What part of Lancashire?

[Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrringles]

We are planning on relocating to Lancashire, but don’t know which part.
We were swaying towards Preston, but after visiting we felt unsure because I didn’t like the city centre layout - it felt too easy to be run over, and it seemed a bit too lively on a Saturday!
We have heard only negative things about Burnley and Blackburn (can anyone confirm or deny?). We considered Chorley, but unsure. Lancaster looks lovely, but the grammar school system there has put us off as our eldest will already be Y7.
Obviously actually living in these places would be very different to visiting though anyway, so it would be good to hear opinions.
Also, if anyone could suggest other places that might be suitable that would be appreciated.

Our criteria is:

budget: 190k max

We need good public transport

somewhere that has a train station.

amenities - hospital vital, things for the DC to do, cinema, parks, supermarkets nearby

WFH so jobs not a problem.

DC in primary and secondary school.

Somewhere friendly - community feel, if that still exists.

Can anyone give me some advice?

Thanks!

Try Higher Walton or close by. It’s a lovely area and you’re likely to get something within your budget. Coupe Green Primary School is brilliant. Not clued up on the secondary’s but there are a lot nearby.

My sister lives in St Anne's and loves it, and my 14 year old niece has thrived in the schools there. She goes to ?LSA high school I think it's called and I think her primary was St Thomas. It's a C of E school but I think most of the primaries at least are C of E. We were brought up RC but I don't think that matters, they accept all faiths or none afaik

Sorry I didn't realise this has been up since July, I already responded and have just repeated myself!

I revived my own thread because we are still looking and you are all so wonderfully helpful.

I’m thankful for every contribution, it’s all helping!

I had a nosey on right move and saw this too!
This is really lovely and ideal area OP. Very easy to access both Morecambe and Lancaster.
My nanna used to live round here, it's not too quiet but also not too busy.
The closest school would be torrisolhm primary which has an excellent rating. There's also other primary's which have a good reputation.

@RandomMess

Torrisholme is still Lancaster 🤷🏽‍♀️ - it's quite difficult to work out the line for what is Lancaster and Morecambe tbh.

Torrisholme is definitely Morecambe. The "border" is the land on which the Lancaster & Morecambe college is situated, so nowadays is basically the new by pass road. Until bus rationalisation, Lancaster council buses would "terminate" at Endsleigh Grove (opposite the college on Lancaster Road) and Morecambe council buses terminated at Torrisholme square. There's also plaque & street signs on Morecambe Road (other side of college) showing "Morecambe road (Morecambe)" pointing towards Morecambe and "Morecambe Road (Lancaster)" pointing towards Lancaster.

I’m late to this thread but wanted to echo everyone else’s thoughts on Lancaster. I love living here, it’s got a great vibe and great for teenagers, being very safe and with fab transport links. I have DC at two of the good schools already mentioned, and I work in a school too. The grammar schools and Ripley are fab but there tends to be a waitlist for in year admissions. As others have said, Central High is very good too.
I think although Torrisholme is technically Morecambe, it’s a great area for families and definitely worth a look. Good luck with your search OP.

@Badbadbunny I'm not a born and bred local and I find the local insistence of stating which specific local tiny area you live in is very odd! Saying South Lancaster is never enough.

I'm not sure who has insisted to me that Torrisholme was Lancaster 🧐 I still can't get my head around that the big Asda is Lancaster but over the road isn't and so on.

I guess they are using that it's in the City of Lancaster District?

I presume it's because Lancaster and Morecambe used to be completely separate towns until local government reorganisation and there was a definite green belt between the two. Both have "crept" towards each other with new buildings etc over the past few decades.

Lytham is a lovely area on the north west coast, a seaside town with a sandy beach, windmill, lovely cafes and independent shops and well known golf course. Not far from Blackpool but worlds apart.

Hello, I'm in Heysham. Good bus service to Morecambe and Lancaster, 2x bus to Lancaster takes under 25 mins to city centre. Bypass to Lancaster or bay gateway to M6 north and south. Heysham has a library, good primary schools, doctor's surgery, large co-op, Aldi/Lidl Morrisons 2-3 miles away or shopping can be delivered. It's semi rural here, lots of farm land, nature reserves ect. Heysham head is lovely

The prom starts at Heysham, nice walk.. Heysham village is lovely with cafes and events (vintage car, viking festival)

Overton/Middleton also a possibility but limited buses for DC to go to secondary school.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136446041#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/149654909#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/151638188#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/149654909#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/151684655#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146246951#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/148980491#/?channel=RES_BUY

This one's in the village:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/147921587#/?channel=RES_BUY

I live near Preston in South Ribble. Penwortham/Hutton/Longton/Walmer Bridge areas are nice, have decent travel links into Preston for the station and good local schools both primary and secondary. Prices have gone a bit mad in recent years though. Tarleton/Hesketh Bank you get more for your budget, but it's a bit more rural for public transport links and things to do. Bits of Leyland are fine, and again budget would go further. Euxton is another area to look at maybe? Buckshaw I'd personally avoid, sprawling housing estate.

We don't really ever go into Preston, but the area has good links to bigger cities for shopping. You can be up in the Lakes or in Manchester in about an hour!

Good luck with your search!

