Is Egremont a good place to live?

[GemmaKG]

Hello! I'm looking to move to Cumbria in January/February 2021. Reasons being that houses in the South East are far too expensive for my single income and I am looking elsewhere.

I have my heart set on Cumbria though I would really like some advice on good/bad places to live. Egremont is No.1 on my list as places I would like to live though we have not explored there as much as other areas.

I am really looking for a market town or village with a buzz as I am moving on my own and would like 'something about the place' to have a bit of a social life. I work from home so I'm flexible on areas.

Thank you! - Gemma -

My family lives nearby - I'm not a local - and I suspect Cockermouth would better meet your requirements, though it is more expensive. Most people in Egremont work for BNFL, employment throughout the area is dominated by Sellafield.

Also - I presume you drive? Local buses are not frequent and the train service is slow and historically underfunded.

I lived in Cumbria briefly, just outside Carlisle. It was nice being so close to Carlisle without being in it! Brampton is nice. If you could get nearer to the lakes probably better as there’s more going on. Lots of men on holiday walking etc
Penrith is nice.

No.

look at Ulverston, Cockermouth, Kendal, Staveley (the one near Windermere) Cartmel, Penrith, Appleby, Keswick and Ambleside instead.

@HerculesMulligan Thank you for your comment (I'm new to mumsnet - I hope I'm messaging back correctly)

We did visit and stay in Cockermouth - and I agree is much nicer to stay in. It is my other choice to Egremont, just like you say, it is more expensive. Maybe I should look to pay a bit more/save more to buy.

Thankfully yes I do drive

@mayblossominapril Did you live in Brampton? It's been another place that's been question marked though I've never ventured up that way. Can I ask what makes you say Brampton is a nice place?

Penrith has been said before as one to look into. Just wondering if it is too town like or is it quite nice?

Nope. You're best looking at Kendal, Ulverston, Penrith. West Cumbria very isolated and not the nicest of places. Does depend on budget of course. What sort of lifestyle are you looking for?

@TheCumbrian Thank you for your message :) I can see by your name that you'd be an expert! I agree with all the places you have named - it is a market town I'm looking for. Ideally in my head I am looking to rent in the place I am then to buy in.
So it rules out a few of the places you mentioned though Ulverston, Penrith and Cockermouth are a possible.

What are your thoughts on Brampton as a place to live?
Would you say the East side of the Lakes (Penrith, Appleby, Kirkby Stephen) are better choices other than ones you have mentioned?

@HerculesMulligan

My family lives nearby - I'm not a local - and I suspect Cockermouth would better meet your requirements, though it is more expensive. Most people in Egremont work for BNFL, employment throughout the area is dominated by Sellafield.

Agree with this wholeheartedly. Cockermouth has many off-comers and easier to move into as a southener than Egremont. Closer to the motorway, Keswick, the Lakes and civilisation. There's a reason why it's more expensive.

@Bellybootcut Thank you for your message. I think you're right, the West side does seem more isolated then the rest of the Lakes. I don't think we've ever properly visited Kendal, Penrith or Ulverston.

Keswick yes, though you do want to get out as quickly as possible (I can't talk being one of the tourists!)

I think Kendal would be a good fit, there isn’t loads going on in Penrith although it is a nice very small town. What would you do for a job? I personally wouldn’t want to move to West Cumbria as an off-comer, it can be quite insular in some places.

@BonnesVacances you're right, it was very friendly when we stayed in the Summer and I mentioned in the local pub we visited often that I was thinking of moving there. They were very open to the idea and liked the idea of an artist moving in.

You get what you pay for definitely

@Flangeosaurus Thank you for your message :) It's always good to hear the hard truths - it is a worry of mine as a Southener moving up North. Especially moving on your own.

Work wise and bit of background about me: I work my myself and from home. No kids/other half. So moving completely on my own which is very exciting though somewhat daunting. So looking for a place that has social places in walking distance - like Penrith or Ulverston.

I do like being on my own but the occasional social interactions is good!

