Anyone live in or near Lancaster?

[WanderingTheHills]

Hello,

Potential job in Lancaster so I'm querying what the area is like. Anyone live there that can give me a little insight?

My current role is under threat (restructuring) and not in my profession so I am desperate to get back into my own field. Perfect job came up (a specialist area I have worked towards and always wanted to be in) in Lancaster and I applied, got an interview and withdrew as I'm not sure how to make this work as I have a 15 year old who is due to sit GCSE's in the summer. Job went unfilled and they have re advertised. I got in touch with the manager, and told him my concerns, and has encouraged me to re-apply saying my application was the strongest and that they'd be willing to offer me hybrid working. I'm north east based and, ideally, don't want to relocate 100% at the moment. I have re-applied.

I'm also going through a long divorce which isn't helping all of the above. However, I'm a keen walker so, obviously, love the Lake District and I know that Lancaster is close to the LD. I have even considered Kendal as a place to relocate to or even buy a caravan (or rent somewhere) to give me that second place to stay meaning I can keep my house in the NE. Although, I am not sure if I can afford to buy my stbx out and I don't need a 4 bedroom detached house - most of it is sitting empty and if/when my daughter goes to university, it'll be just me! I feel like I am wasting money (household bills etc.) on a house I don't need. I have a son at university in the north east (who comes home at weekends) but no other family (all RIP). Personally, I'd love a cottage!!!

Can someone give me an insight into the area and any potential places to live that are nice/reasonable. Or, if you can offer any solutions to
my issue then please do! Somewhere with east access to the A66 and Lancaster/Lakes.

I'm a lover of the outdoors so I think the area would suit me. It's the logistics of it though and whether I could make it work being there part time or have to move. Not sure how often the A66 is closed in winter!!

DC is a first year at the uni and has felt incredibly safe in the city compared to our home city (Nottingham)

Which isn't surprising given that the population is massively affected by the students so at night a very high proportion of those out in the city will be students

have you thought of air bnb as a short term solution?
also, where your work place is makes a difference- getting from Kendal to Lancaster is easy and if your work was in the North side of the city, before the one way system, would be an easy commute. But if you were working say at the hospital or the university I wouldn't want to commit to that drive regularly.
Lancaster is a great city, historic, easy access to great countryside, an amazing park, lots of cultural stuff. On the downside the town centre looks increasingly scruffy with empty shops or turkish barbers. But I suspect this will be true of many places.
Silverdale and Arnside are very nice with very good walking and a train service.
If I had money to spend I'd certainly consider buying in Morecambe as it is to be hoped the Eden project will generate a lot of improvements (and prices will go up)- but if you plan to live there now I'd be cautious about the location. Again though, think about transport and where in Lancaster you will be working.

Sounds exciting. Just to add on a minor detail, might be worth you considering moving your daughter over for sixth form, so they have a friendship base/local holiday jobs in the new place while at university. In my mind I have imagined friendship base being at university once they start there, but in practise with my young adults holidays are long...

My daughter lives in lancaster, shes a 4th year uni student and has lived in a flat in the city near the castle, south on penny street in private halls, and uni halls near the canal south of the city.
Lancaster city is low on crime compared to other big cities. Ive been there staying at night, and once there was the local youths about town but they didnt do much, just kicking cans and that. Kendal is lovely, but I think its pretty pricey, so worth checking out the prices. Its about 30 mins drive from lancaster.
Galgate is a nice village just south of Lancaster, or Scorton.

@user701 same DD1 is from Nottingham. She plans to stay in lancaster for he phd, or go to manchester or Liverpool to stay close to her friends and B/F.
The woodland walk is lovely round campus, we spent a good 2 hours walking round. Canal path is also really nice.

How did your visit go? I moved here some years ago and do love it, it had its downsides (it's not for the shopaholics) but they're well outweighed by the good. Many colleagues commute from Kendal, some more from further afield. There are 3 outstanding 6th forms in Lancaster if DD did want to move for A levels. I don't live in Lancaster but close by, but have genuinely never felt unsafe for myself or my teens in town so if there is a crime problem like a pp suggested I'd be quite surprised.

I didn't see much tbh as it was a miserable, wet day. I am going back next week though.

tbf there are a lot of miserable wet days in Lancaster, you should have come today 🌞

Got an interview.

Had the interview.

Offered the job.

Not sure what to do. Definitely don't want to relocate 100% and concerned costs of staying over there may be too much. But, current role is awful and at risk.

Going to try and negotiate some working from home but still worried about costs.

Decisions!

Personally I'd go for the job. Life is too short to be stuck in a job you don't like.

Go for it.

Two and a bit years ago we moved from London to the Eden Valley near Penrith. Absolutely the best decision we've ever made.

How about a narrowboat in Glasson?

Ohhh? Where’s that?

It’s looking promising! They are offering me mainly remote working with one night a week or two nights a week across there. Thinking of buying a cottage in Richmond so I’m close to the A66 and the Yorkshire Dales route. School has a bus going to and from there so it could work!

A narrow boat sounds good! I’ll look into that!

Sorry, two nights a fortnight that should say!

if its only 2 nights a fortnight, what about air bnb?
I think a boat at Glasson would be very chilly and I was once cut off by the tide there.

There’s the back road out of glasson so can always get out at high tide, but might be expensive to moor a boat if only there for one/two nights a week.

I lived in Lancaster for 6 years, moving out in 2022. It's a great town and I've found myself really missing it!

Like all places it has its rough areas but I used to walk around at night (I worked night shift + sometimes got restless at 3AM) and never had a problem. The presence of so many students made me feel very safe. However this was on the town centre side of the river. The "other side of the river" (Ryelands area especially) is the dodgier area. It's not as well lit and the cycle path going up to Morecambe is off the main road. I also know people who got attacked / mugged down that way at night.

The city itself has a nice old-world feel to it, especially around the castle. There's a reasonable number of shops and pubs, and good rail links to Manchester and London if you want something more. You can get to the former in about an hour and the latter in 3 if you get the right train.

Bus links are excellent if you live on the campus line, but be warned, they have cut back on services in other parts of town.

Of course I am probably quite biased, but I would happily move back there (and absolutely would if my boyfriend didn't live so far away!). 😄

London is 2.5 hours, trains to Manc are hideous at the moment thanks to Northern and Trans Pennine.

Thanks all.

Hi, we’re looking to do the same. We’re currently in West Yorkshire living in a beautiful village but sandwiched between a rough town and even rougher city.
I’ve been looking around Kirby Stephen as it has a good rail link to Leeds and isn’t far from Kendal and Penrith. I have two children 11 and 8. I’d love to hear what it’s like living there, schools, local communities etc :)

Kirby Stephen is quite far from Lancaster so I would start a new thread tbh.

If you do start a new thread about it @Stephyb79 its spelt Kirkby Stephen.

😂 it is indeed Kirkby I do know that.

It's just a place I drive to on the way to the A66 so I don't know anything about it.