Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Rural area with (infrequent) access to Manchester

88 replies

KievLoverTwo · 26/04/2023 11:40

Hello folks. I wonder if you can help me find areas to look in with the following criteria.

Must have

  • Houses with big bedrooms, two need to be at least 12ft x 12ft (a disability thing)
  • Preferably need another two rooms; one a WFH office + a drying space for me (another disability thing, not just lazy, honest)
  • Moderate level of privacy
  • Access to Manchester on some sort of direct link; it doesn't have to be a 30 minute commute, he's frankly alright with sitting on a train for 2 hours if it means the journey's not stressful, but many changes of connection or trying to park in a car park that never has enough spaces will tip him over the edge and he'll never go in (which he kind of needs if he's ever going to get this promotion). NB: VISITS WOULD BE INFREQUENT. Once a month, a fortnight at absolute most.
  • Internet connection of at least 30MB.
  • Low crime rate

Please be kind. It's not easy living with a partner with autism, they can't just 'put up and shut up' regarding housing needs.

Most new build houses are ruled out. We don't like the lack of privacy with most of them anyway; we're both also autistic so noise sensitivity is a bit of an issue. Generally stuff we've looked at older than 40 years in other counties fit our needs better.

Don't need

  • We're used to living rural. We don't need access to tons of supermarkets, I stock up and plan well.
  • We don't even really need a local shop.
  • We don't need a village with lots of restaurants and lots going on (although having one nearby would be the perfect scenario).
  • We don't need a gas connection or food/takeaway deliveries available to us (we're on oil/used to it).
  • Schools

Would be nice

  • Lovely countryside surrounds.
  • Enough space to not have neighbours six feet away (looking for detached).
  • Enough garden to keep a bored cat happy.

That's it really. Sorry for the wall of text. It's not fun house hunting with him, as much as I love him.

I only really know Rochdale and know that I sort of like it because I once stayed with a friend there, everywhere else is a complete unknown to me.

Budget 350-450k and I think we comfortably need 1400 sq ft but 1700-2000 would be the ideal amount of physical space for my disability (don't need a bungalow, just cannot squeeze past furniture/small kitchen spaces/lift most things, so need to WALK around my furniture, etc).

Thank you :)

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
Original poster
KievLoverTwo · 26/04/2023 21:09

GreatBigBoots · 26/04/2023 14:54

Have you considered the Peak District? Plenty of countryside and nice quiet rural locations but also several train lines direct to Manchester.

You should be aware that Manchester has several train stations and transport between them is not great. Trains from different areas go in to different stations. Unless you're happy to have quite a walk or can cope with using the busy trams etc I'd suggest you look at which one is closest to the place you need to visit and which trains go to that station.

We considered the peak district for rentals last year; most of them had such poor internet connections that the OH couldn't possibly WFH. Really he needs 50-60 but he could cope with 32. A lot of them couldn't even get that.

That said, I think there might be more rural options than we knew about back then. Eg Elon Musk does a satellite dish type internet.

OP posts:
Flora56 · 26/04/2023 21:13

Calder Valley. Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Luddenden and all those in between.

Glo1988 · 26/04/2023 21:15

Areas around Wrea Green or Lytham St Anne’s. Direct trains 50 mins to Manchester. Your money will go far!

rwalker · 26/04/2023 21:22

Outlying areas around Lancaster Hornby,caton and forton
55 minutes direct from Lancaster to Manchester Piccadilly

Briallen · 26/04/2023 21:47

north wales? Might be a change over on the train at Chester though

macshoto · 26/04/2023 21:52

Another bid for Shropshire. You can get as far south as Ludlow in a two hour journey. Around Ludlow might be a bit expensive, but if you head north, any of Craven Arms, Church Stretton, and beyond may suit you. Certainly plenty of open countryside and good value houses to be had.

Maraudingmarauders · 26/04/2023 22:16

Wem, north of Shrewsbury could be worth looking at, trainline access to Manchester and Shrewsbury. Housing is cheaper than other areas, so you get more space - plus lots of rural properties.

