It has a nice vibe!

Also a £650k budget will get you a mansion out here

We did this. Used to live in Manchester but got itchy feet and we now live literally five mins walk from Delamere forest.
We still go back to Manchester regularly to visit family but don't miss it at all.
Its a lovely village, great primary school, local shop, two nice pubs and easy to commute to Manchester, Liverpool, Warrington or Chester.

@paddingtonbearsmarmalade sounds good - I'm a fan of pottering! Will pop over one weekend to check it out. Did you find it easy to settle into the community/ meet people?

@Butterer were there certain things in your particular you missed or was it just the general loss of convenience?

@PAW326 that's great to hear it worked for you! Which would you say are the best villages round there? Did you find it easy to settle into the community/ meet people?

I set up a business so met people through that and my Son was at primary school so I also met other mums through school.
I've made some really good friends and found it really easy to settle in, everyone was very friendly when we first moved here.
We moved here ten years ago and we are just starting to consider moving again as we want to go even more rural and get some land.
The village we live in is called Norley, other villages nearby to look at are Kingsley, Alvanley, Kelsall.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/72911955#/

Bargain!

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/88672526#/

Forest of Pendle? It's gorgeous. Clitheroe/Barrowford if you want towns. Or places like Grindleton and Downham if you prefer rural villages. Loads of other pretty rural villages if you take a drive round the area. Fence probably has the best transport links to Manchester.

@Holdingtherope this one - https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/72911955#/ - is stunning!

@PAW326 thanks for the reply - all sounds ideal - will definitely look up those villages 

@LooseMooseHoose just googled forest of bowland - wow! do you think it would be commutable a couple of days a week?

Forest of Bowland?