I grew up in Chorley and now live in Buckshaw. We love it here - nice to walk the dog each day, loads of parks for the toddler, shops we need on the doorstep and other shops not a million miles away. Husband uses the train station for work (whether the actual train is running is another matter, cheers Northern!). We've had no issues and have been here 10 years (in 2 houses).

Close enough to Preston, Manc, LPool, the lakes, a few beaches...

Good motorway networks

New builds aren't for everyone which is fair enough but it's given us easy living with everything we want and need just a stone's throw away.

Some of it is heavily built up and overlooked - our first house here was overlooked at the back on all 3 sides but there are also plenty of houses where you're not overlooked at all - we have houses to the back of us now but because of the street layout, and where the garages are, no one's house actively overlooks us.

Neveranynamesleft · Today 16:06
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Lytham is a lovely area on the north west coast, a seaside town with a sandy beach”

Sorry to be pedantic but the sandy beach is in St. Annes. Not much of a beach at Lytham. Muddy/stony/boggy bit next to the estuary.
You’d be very unlikely to find much in Lytham at OP’s budget. Much more possible in St. Annes

I would choose you school and then ent in the catchment for a year to get your DCs in and get the lay of the land. Areas can have very nuanced issues/benefits and by being on the ground over time you will find the best street / area to meet all your needs. I dont think its a waste of monet renting for a year - I think its a prudent investment as moving again would be a hugely costly mistake. I also think if you are renting you can be a bit creative with the property and location s its only for a short time.

@Milkand2sugarsplease regarding Buckshaw Village - if there isn’t a high school close by, are there direct buses to the surrounding high schools from Buckshaw village?

Yes, my son has just started at one high school and has friends from primary who have gone to all the surrounding schools and they are travelling by various options - public bus, school bus, shared lifts etc. my son has jumped on the train too and wandered home from the train station on Buckshaw.

What is your budget and requirements for the house?
I live in a village near Lancaster and grew up here so am very familiar with all the areas.
I agree avoid Morecambe (particularly central and the West End).
The only parts of Morecambe that are ok are Bare and Torrisholme, they are areas of Morecambe not really separate villages as such.
Torrisholme Road is in Rylands (part of Lancaster) and not in Torrisholme (Morecambe) it's just a road that is heading towards Torrisholme hence the name!
Have you looked at other villages around Lancaster?

@Myotherusernamesafunnyone budget £190k, requirements 3 bedrooms, would have liked 2 bathrooms or downstairs toilet (but think that’s out of budget), a garden of some sort. Good transport links (because I don’t drive), schools (that are more likely to have places) close by.
I haven’t looked at villages, only because I wouldn’t really know where to start and worry about transport.
All ideas are welcome though.

Thank you for the explanation about Torrisholme Road!

I've done a quick rightmove search
Yes to
Greaves, boweham, caton, galgate, scale hall, Morecambe road
Nos as per my last message

Only just seen this thread but I live in Preston and think it's a great place to live.

The two main suburban areas are Penwortham and Fulwood. I personally think Penwortham is a nicer area, it feels more like a community. Your budget will go further in Fulwood, but it feels a bit like a dormitory IMO. Closer to the city centre, Ashton is well worth a look, as is Middleforth (sometimes called Lower Penwortham). I actually live in Broadgate, an inner urban area between the station and the river, mostly terraced housing. I love it and the diverse community we have here, but recognise it may not be everyone's cup of tea (not many gardens, hardly any off-street parking etc.

You mentioned Buckshaw Village upthread. I don't know anything about the schools there, but it looks like a good place for young families. Preston has better transport links though.

I'm not a fan of Leyland, but don't know it very well.

The transport system ranges from OK to not great, depending on where you live. The main thing is to have easy access to the railway station, which is one of the reasons why Penwortham is very popular. The bus station and the railway station are at opposite ends of the city centre, which is not ideal. If you cycle, the bike networks are improving all the time. And that's another advantage of the part of Preston I live in, it's a ten minute walk to town.

@DistractMe Thank you for the information about Preston, it’s really helpful.

The thing that worries me about Preston is the high schools seems to be oversubscribed.

Does anyone know what would happen if we moved to a town and all of the schools are full? What’s the furthest we could be sent in Lancashire? Could we be sent anywhere in Lancashire, or would they have to find my DC somewhere in the town we choose to live in? I wake up in a sweat sometimes thinking what if my DC end up in schools hours away from each other!

I don't know, it's a mystery to me how many new houses are being built in various areas but afaik no new secondary schools (not sure about primaries). I'm not sure how you'd find out what the situation is, maybe a specific thread on the Education board might be an idea?

I'm afraid I don't know either. The only kids I hear of that travel out of town for school are to a couple of private schools and a few who get the train to Lancaster Grammar. I think everyone in Preston gets a place somewhere, maybe just not where they want.

There are quite a few Catholic secondaries in Preston, so that might help you if you are also Catholic. My son went to Archbishop Temple, the one CofE secondary, but it was quite a few years ago, so our experience is well out of date.

Not sure if they all over subscribed in Penwortham - are your children boys or girls . Hutton Grammar (not actually still a grammar) might not be but that’s boys only. Penwortham Girls is outstanding and probably over subscribed. Keep hearing good things about Priory in Penwortham. That’s boys and girls - no personal experience of that school though.