Beverley, Driffield or Market Weighton?

[perplexedandbemused]

Considering a move from Bristol to Yorkshire. We've narrowed it down to Beverley, Driffield or Market Weighton. Looking for any insight/feedback into life in those places to help us choose.

Few things people seem to like to know on these threads:

• my partner and I have home based jobs - so no geographical ties
• We have no family in the UK
• We're a family of 4 (2 primary school aged kids) - we're pretty active/outdoorsy. Love watersports in particular and would like to get into climbing.
• we're aware that things like future jobs for the children will likely be more difficult in Yorkshire than Bristol but on balance feel like the 10ish years in between now and the kids being of working age would be better spent in a place where we'd have more disposable income.

The move is largely financially driven, but also things like space (we're in a 2 bed house with one toilet and no outdoor storage ATM) and aire quality. We are managing currently, noone is hungry, we're clothed and can turn the heating on when needed etc. But there is very little 'fun money' for holidays, babysitters, meals out, after school clubs, gym memberships etc. We're basically at work/school and then at home hanging out. Which we like to do, but it would be nice to feel like we had the option to do things of an evening rather than worrying about the impact on finances.

Having researched all three places were confident if we moved we would likely gain a bedroom, a reception room and a garage and still release equity from our home, even after covering moving costs. We could then use this to pay off more of the mortgage, bringing down the monthly outgoings which would mean we could relax quite a bit when it comes to spending money. Be nice to have the kids see an ice cream van and not say "there's no point asking, they won't say yes" :(

So that's about us and the motivations. Be lovely if anyone had anything to say about those three towns which would help us choose!

You’re right, I’m a slug!

So did I!

I'd choose Beverley out of your three choices.

When you go up next week take a look at Walkington just outside Beverley.

If you’re planning to come up to visit, the town council put free events on for kids on Fridays throughout the holidays. It would give you a good feel for the town.

Another highlight that’s Driffield-unique is the annual scrambling morning.

All the kids are invited to meet up one day around New Year and they go around town standing outside each shop and shouting a traditional chant and the shop keepers come and throw them sweets.

Mine absolutely loved it and came home with carrier bags full!

I had a job when I was 14, so was more thinking of that age rather than them being adults who stay near us. Though that would be lovely. Saying that I have several colleagues who still have 22-25 year olds at home saving for house deposits!

Thanks for the school and climbing info 🤩

Ah I'd heard about scrambling!!! It's so beautiful that things like that still happen 😊

@GingerLiberalFeminist @Freysimo 😂😂

@Inthesnug @tishtishboom good to know though, toddler pace it's probably more like 55 minutes! Though we cycle most places! Just used to it now so mostly we look at how far somewhere is on the bike :);

If you're a cyclist you can join the Beverley Knights 😁

@Georgethecat1 Cottingham falls under East Riding of Yorkshire council, not Hull City Council

This is amazing!!!

Not sure I'll fit in with this though....

I'd echo what others have said about Beverley then either Pocklington or Driffield. I have lived in/near Bev for 20 years and initially found it quite hard, but with kids it was much better. There is a cinema, theatre, really good secondary schools, plenty going on generally and lot more diverse than much of the rest of East Yorkshire. You don't get as much house/garden for your money though.
One thing I do love very much about living here is the massive skies- not like anywhere else I've ever lived (including France and Cumbria) and it lifts my heart every time we drive home. It's like the horizon just cranks open a few more degrees.
You'll find it colder but drier than Bristol too. And it snows more frequently even with rising temperatures. There are frustrations, mostly lack of cultural stuff that I'd like to do more of, but it is generally a lovely place to be.

Oh sky!! I've just stood on a stool in the window to catch a glimpse of the incredible moon out tonight. Would love more sky than is available on our snaking terrace. How wonderful. My heart lifts currently when we're heading down the M4 and start spotting hot air balloons on the horizon, they're like the beacons on Bristol! It's a lovely feeling to have when heading towards home and I'm glad you've found it too! I've sincerely loved this city, but know it's time for a change.

I've always lived on the west coast so it being drier will be a change! Colder I'm hoping we can handle as we all quite like to wrap up and start to get a bit grumpy if the temperature gets higher than 25°!

Thank you so much for your comment.

One thing I love when driving into Beverley on The Westwood, apart from The Pasture are the cows that roam freely, I’ve had to stop driving several times whilst the cows casually cross the road and then cross back again, it’s a fabulous sight (although probably not if you have to drive it every day!).

The Parkway cinema at Flemingate is great, cheap tickets and there’s a great play area right by it as well as a few coffee shops and restaurants.

Thing is Pock is being used by folk in York who are being priced out by those with big money moving in to the city. It’s happening all over as people who now work from home discover they can live somewhere less expensive ie mainly the desirable parts of the north. I don’t have the same budget (around £100k less) and I can’t find much there despite having family who give me the nod if they see something. Over offering is definitely a thing nowadays and it’s bloody infuriating.

I went to Driffield school, which was excellent in those distant days, and grew up in a nearby village. I’d choose Beverley over Driffield if you can afford it but housing is more expensive there. Beverley has the peerless Westwood and better shops and restaurants (after years of being surprisingly shit for the latter). It is much prettier. There are lots of clubs and activities. I went to excellent drawing classes there.

You will get a better house for your money in Driffield and it’s fine, plainer than Beverley and more parochial. I’d choose Pocklington over Driffield though.

I’d go:

Beverley
Pocklington
Driffield
Market Weighton

There is a reason Beverley is more expensive.

Lots of bright days in winter in East Yorkshire!

Oh I'm so sorry to hear that. I completely sympathise as that's largely what's happened in Bristol. Pre COVID we had talked about potentially moving to a bigger house within the city, or in a smaller town on the outskirts (once we needed the space) but the cost of property here has gone up so much that the average house with the space we'd like, in the nice areas, is now upwards of half a million pounds. A house on my favourite road within walking distance of us recently sold for £780k!! Just not achievable for us in the slightest. Reaches a point where if you're moving an hour away and uprooting from school etc that we'd rather actually just properly jump ship and tick all the location boxes, get a bigger house etc and settle down somewhere new.

However I can appreciate that people like us then looking for property elsewhere is causing that issue to spread further around the country. It's like dominoes.

Did you end up moving, OP?

Hey @Elbone ! It all went on a bit of a back burner as we had some family stuff to attend to abroad, but the house is on the market and we've been going back and forth looking at places up there! We've been able to up our budget a bit, which has given us a few more options. Still keeping an eye both in Driffield and Beverley/the surrounding villages. Think it's going to come down to the house at the end of the day. But hopefully we'll be there in time for the start of the next school year :)

Aw what a small world! I grew up in Driffield and had a very happy childhood. Not a lot there but cafes, main shops you need. A lot of travelling out of town to Hull though when we needed clothes. Good parks and very friendly people.

I now live in Hull and I’m 28 but only because there wasn’t really job opportunities local. I’m a nurse so left to pursue that but I do feel at home everytime I come back to Driffield to visit family. I always felt it was the type of community where everyone knows everyone

Oh that’s so exciting!
Let me know if you do end up in Driffield. I’ll meet you for a coffee ☺️

That would be so great :D

I’m not too far from Driffield & would be excited to meet up 🥰

I was going to suggest looking here too. Good primary schools and great secondary school/sixth form. Fantastic local walks and easy to get to Hull/York/Leeds/Sheffield by train if you stick to Ferriby or Brough.