Mbop · 26/04/2023 22:24

I'm from Buxton originally. Direct train link, lots of places local to it that are rural.

This fits the bill. www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/133577903#/?channel=RES_BUY

Mbop · 26/04/2023 22:33

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/128507258#/?channel=RES_BUY

Chapel, this one is on station road!

Camablanca · 26/04/2023 22:46

GreatBigBoots · 26/04/2023 14:54

Have you considered the Peak District? Plenty of countryside and nice quiet rural locations but also several train lines direct to Manchester.

You should be aware that Manchester has several train stations and transport between them is not great. Trains from different areas go in to different stations. Unless you're happy to have quite a walk or can cope with using the busy trams etc I'd suggest you look at which one is closest to the place you need to visit and which trains go to that station.

This. I highly recommend the Glossop line - 2 trains an hour and so far it's always been reliable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossop_line#:~:text=The%20Glossop%20line%20is%20a,are%20operated%20by%20Northern%20Trains.

We're also autistic (and have a meow), live alone that line.

Other places near the Peak District include Mossley for instance.. get out a map and check out the towns in Tameside (Greater Metropolitan Borough)

Glossop line - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossop_line#:~:text=The%20Glossop%20line%20is%20a,are%20operated%20by%20Northern%20Trains.

Pearfacebananapoop · 26/04/2023 22:46

North Wales?

Or Staffordshire? Some gorgeous countryside on the outskirts of Stafford and train is quick.

Camablanca · 26/04/2023 22:53

Oops sent before ready!
The worry for me also would be that while as I mentioned trains are generally reliable (as opposed to, say Knutsford which has only one train an hour and always got cancelled for no apparent reason =.=) strikes etc do happen.
If you are in only once a month then you'll need a backup plan, unless that office day will be cancelled if you can't make it.
You want to be somewhere where in a pinch you can drive closer to the city, park and take a bus/tram. Without getting onto really clogged motorways.

Also I forgot to mention,, outskirts of Macclesfield?

Ashton Moss and Sale Metrolink have plenty of space. So your backup could be to park there and then take the tram. There are town like Hyde with plenty of parking (e.g. near the Clarendon Shopping center, or at Tameside vets) most of the town centre is a giant parking space) you can hop on a direct bus to Manchester Piccadilly.

harriethoyle · 26/04/2023 23:05

Avoid stations reliant on transpenine express. They are SHOCKINGLY bad...

Strictlyfanoftenyears · 26/04/2023 23:05

Culcheth

ClownSchool · 26/04/2023 23:18

In addition to @Camablanca ’s mention of the Glossop trains, there’s a company which has just started installing full Fibre To Property broadband in the area so you should be able to get the speeds you need in the near future.

ArnoldBee · 26/04/2023 23:23

My friend grew up in New Mills. Her siblings live in Whaley Bridge.

Hangingonadoor · 26/04/2023 23:36

Whaley bridge or new mills or disley would fit your criteria. Maybe not disley, it's not very rural but Whaley is.

Exaspa · 27/04/2023 00:01

I hope you find somewhere suitable but I can't emphasize enough how disappointed we've been with public transport up here, the north west has the worst record for cancelled trains in England.

To the extent that as soon as we find suitable jobs we're now looking to move back to our old location (this is however combined with lousy working conditions and awful colleagues who don't pull their weight).

Where we moved from in the West Country trains might be slow, expensive and hideously full at certain seasons but at least they mostly turn up.

Groovy48592747 · 27/04/2023 01:34

I would consider Delamere/Mouldsworth/ Cuddington and surrounding areas, Cheshire. Rural but direct train services to Manchester, about 1 hr 15 minutes.

maddy68 · 27/04/2023 02:06

Worsley

But it's not cheap :)

PieonaBarm · 27/04/2023 04:33

Rossendale area, an hour to Manchester on a direct bus. Small rural towns/villages including Helmshore, Rawtenstall, Crawshawbooth, Loveclough, Ramsbottom would avoid Bacup though. This has just come on the market as an example in Haslingden/Helmshore

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134135021

Swipe left for the next trending thread