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Lancaster/Kendal/Windermere area relocation!

2 replies

3pickles · 25/09/2026 07:00

Firstly, thank you for reading this message and if you have some input I would love to hear it!

We are looking to move somewhere between Lancaster/Kendal/just north of Windermere, but I honestly do not know where to begin!

My priorities are:

Trains/frequent buses within reach.

Excellent primary and secondary schools in a sense that they have supportive pastoral care and have effective systems in place to manage behaviour and bullying.

We are a mixed race family, so a welcoming community is important.

Would like a nice safe area with plenty of activities for the children such as boxing/self defence, ballet/street dance, football, swimming, are the children’s main passions (and me - gym).

Depending on mortgage will have a budget £450-£650k for a 4 bed (or 3 bed with potential to extend).

We have spent quite a lot of time in the area and also have friends that live around the region too, but they have no children so have a different perspective of the areas. So would appreciate any first hand experience of raising a family or knowledge of schools.

Would greatly appreciate input on which areas to consider and why. Perhaps any that might not fit our bill too!

OP posts:
Eagledaddy · 25/09/2026 16:33

Kendal & Lancaster have good travel links and a fair bit going on - rail, M6 etc. Windermere a bit further off the beaten track but still accessible. RGS Lancaster is the most well known and popular school - but competitive to get into. Lots of nice areas & villages, but if safety was an issue Lancaster probably lower down the list - not an 'escape to the country' type of place IMO. The wider area is pleasant rural - and I'd expect most schools & communities to match that feel.

Much of the area is very much still White British - Kendal & Windermere are 3% ethnic minorities in the last census. Lancaster about 10%. I'm not qualified to speak about the experience of people in those minorities.

3pickles · 29/09/2026 06:04

thank you @Eagledaddy.

We have been in the area for the last few days and certainly like Kendal and so many lovely villages around. The bus network appears to be really good too!

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