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 😀

Also, don't assume that just because you love holidaying in Ambleside/Grasmere, that you will also love living in Penrith/Shap/Kirkby Stephen. They may be in the same county, but there are probably more difference than similarities.

Why not?

It's a village with a school, two shops, a cafe, a couple of pubs, a good chippy, a library, loads of walks etc.

5 mins from the M6, 20 mins to Penrith.

Guaranteed snow in winter if that's what you like.

Even has a farmers market once a month!

Not understanding the snobbiness around Shap! So many Cumbrian villages have become soulless due to second homes etc it's refreshing to find somewhere that people actually live in and still have roots in. I'd rather be there than the tourists villages like Pooley Bridge, Hawkshead or Cartmel!

I'm not being snobby. It might have a library and a pub (bonus points cause reading and beer are the best things obvs) but bloody hell, talk about guaranteed shit weather. You'll be blown on your arse walking from the library to said pub 10 months of the year.

And I suggested Milnthorpe, not Pooley 🤣

I've never, ever heard anyone say Whitehaven (not "White Haven") was up and coming. The town has potential but...

Are you an estate agent?

I would suggest if you want to move to the Lakes then do exactly that, move into the LDNP or to one of the villages which is directly on the border of it. Your budget will allow you to do that, you may need to compromise on the type, size and location though but everything you want will be on your doorstep.

I live within minutes of the major honeypot tourist areas within the park, yet today have walked my dogs from our house directly onto the fells and not seen another person. That tranquility is still possible even in somewhere as busy as the Lakes but you also have to accept if you wish to live somewhere where there is a shop etc, it will be busier due to the visitors - coming on holiday here and living here is very different.

Property does not often come onto the market here, unless it is the holiday let kind and many of the bigger properties are sold without ever reaching the open market.

I personally would rent for at least 6 months.

As I said…. They’re investing £4.7 million into the Edge at the Marina, house prices are still cheap compared to the rest of the UK, you have a lovely historical town, the sea, mountains and lakes on your doorstep, yes I do think the area will only keep going upwards, there’s new shops and businesses opening up too.… you’re entitled to your opinion as I am mine 🤷🏽‍♀️

Appleby horse fair. I wouldn't touch the place with a barge pole

Sorry, but it needs a lot more than £4.7million spending on Whitehaven! I have nothing against the place particularly, but it does need a lot of investment to make it into anywhere that someone dreaming of a Lake District lifestyle would want to be

but, in general, I would support anyone looking at west Cumbria, it has some fab areas.

But OP, your budget is massive. If it's just the 2 of you plus visitors then do you really want a massive 5/6 bed house? If I were you, I'd be buying something idyllic within the Park boundaries that's smaller

Yes, a lot of the RightMove links posted are to 6+ bed houses - one was even 10 bed. The OP has given no indication that she needs somewhere that big, and her budget would easily buy a slightly smaller place actually in the Lakes.

I have a friend who lived in Appleby and eventually left because the two weeks of the horse fair was hell on Earth for her.

I agree Sorry but Whitehaven is not up and coming. I’ve been a few times and it’s like stepping back in time 20 years

There is a lot of investment going into Whitehaven and improvements have been made but it still has a loooooooong way to go!

It's sad really. There is some beautiful art deco style architecture to be found in Whitehaven / Maryport / Workington but that whole area has been deprived and neglected for so long.

This place is in your budget, in the LDNP and absolutely stunning 😍

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146203085?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Sheesh, don't go to scaryport either.

I think the update with your budget means you can buy within the park.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/143100617

I lived near a large permanent traveller camp and it was generally fine, but the Fair is totally different. It’s the traveller equivalent of a big Wembley match or the Gold Cup so - just as with those events- there is a lot of obnoxious behaviour. The difference with Appleby, compared to those events, is that it goes on for weeks, all told. Definitely wouldn’t live there.

Lots of misplaced concerns over the horse fair. Unless you are planning to live in Appleby itself then as long as you check the routes for the fair you can avoid any issues. Someone suggested Kirkby Stephen and they have terrible problems on the lead up to the fair.

The majority of villages surrounding Appleby have no problems at all.

I’d look anywhere in the Eden Valley or north of the national park if you want value for money. Remember much of the park gets clogged with visitors and I’d want to avoid that at all costs.

People who live in Shap do really love Shap. The open air swimming pool was missed off the list of attractions! There are a few outdoor pools dotted about the Eden Valley. Not really the weather up here most of the time but my DC’s school had all their swimming lessons at one!

I forgot to add that Appleby has two butchers, a baker, a greengrocers and a brilliant ironmongers that sells everything from sheep fencing to ladles.

TakeOnFlea, That is beautiful, stunning location and has a view of Ullswater lake! OP would you consider something like that?

Cockermouth, Brampton or Eden Valley.

Appleby!! 1000% no, because of the horse fair. I uses to live in Stow on the wold, which had a much smaller event like the onebin Appleby. Used to get loads of shed break ins, stealing from the shops, fights in the pubs, and the sheer mess and destruction left behind...

It's literally right next door to a large camping/caravan park.... there will be drawbacks to that!

With the OP's budget she has the option to look at places that are better located.

So many racists on this thread 😡

So fucking sick of people thinking it's okay to be racist if it's about gypsies and travellers.

I agree with you up to a point, but try going to the Fair, and you will understand.

As I said upthread, behaviour is no worse than behaviour at big events for non-travellers with lots of drunk young men, but it’s still a hell of a thing to live with for weeks each year.

Its what you can get for your money though. For two people who are home workers the extra bedrooms will probably be invaluable as individual office spaces

Plus the OP said they have a school age child who is homeschooled and another who is at university. 3 bedrooms min plus an office each... perhaps a room for hobbies, dressing room etc? Room for the grandkids in the future.

Not atvall. There are obviously respectful and disrespectful participants in literally every large gathering, the Appleby horse fair included. If you go to any festival it’s the same, many people don’t give a fuck they litter and vandalise and give other people grief. The same happens at Appleby but the problem is it’s a small town and having that many people (and that includes the badly behaved minority) is more than a small town can handle.

Op, I'd look at penrith, kendal, Grange Over Sands, ulverston. Having grown up in the middle of the lake district, its beautiful, but it can be a royal pain. It takes forever to get anywhere when tourists arrive, transport links, shops, life for teens/young adults can be limited. Smaller villages/places further out can be lonely places.
The small towns I've mentioned all have more going on. I'm currently living in Grange, it's great. My teens can hop on the bus or train to Lancaster/ulverston/kendal. We have convenience food shops alongside independents, and loads of voluntary groups to get involved in. Cartmel is literally a stones throw for pubs / fancy dining. I can see the sea and the lake district is a spit away. Its also far less touristy, so no traffic jams. Its a joy.