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Original poster

Moving to North Wales

32 replies

Cheshirecatty · 19/03/2021 12:28

Can anyone help? We’ve been looking around Cheshire for a while but are now expanding our search area to look at North Wales. Pre lockdown, we were there a lot as we’re keen walkers and have friends there. I’m due to start a job on the Wirral, DH works in Childwall, Liverpool. Children are young adults, and will fly nest soon, so schools not an issue. Which areas would you recommend? We like the look of Hawarden, Mold and the area around, Flint Mountain and Northop. We like the countryside and access to Chester when we want cinema, theatre etc. Any places to avoid? Budget about 350-400. Thank you!

OP posts:
IamnotwhouthinkIam · 19/03/2021 20:55

You should easily get a nice 3/4 bed detached with a reasonable size garden for your budget in some of the rural villages surrounding Mold.

For nice walks, there are easy access to open moorland walks if you look at the Halkyn Mountain area outside Mold, or the Gwernymynydd side of Mold for the Loggerheads Country Park (Moel Famau - the highest mountain in the clwydian range).

Just be aware that you will need to be prepared to be a taxi service if your kids don't drive, as the buses aren't particularly frequent in most villages (unless you live in Mold itself or the other towns).

Mold has a twice weekly market, twice monthly farmers market, and a few nice smaller shops and boutiques as well as the benefit of Theatr Clwyd and it's small cinema (when life gets back to normal) and is about half an hour drive to Chester (regular buses from Mold).

The villages of Northop and Hawarden are traditionally considered slightly more "upscale" (for want of a better word) particularly Hawarden, Mold somewhere in the middle, and Flint and Holywell not so much (although Flint has the benefit of a train station with regular trains to Chester and Liverpool; and Holywell can be a minor tourist attraction because of the well/shrine).

Hope this helps - I visit the area a lot, but haven't spent much time in most of the villages, only the towns.

Original poster
Cheshirecatty · 19/03/2021 21:06

Thank you-we have seen a place we like in Hawarden-but Hawarden seems very pricey compared to other areas. Although it looks very attractive with nice walks and very good for commuting. The markets in Mold look really nice-am worried the further we go along the A55 the
commute will be more of a drag-I used to do the M56 into Manchester and don’t want that again. Gwernmynydd looks very nice as it’s near Loggerheads but easy access to Mold. We’re wondering whether to extend our rental agreement as there seems to be a shortage of property.

OP posts:
Sunflowergirl1 · 20/03/2021 06:45

Just make sure you are healthy...or in easy reach of English hospitals as the Welsh NHS is a disaster....anyone living there goes to England if they are within distance.

And post Covid it will be worse

tanstaafl · 20/03/2021 07:54

The commute to Childwall will be a pain from Mold direction.
Either Mersey Tunnel or Mersey Bridge every time.

Have you looked around Stockton Heath area (Warrington area)
I’m prioritising the commute over friends and walks there.

babbaloushka · 20/03/2021 12:31

Have you looked into Heswall? Nice area near New Brighton. There's a gorgeous little village across the border about 20 mins but I cant remember the name.

Pret50 · 20/03/2021 13:25

Echo the comment re the Welsh Health service.

Pieceofpurplesky · 20/03/2021 14:11

This needs modernising but much handier for both jobs

Top Road, Frodsham
www.rightmove.co.uk/property/96620693

Pieceofpurplesky · 20/03/2021 14:12

And has nothing to the back - on a small road (I live locally - it's not my house)

Original poster
Cheshirecatty · 20/03/2021 20:33

Hi Purple, we live in Frodsham at the moment! Have sold my house there-we did look at that house. It’s been on the market forever and the layout is quite strange-also tiny back garden. We decided to look at over the border as we’re there a lot anyway (pre lockdown) and it’s still not far from family and friends. We get a lot more for our money. I’ve heard about the NHS -assume we can have access to Chester. My husband says he doesn’t care about the drive as we’ll retire in a few years. A friend has moved to Ruthin and commutes to Liverpool/says it takes her 50 minutes. If more came on the market in the villages around Frodsham, we’d look, but not much in our budget🙁

OP posts:
KirstenBlest · 20/03/2021 21:11

A friend has moved to Ruthin and commutes to Liverpool/says it takes her 50 minutes.

I'd take that one with a pinch of salt.

tanstaafl · 21/03/2021 08:42

What is it I’m missing about the Welsh NHS?

Moomoolandmoomooland · 21/03/2021 08:56

You can only go to Chester for emergency or maternity treatment. I had both of my DC at the Countess over the Welsh Hospitals. For everything else, we have to go to the Maelor.

We live in Deeside. I wouldn't recommend where we are by any stretch of the imagination. But it's a nice easy drive to Chester. Hawarden is lovely and honestly I would pay the extra to live there. I think the proximity to Airbus does push the prices up around there too. You also have Broughton Park on your doorstep if/when it opens back up. There's loads of outdoorsy walks near where we live, but we do tend to rely on Chester/Broughton/Cheshire Oaks for entertainment.

Since Covid the A55/A494 hasn't been as bad as it used to be. Friday nights are still a bit heavy, but the traffic at Queensferry and Aston Hill actually moves these days.

