Is there anywhere near Manchester where it doesn't rain?

[BonnesVacances]

We used to live in the NW but moved to Hampshire. Now for various reasons we're considering moving back up. But the reason we left in the first place was because of the amount of rain.

We were in Rossendale which admittedly is a valley so it got more rain than usual. But it was so drizzly all the time and DS developed a respiratory issue because of the constant damp.

But we really like being near Manchester, so where is near Manchester but has reasonably good weather? Neither of us is from either area so we don't have any attachment to any particular area. Just looking for somewhere new to settle.

Points to consider:

Budget would be £450k for a 4 bed detached house with parking. We'd be WFH so commuting isn't a factor.
When I say near, I just mean close enough for it not to be a big expedition to pop into Manchester for shopping or a night out.
Driving in is fine. Though public transport would be helpful for DC.
Schools not an issue as DC will be at uni.
Not in the middle of nowhere. I don't do rural!
Doesn't rain all the time!

East and south - Leeds or Sheffield instead?

Coastal areas have less rain. Or you could go to the other side of the pennines i.e. Yorkshire.

East of Leeds might suit, someone once posted data that showed that the average annual rainfall in Selby was half that in Bradford (or something like that).

Maybe around York, although York is expensive so I don't know if you'd find what you're looking for within budget?

There's a direct train to Manchester but it's slow and not very reliable. They were talking about putting in improvements, but now these maybe quietly dropped because we northerners don't deserve the sort of investment that they get in the south and the Government now needs to save money.

Look at the rainfall maps here.
www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-actual-and-anomaly-maps
Areas to the south and east of Manchester seem to have less rain. I assume from my gcse geography this is becuase the rain falls when the air rises over the hills to the east of the city.

Sheffield. It all rains off over the peaks before the clouds get from Manchester to Sheffield.

Look at Macclesfield , Bellway are building new homes on the old Kings boys site .
grear town , really strong community who are reviving it , doorstep to the Peaks , 25 min train into Manchester . It’s a great place to live and raise a family .

Come a bit more South, Knutsford, Wilmslow and Alderley Edge are all lovely, not overly rainy, and handy for Manchester!

Good luck finding a nice 4 bed detached with parking in Knutsford, Wilmslow or Alderley Edge for £450k.

If you want to be able to get to Manchester easily you need to be on the right side of the Pennines. Who wants to be leaving a gig or a show early to get the last train at 10.20 pm? As a PP notes, the trains across the Pennines from Yorkshire are fairly crap. The M62 is no fun either. You’re much better off in the Manchester metro area.

There are good scientific reasons why Manc is so wet - the rain basically gets dumped on the lower slopes of the Pennines and it’s warmer and wetter than Yorkshire as a result - but you get used to it and it’s not that bad. Plenty of lovely dry days too. I’d choose a location near the city over an inconvenient location with drier weather.

Thanks. Will check out Macclesfield.

Funnily enough the one time I was in Sheffield (for a uni open day) it poured with rain all day.

Yeah, I don't think many areas south of Manchester will be in budget.

Fylde Coast. Very dry this year.

Wow, this is so interesting - thanks! Seems to suggest a stark west/east divide, with the West being MUCH wetter.

I think it's called a 'rain shadow'. I'm just on the West side of the Pennines. Okay it's wetter than over on the other side of the moors eastwards in Leeds, but it's not rank damp here provided you pick your location. We're on a ridge, so it's windy and chilly but it means you don't get stagnant air- in summer or winter, the air is fresh even if it's been wet. My bet is that the OPs problem might have been as much pollution as damp- it can't get up out of valleys and low-lying areas.
I found living around Derby in the late 1980s was awful- low rainfall compared to here, far lower w.r.t. sea level, but you got choking fog and mists which didn't clear for days at a time. We never get that here. You do get mists, but they soon blow away. And in the hot part of this past summer, it was only really hot here for a few days. Much cooler than just a few miles away.

My property l currently as a rental is going up for £450 exactly - tried to DM you!

I'm well and truly down the rabbit hole of East Cheshire now. Macclesfield and Congleton look promising with houses in budget.

What's to choose between the two? They both seem the same driving distance and train journey into Manchester, though the last train back is a bit early. Congleton is closer to the motorway which is an advantage as we have family in the north and south.

How does Sandbach compare?

Nantwich? 40 mins direct train to Manchester

Macclesfield has good train service on the line between Manchester and London.

In the Arndale centre.

I would choose Macclesfield over Congleton . Macc has more going on and more about it . Congleton is field after field of housing estates with a bypass . Have you heard of Bollington .. it’s a gem , just outside Macclesfield.

🤣🤣🤣

I agree, Bollington is lovely!

Good one!

OP, you asked about Sandbach. It’s proper hick country. It’s nice and all that but it’s the arse end of nowhere, plus it is near the worst junction of the M6 where there are always problems.

Good to know that about Sandbach. Thanks.

What about Warrington? It seems well connected and south of the canal looks promising.

Grappenhall, Stockton Heath etc are lovely but pricey. Lots of new houses going up in Grappenhall: I imagine that the developers will need to reduce prices soon.

Chester - although it is raining today!

Nantwich is lovely.