Location help please - Lancashire & West Yorkshire

[Pyjamas90]

DH has a new job which means more remote working, he'll only be in a few times a month. I'm almost fully remote.

We're looking at a few locations but are not fully sure of the areas, ideally within 1 hour of Preston, we want somewhere more rural (ish) and not too overlooked. We like older houses and cottages but are focused more on location and garden.

We've seen a nice houses online in Pilling, Poulton le flyde, Carnforth, Keighley, Edenfields and Bacup. I don't know any of the areas too well, does anyone have any suggestions of areas or big no-go areas please?

Don't know any of the other areas but Keighley is a definite no go area unless you're talking about some of the villages nearby. It's an absolute dive.

Look at the villages around Chorley and south Ribble

Edenfield is lovely, as is Ramsbottom.
Avoid Bacup - back of beyond.

You haven't mentioned budget, but hebden bridge or Saltaire are both nice.

Bacup is the back of beyond. Very gloomy and dark as it's in a valley. Avoid that whole Rochdale/waterfoot area.

Keighley is a no go

Skipton and surrounding villages are lovely.

Ilkley lovely but expensive.

Cullingworth and oxenhope beautiful.

Tbh it's an absolutely enormous search area to be looking an hour from Preston. Why do you want to look so far from work? Will he not be expected in the office much?

Anywhere along the A59 is nice, Clitheroe, Ribchester etc

What's your budget?

Another vote for around Chorley, really handy for everything. Also around Clitheroe, lovely villages and area.

Thank you for the responses

He won't be in office much 4 or 5 times a month maximum. We're currently a 3 hour drive from my work but I only go in once a month.

Our budget is about 450-500

Yes, sorry should have been more clear, the villages around Keighley not the centre itself!

Our search area is big, its hard to know where to start looking.

We have next to no privacy where we are now. We're detached, which we want, but the houses are fairly close together and from my garden I can see into about 6 other gardens, this is what we're trying to avoid in the next place, if we can!😊

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/141431462#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146488283#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/139646912#/?channel=RES_BUY

Saddleworth - Uppermill, Delph, Diggle are nice Pennine villages with lots of stone built cottages etc - Uppermill particularly has lots going on and good shops, coffee shops, bars and restaurants

And Greenfield - train station there to Manchester/Preston - but walkable from Uppermill

Clitheroe, Kirby Lonsdale
Mawdesley, Croston, Parbold

You can get to kendal in less than an hour too, so cumbria could be in range if you wanted.

In Diggle
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/66596581/?search_identifier=ba62c7bd0fa4492dd2132de82b17bd6f9b7a1b10c3f25a45a8f3efd96fcde541

Do you have/will you hope to have DC?

A bit over your budget but this is lovely in Uppermill
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/67251878/?search_identifier=a24702e16a998a52eda22dc81137106ee08aa93931c4f4e69318d318fee2dc7d

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/139707899#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/147106793#/?channel=RES_BUY

A couple of options in Cumbria. Both less than an hour to Preston.

Which villages near Keighley are you looking at? I'm local and happy to advise which to avoid / which are nice!

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/148151474?utmcampaign=property-details&utmmcontent=buying&utmmedium=sharing&utmmsource=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

You could look around Todmorden. Lovely housing stock. A little more affordable than trendy Hebden Bridge. Stunning scenery but plenty of nice shops and places to eat. Market. Several supermarkets and direct train to Manchester.

I don’t get the Saddleworth love mentioned upthread - it’s sort of near nothing (apart from Oldham) and a nightmare in winter. Clitheroe is nice and parts of Preston are lovely - around Salmesbury and Hoghton. Edenfield is nice. Bacup is a no, no, no and no. Housing stock is cheap, but it’s also where all hope dies.

Lytham?

For Preston I'd go more towards Lancaster, some lovely places around there. Clitheroe and Ribble Valley good too. I love west Yorks but Lancs makes more sense or even Kendal as said upthread.

Quite a few of DHs colleagues lived in or near Poulton... their complaint with living on the Fylde was the time it took to get off it if you want to go anywhere else.
We're a bit north of Preston, much easier to go in all directions from there.

Do you/may you have kids ie need to consider schools?