Original poster
Cheshirecatty · 21/03/2021 10:22

I understood the issue regarding Welsh patients had been resolved? We really like Hawarden but are wondering if it’s worth the extra to live on the village especially as it’s such a busy road. We looked at Neston but nice houses are way out of our budget-same with Heswall and Heswall is very busy. We quite like Northop and Northop Hall as they both seem to have a quieter vibe yet close to A494. I think we’re at the stage in our lives where we value peace and quiet. Frodsham is great but the endless drone of the M56 gets to me now.

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YawnyOwl · 21/03/2021 10:29

Always found Within very cold and unfriendly! But beautiful, of course. Gwernmynydd is lovely, Gwernaffield is nice too, but not much there. Halkyn, Cilcain are nice? Might be a bit far for commute. Ditto Pentre Halkyn but good for walks

Original poster
Cheshirecatty · 21/03/2021 11:02

Oh yes, we’ve had a look there and Gwernmynydd is lovely. So is Cilcain-but the thought of a commute at 7am on a December morning puts me off places with tiny roads. Beautiful place though. DH is far keener on living somewhere further into Wales but I’d like to stay closer to the main routes as dark, single track roads make me nervous! Our friend who has moved to a hamlet near Ruthin loves it. Apparently, her estate agent told her that prices in Wales will shoot up as people realise they don’t have to commute 5 days a week.

OP posts:
crimsonlake · 21/03/2021 11:20

Your friend has moved to Ruthin and the commute takes her 50 mins...I am assuming she does not do that in the rush hour then?
There is no way on earth I would commute from North Wales to Childwall everyday. There is a big difference commuting from Frodsham and flying over the new Runcorn bridge these days, a journey which must still take over 30 minutes once he hits slower traffic in the suburbs of Liverpool. Why not wait until your dh retires as Frodsham is lovely.

Original poster
Cheshirecatty · 21/03/2021 12:37

The new bridge made a massive difference to his commute! Although he isn’t tied to rush hour and can work from home one or two days a week. He also doesn’t mind the commute. I wouldn’t do it-I drove into Manchester for years until I’d had enough but in my current job, I drive 15 miles and it’s fine. So Wirral is definitely doable. While Frodsham is very nice-I’ve lived here for many years and kids went to school in Helsby, we can’t get the type of house we want on our budget. So just over the border seems a good compromise between being still close to family and friends, yet doable to work in an area we really like. But it’s difficult choosing the exact village as there may be things which local people would know but we don’t!

OP posts:
IamnotwhouthinkIam · 21/03/2021 19:02

Hopefully someone who lives there will pop up, but from the little I know Northop is very nice - not quite upscale as Hawarden but still a couple of little boutiques/shops, pubs and the golf course (and I think a big name footballer lives in the village or used to?), and of course very easy access to the A55 for the commute.

Speaking of the A55 - there is also direct access from Halkyn/ Pentre Halkyn, and I know those a little better as I have been there for a few walks across the lovely mountain area. Halkyn is nice but is small so there is nothing much there apart from the pubs, church and village hall (with a pop up weekly library and post office). Pentre Halkyn isn't quite as small/pretty but has the village shop/post office and a hotel/restaurant down the hill.

MrsTiffin · 21/03/2021 20:39

@Cheshirecatty Ruthin and Mold are definitely areas to consider, if we were to make the move to North Wales it's where I'd want to be.

Pre-lockdown I did the opposite commute to what you're proposing, the M53 and A55 can be really heavy in rush hour, my commute would easily take an hour and its not as far as your friend's journey!

Original poster
Cheshirecatty · 21/03/2021 21:22

Thank you Iam and MrsTiffin-it’s why we're looking at close to the border-our friend keeps sending us houses around Ruthin to look at but I wouldn’t want to do it even to The Wirral! Beautiful area though. From Hawarden/Northop Hall, it looks like I can make quite a direct journey. I am a bit worried as I used to travel 25-35 miles into Manchester and around M60 for a few years and got quite fed up. DH is a lot more lid back about the drive/he can go in about 7am and leave at 3/4 so not so bad. He actually likes driving too. The area we’re looking at also gives us easy access to Clwydian Hills and also around Halkyn. In fact, our neighbour has just moved to Halkyn-but keeping their kids at school locally, they think it’s doable. Thanks everyone for your advice. It’s no fun looking in a pandemic with the current housing market 😁

OP posts:
callmeadoctor · 21/03/2021 23:40

I would certainly not move back to North Wales now, sadly its a very depressed area of the uk. (Avoid Flint and surrounding areas in any event). No place for kids to grow up and be educated. ( I had a business in Mold for a couple of years, place is depressing.)

DavidsSchitt · 21/03/2021 23:58

"Our friend who has moved to a hamlet near Ruthin loves it. Apparently, her estate agent told her that prices in Wales will shoot up as people realise they don’t have to commute 5 days a week."

Yeah, she also shaves 20 extra minutes off her commute each day somehow. I'd be another taking what this friend says with a pinch of salt

tanstaafl · 22/03/2021 11:45

Denbigh OP?
10 mins to the A55, looks across at the Clwydian range.

KirstenBlest · 22/03/2021 13:22

St Asaph, as it's on the A55.

I'd look at Holywell. Beautiful views across to Wirral.

murbblurb · 22/03/2021 15:21

The Clwydians have a sunny microclimate, do a bit of research as to where properties are and which way they face and you could have a pleasant surprise.

St Asaph and the newer parts of Ruthin have flood issues (do not even THINK of buying on the Glasdir estate in Ruthin), be careful about location. I lived just outside Ruthin (dry bit!) for a while and it was lovely. The town has boy racer issues due to drunken farm kids.