Where to live in Lancashire

[Southerngirl123]

Hey, my husband, myself and our 8 year old daughter live down on the South Coast. Last summer we travelled upto the Lake District and fell in love and loved Kendal also.
We have friends who live in Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire so we will be back up this summer to investigate more.
We are toying with the idea of a possible move and financially housewise we are so outpriced here to move on from our flat and could afford a stunning 3 bed house up North and would like to know the real truths on some places. At present we live in a decent size town with amenities nearby and the beach a 10 min drive away. I don't drive so good public transport is a must, good schools, amenities etc etc. Thinking we should then also only be about an hour away from the Lakes as we love walking/hiking with the dog & paddleboarding and half an hour ish from good size cities and the coast.
I work in retail & hospitality so I'm guessing I will be able to pick up work in most places? And my husband is an electronics engineer.
Thoughts and truths please on
Lancaster
Preston (& suburbs)
Oswaldtwistle
Padiham
Clitheroe
Ramsbottom
Southport

Obviously everywhere has there good and bad areas but please also feel free to add anymore good ones to the list for us to look at.
Look forward to some answers 😁😊

Littleborough!

But seriously, all of Lancashire is great.

There are definitely areas and streets in Lancaster that I wouldn't buy in due to past flooding issues. Happy to advise if you decide to buy here.

Lancaster and Morecambe seem to have their own micro climate due to the bay. We have many amazing sunsets even if it's rained during the day - I know how frequent this so because I have to shut my dining room curtains to not get blinded whilst eating my evening meal 😂

The bus service is pretty great around most of Lancaster due to them serving the university but do double check as there are a few areas that don't have Sunday services or certainly not much of one. Although it's such a compact town you can walk pretty much all of it though it is rather hilly!

@MirandaMarple

I live near Ramsbottom (Tottington) I moved here last year from South Manchester.

I wanted a house with a view and the cost of that where I used to live meant moving further into Cheshire and ££££.

There's a consensus that lots of inner city dwellers are moving north of Manchester and especially to North of Bury and immediate surrounding areas. So much more for your money compared to 15 miles south.

Yes this is very true. A lot are moving North Manchester!

Also I am veeeery local to you! I feel strangely happy that there are people local to me on here!

@catscatsallthecats

We moved to Ashton in Preston last summer from the rural Yorkshire/Lancashire border... we got so much house for our money and the area is very leafy with enormous red brick houses. 20 min walk to the city centre and three glorious big parks in spitting distance. We adore it.

High-five to a fellow Ashton resident 🖐

Preston is great, you've just got to know where to go and where to avoid. The parks are splendid, the museum is fantastic and the history of Preston itself is multifaceted, fascinating and deep. Our docks is great for a stroll round as is the River Ribble. Avenham and Miller parks are absolutely stunning. The motorway links are fabulous and within no time at all, I can be on the coast (Lytham, St Anne's, Blackpool, Cleveleys, Fleetwood, Morecambe, Formby) or I can be in a historic market town or city (Garstang, Kirkham, Lancaster) or I can be in a huge City (Liverpool, Manchester) or up in the Lakes or the gorgeous countryside such as around Trough of Bowland and Beacon Fell.

Preston is a fine city (i still regard it as a town though). So much to do and so many different areas.

Op - parts of Lancaster are prone to flooding, especially around Galgate. I'm sure more local MNers can advise you best on that.

I grew up in Ashton! Yes, one of the nicer areas of Preston.

Yasssss cptartapp. I'll never hear a bad word about Ashton 😂

Although Freckleton is lovely and I would consider moving there.

Chorley - Whittle-le-Woods or Euxton would be my top picks.

Steer clear of Preston - utter utter shithole. The most awful place I have ever lived and worked.

Personally, I'd head a little further south towards north side of Bolton, Heaton area - and then you have Bolton School (amazing school) , you're close to Manchester, close to get to Southport for the beach, close to basically anywhere. Bolton town centre isn't brilliant, but you just go into Manchester, or shop at the retail park where Bolton Arena is (also amazing tennis centre) Chorley New Road area is lovely!!!

