Potentially Moving to Appleby in Westmorland

[ByRealWriter]

Hi! Looking for advice, thoughts or general comments of Appleby. We are looking at a property just outside the market town of Appleby and as Appleby would be our closest town, I am wondering what it is like to live there? Facilities, Crime, etc... We currently live in Cheshire and wanted to relocate to Cumbria or surrounding. We love the lakes but we are priced out in the lakes for our budget. We have healthy budget but properties we like, that would match what we currently own, are £1.2 million and upwards. Whereas, half an hour away from the main tourist places in Lakes it is a lot cheaper.

Thanks in advance for any comments 😀

Lovely house you have posted but it is not really Cumbria and too close to the A65. For 950k you will be able to buy in the LDNP.

It is daunting moving to a new area and always great to hear honest feedback from others.

We moved from the SE to the South Lakes area 10 years ago. I'd been to Cumbria once as a child, so didn't know the area at all! House hunting from that far away wasn't easy. We thought about renting first, but we didn't want to potentially uproot the children twice by putting them in a primary and then ending up in a different place. Fortunately we chose a great village! I too have one dc at uni, and one at secondary. At least you don't need to worry about schools then - that is one less complication!

Staveley (Near Windermere) is popular village with good transport links

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146669234#/?channel=RES_BUY

Long Marton one of the villages near Appleby

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146230451?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

If you want to live near the lakes don't live in Appleby. Windswept and bleak. In fact all of those places along the A66 are (I grew up in Kirkby Stephen. The whole town basically gets the train to Leeds every Saturday and hangs out there until the last train home).

What about Lancaster? Kendal? Kirkby Lonsdale?

I'd recommend Caldbeck, Dalston or Wetheral, personally.

Wildcard

Shap

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145784129#/?channel=RES_BUY

It would be useful to know your motivation for moving OP. What are you looking to gain - proximity to good walking? Scenery? What is it you enjoy about the Lake District?

If you move to a place where you still have to get in the car and drive every time you visit the Lakes, is it really worth the cost and upheaval of a move? For your budget you could live in a quiet area of the Lakes and have it all properly on your doorstep.

@TheCumbrian there's nowt bleaker than Shap in the winter.

It has an undeserved bad rep - it's a lovely village with a strong community.

It's not like I suggested Alston or Nenthead

FWIW I do a job that requires me to spend a lot of time in people's homes and communities all across Cumbria so I've a pretty good overview of lots of different places.

I know people who live there, @TheCumbrian , so I know they're nice. It's still grim when it's raining, snowing or windy, in my opinion. It definitely wouldn't be my first recommendation for someone moving to the area. Sorry, folks of Shap!

My parents and sister considered Appleby, but the horsehair put them off. My sister moved to Penrith and my parents followed. They love it.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/141593858?utmcampaign=property-details&utmmcontent=buying&utmmedium=sharing&utmmsource=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

I love Pooley Bridge and Ullswater, busy in summer though!

i live between Arnside and Kirkby Lonsdale. Much better options than Appleby.

Kirkby would be my choice has plenty for your budget great town and close enough to m6 and west coast mainline.

great range of shops and pubs

arnside is lovely but much older demographic and though a good range of shops eating out is limited both pubs are crap, Corssfields is excellent though

most of south cumbria is pretty awesome

Fine as long as you fit in and play the banjo.

One thing I know about about Shap is that the residents REALLY love Shap. It's like a cult. Or The Wickerman.

Aglionby

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/135294314#/media?channel=RES_BUY&id=media1

Brampton

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137186459#/?channel=RES_BUY

Have you considered NW Lakes?

We moved from Oxfordshire to here a few years ago and love it!

Here’s a gorgeous property within your budget. And you’d have sunset over the sea views every night 😍
The views up there are stunning and doesn’t do the place justice.

White Haven is a fab marina town that’s up and coming, this summer a new marina building called the Edge completes, it’s 4.7 million project enhancing water sports in the area. Town is very old, quirky shops, growing yoga studios / art shops etc.

Mainline train station to Carlisle, in one hour, from there you can go loads of places.

Lakes 15 mins away, St Bees 10 mins away.

It’s the best up here! 😍

Oh and even in summer months very little traffic getting in and out of Lakes as it’s all going back out the opposite way south east, not NW!

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/133781459

I live between Lancaster and Kendal moved from Berkshire 2 years ago, would consider some of these suggestions abit bleak and cut off and find it noticeably colder East of Kirkby Lonsdale. I think you really have to travel round the area as it is all very personal.

Wetheral is a gorgeous village between Carlisle and Brampton. Family from Brampton and it's lovely. Ditto Heads Nook, Armathwaite.

Depends how close you need to be to places. Kirby Lonsdale is lush. Personally I'd go towards Arnside/Silverdale for convenience and pretty or if location no odds then NW Lakes. Less convenient, oh so beautiful.

Don't forget to look at transport links too. I'd avoid places without a train and regular buses, unless you want to spend your whole time driving around. Trust me, no one loves spending 2 hours waiting for the next bus in the depths of winter.

Motivation for moving - lifestyle change. We do not want to be in a large town, but would consider a small market town. Ideally we would love a village location but with shop, pub etc. We love the lakes and holiday there most years, in the usual touristy places. The reason for wanting to move is we are no longer tied to where we live and want to be outdoors more, walking with the dogs, cycling etc.

Do not move to Shap 🤣

In that case, I'd guess a good network of paths to walk from your front door (for taking the dogs out, and having variety without using a car) is a "must have", and some of these locations will be better for that than others.

Not all rural locations have lots of nice paths (that don’t turn into unwalkable quagmires in winter) on the doorstep. And some of the suggestions above are a lot more isolated than others and won't give you access to the amenities you want.

My strong advice would be to visit all the places suggested that sound good to you. This is a big move, so it's worth investing the time.