I was in a village between Brampton and Carlisle but if I needed the post office, takeaway, bakers etc I went to Brampton. Very friendly town, soon got on chatting terms with people in the shops and other locals. Had all the shops you need including a decent co op. Not far into Carlisle for bigger shops. I liked to go up into Galloway so it was handy for that as well. The lakes are lovely but get very busy, I wasn’t that keen on the Cumbrian coast although siloth and skinningburness were nice for a visit. I liked longtown. Gretna is full of tourist shops and has the outlet shops, I liked to visit. An hour and a half from Brampton and you could be in kirkcudbright or colvend. It’s also close to the lakes, I think it was less than an hour.

why a market town over one of the large villages?

Staveley for example has more going on in the village than some towns do, partially due to the Mill Yard development and proximity to Windermere.

It really depends on what you are wanting, lots of the Market towns can actually be quite insular. There are lovely villages that are thriving because of incomers and have loads of stuff going on like community cinema/ arts stuff. If its because you think a market town might have more going on for kids or better transport links.... unfortunately that's not the case often.

Again using Staveley as an example, the 555 bus in either direction to Lancaster/Keswick goes through the village every hour, the train station connects directly to the West Coast Mainline taking you to London/ Edinburgh in a few hours and you are 20 mins drive from the M6.

You don't get that in Market towns such as Ulverston, Milnthorpe (although the 555 does go through Milnthorpe), Kirkby Lonsdale, Kirkby Stephen, Cockermouth etc.

I don't know Brampton particularly well I've only ever driven through it but it looks nice enough. That part of Cumbria is pretty much the only part I haven't lived or worked in.

As a general rule of thumb if somewhere is cheap to live in Cumbria its because there are few job prospects and poor transport connections.

I like egremont, it's got what you need, and you can go into Whitehaven for supermarkets. It's close to st bees for the beach and railway station and you have ennerdale and Loweswater for walking, ravenglass and muncaster castle for days out. The property prices are also a lot cheaper than in lake district, but you're close enough to go. The West lakes are also less touristy. One downside is that if you're travelling away, it takes you an hour to get to the m6.

Staveley is absolutely lovely but very busy and expensive! There’s definitely an arty “scene” in Kendal and it’s a bit cheaper than the South Lakes villages such as Staveley as it’s not quite in the national park. I actually think Kirkby Stephen might fit the bill for you as well, possibly worth a look.

I stayed in Egremont for several months when I was working at Sellafield. I’d say much of the population of the villages in that west Cumbria/outside the National Park area are BNFL contractors of some sort. It all seemed very transient. If I was moving permanently to Cumbria now, I’d look towards the M6 side (I really like Staveley)) or Keswick, as budget allowed.

@mayblossominapril Oh that's lovely to know you enjoyed the area around there. And like you say, you are close to lots of lovely places to visit and not too far from the M6 to head back home.
I think I will take a look at viewing some places around Brampton and get a feel :) What I do need is a post office so that's great!

@TheCumbrian No real reason with Market town over a large village. I think it was easier to group in my head though ideally what I am looking for is a place that has a post office, a pub or two, a good few shops/high street. Basically places I can walk to without relying on a car if for any reason it's out of action and I'm not completely stuck.

Luckily no need for kids entertainment though places with an arty buzz is a big plus!

@Glendaruel Oh that's good to know that you like Egremont. Can I ask if you have lived there or passed through?

I think that's what drew me to the place - it has everything you need and can happily fit in my budget without being too tight.

@Flangeosaurus Oh fab! I'll definitely look into Kendal more then. It would be nice to been in an artsy place with classes to socialise at.
Kirkby Stephen is another one of those places we have also missed visiting. Houses often pop up around there though I have not a clue what the area is like. Is it village type place with enough shops etc. to live there?

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads I can see what you mean from a lot of the West side being mostly contractors for BNFL and being transient. Not a mix of people and careers to create a diverse community.

I better start actually playing the lottery to get to Staveley! It sounds like a lovely place and mentioned many times to visit/live if you can

perhaps also have a look at some of the places on the North Lancashire/ South Cumbria border or Cumbria/ North Yorkshire Border like Carnforth, Burton in Kendal, Hornby, Bentham, Settle etc

And dare I say it... Morecambe is on its way up,.

Also look at places like Shap, Burneside, Oxenholme, Dalton in Furness and Lazonby for cheaper options.

I think you'd like Kendal. Google the Brewery Arts Centre. There's always something going on there. There's a lovely castle ruin to walk up to and lots of surrounding fells. There's a regular market and plenty of cafés. Also plenty of historic yards to explore and a nice riverside walk.