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/101149766#/

@bookish83 Hi 👋

So many replies thankyou and so many places to look into, Lancaster, Southport and Clitheroe seem to be calling out atm from all of this 😀

South Ribble - south of preston. But you have little to do with Preston if you live there and schools are fab and it’s the most accessible place in terms of travel for work.

Ribble valley

Lytham and st Anne’s - very expensive

South Ribble is the best value.

Would your DH need to find a job before you moved?

Commute would make a difference to where I chose to live as the motorways are often hideous tbh,

Can't believe how many Padihamers there are on here! I grew up in Burnley but my mum and grandparents all lived in Padiham for years.

Lots of nice villages nearby but public transport may be your issue. Clitheroe is expanding rapidly, not sure if that is good or bad but it is certainly changing.

@Sparticle, has your DS stopped boarding now you’ve moved (I’m not a stalker, I think I’ve name changed but I’m the one with a DS in the same class as yours 😉).

I’d recommend Heysham, Halton, Hest Bank, Garstang or Poulton-Le-Fylde.

We have a paddleboarding club that meets on a Wednesday evening at Fleetwood/ Lytham 🥰.

I grew up in Lytham. It's lovely but very expensive. Kirkham is nice. We actually live in Blackpool now but on the st Anne's border. Nice area and house prices much lower. Poulton le Fylde is lovely or Thornton.

I guess you are fairly close to me @trevthecat. I am surprised how many people from London are moving to Blackpool due to the lack of employment opportunities in this area but I guess the fact that so many people now work from home has had an impact. OP I have spent a lot of time in Lancaster and I thought there was very little to do and not much in the way of shopping. Many properties had no garden just little yards .

I never get why people say Preston is a shithole
For me it's more of a base if that makes sense. I live maybe 2 miles from the motorway, close to supermarkets, most shops I could want, my work and Can easily get to Manchester/lakes or wherever I want to go. Sure it's no Manchester but it's not pretending to be. My area has a reputation for being rough too but I've lived here alone 18 years and it's fine

So it depends what you want really! My relatives are in lytham and love it, and have lived in Lancaster before and also liked it there

@PawsQueen agree. I think it's just snobbery on these threads.

Lancaster, no contest. I'd move back there tomorrow.
I was born in Clitheroe and my family are still there, hate it. Hate visiting, it's a small minded place, not as nice as it looks under the surface. My Mum would move away if she could. So much building going on too, it seems a new estate of ridiculously priced houses has sprung up every time I visit.
Lancaster is lovely, people are great and although it has a grammar school, there's lots of other school choice and it's not the be all and end all the way it is in Clitheroe ( where they still remember who passed and failed 30yrs on! ). Lancaster is close to the Lakes, on the coast (we lived on the coast). Good sports facilities. Traffic can be a pain is the only downside. Lots of housing choice and lovely nearby villages.

Try the Rossendale valley (close to Ramsbottom but much more reasonably priced)
You do have to be a bit choosy about your area there but there's some lovely houses and villages there, it's a bit of an undiscovered gem.

I'm surprised at the love for Lancaster, I think it's deteriorating terribly. It's got worse for shopping, is student centric and is getting very rough both day and night.
The once lovely quay has been over built and stinks of weed.
We barely recognise it from when we first moved.

@Ihopeyourcakeisshit sadly I think that's most towns tbh

I go visit various places I used to live, including wealthy SE and every town small or large seems to have gone downhill. More homelessness, empty shops, weed smoked freely.

There are many amazing rural villages if people want rural. Urban areas much more difficult.

Definitely Lancaster or surrounding villages. Independent shops and cafes, 2 theatres lots of sports facilities and 15 mins to Morecambe bay where you can meet up with paddle boarders when the tide is in ( there is a Facebook club). So you would easily make friends.

More homelessness, empty shops, weed smoked freely.

Clitheroe is terrible for the weed smoking stinking the place out. My Mum's house smells of it when youths gather outside to smoke and last time I was there, we took DD to a local beauty spot to swim, somewhere, where I've been going my whole life and the place was heaving with stoned, sweary teens, roaring their cars across the bridge. It was grim. Not ever had a similar experience in Lancaster or Morecambe for that matter.

@LadyCatStark yes he is :) I'll message you!