Like Bath but Up North

[AllTheDucks]

As with the title... we currently live in west Cornwall but with all the children now heading to university, we know we need to move as it's such a pain in the arse to get to and from here (and takes forever).

We'd like to live somewhere within an hour of an airport but that also has a bit of culture - good bookshops, restaurants, shops, theatre etc. We like Bath but really, it's still a bit south-westy and we'd prefer a change, prefereably in northern England near moors etc. Can anyone think of a place I'd like? All I can think of is Harrogate but have heard the traffic etc is awful.

My first thought was Harrogate!

What about Otley or Hebden Bridge? (Disclaimer: I'm a southerner myself and have no direct experience of living in these places!)

York is more the size/atmosphere of Bath. Harrogate is smaller, though still nice.

Or Chester?

Alternatively, not in the north, Chichester? Can't beat it for theatre - it's where they develop a lot of shows before they go to the west end.

Edit: I'm talking nonsense about how big Bath is, apologies, at least population wise.

Ilkley.

Newcastle- northeast people have shortest commutes to work and city has loads of culture. You could live just outside - Northumberland either North or West with beautiful wild scenery and the coast. There is an airport too, with Durham Tees Valley and Edinburgh in easy reach.

Knaresborough? Ive no real reason to suggest it but it seems nice.

Leeds?
York?
Durham?

Buxton has an opera house.

Chichester theatre is excellent too.

Bath is a soap town so i'd say Harrogate or Ilkley. Ilkley has a regular direct train service to Leeds and Bradford and an active local cultural scene (lit festival etc.).

I grew up there and wouldn't live there if you paid me, but I can see why people like it.

Spa town not soap town😂

Durham is nice but nowhere near like living in Bath for shopping, theatre, etc. Though Newcastle is 15 mins away, so that helps.

Hexham is also good for the same reason, if you want somewhere smaller but in reach of Newcastle.

Really like Berwick Upon Tweed too.

Just seen Lancaster on an old A Place in the Sun and it looks lovely.

Harrogate seems the obvious choice but there are lots of other nice options.
The traffic is bad by local standards but it is definitely worth a look.

I was going to say Buxton, too! Like Bath, a beautiful spa town, but in Mr Darcy territory.

Alnwick?

York
Lancaster

Edinburgh? Lots of Georgian architecture, touristy, reasonable shopping (Glasgow is better), near the coast, big airport. High taxes living in Scotland though.

Pickering
Malton
Helmsley
Pocklington
Selby

I'm glad you explained - I was trying to work it out, and my brain wasn't getting there!

I suspect it doesn't need to be a literal spa town, but somewhere with a theatre, museum, good train links. That usually means somewhere of a certain size. Spa towns mostly developed to cater to the monied classes and that's often reflected in the architecture and housing (at least the older housing stock.)

Brecon's small, but got a good theatre and Hay is just down the road, but transport is challenging. Cardiff might be okay.

Cheltenham? Not so much in the way of moors, though.

Chester is lovely!
Liverpool and manchester airport not to far away.
I live in a village called Tarporley (30 mins in a car to Chester centre and 30 mins to Manchester Airport /40 mins to Liverpool airport. Lots of beautiful places around Chester if you didn’t want to live to close to the centre

If you don't want to go that far, there's always Malvern, Gloucester or Wells.

Lancaster
Alnwick

If you are managing traffic in Bath/Bristol, you can manage Harrogate.
Ilkley, Skipton, York ???

York, Harrogate, Buxton

Further North - Durham, Berwick

Selby?!?! How's that like Bath, charity shops, cheap shops , polish shops, dog groomers, nail bars, some grubby pubs and a weatherspoon pub not really a diverse high street .
Nobody would relocate there by choice

Buxton!