Places to live for off road running/biking

[longcoffeebreak]

Can anyone recommend somewhere for me to live with great trail running with my dogs and off
road biking from (very near) my (imaginary at the moment) house in a friendly town somewhere?

Low crime rate, beautiful accessible landscape and good community. But not constantly raining!!

But also within 30 or so mins of a decent size city for arts/independent film/fun things to see and do/work for me/my teenagers?

@GradNonFashinista you get a lot of house in the Hope Valley and looks like the Sheffield and Manchester connections are good. That area is definitely going on the shortlist!!

@ohdizzy @Mexicocalling @CMOTDibbler
Looks like Malvern's got to go on the shortlist too.

Either Calderdale (Hebden, Tod etc) - fell running v popular and the Pennine Way is v close, or Rossendale - you’ve got the Mary Townley loop on your doorstep plus the quarries - boyfriend is a c keen gravel/MTBer. I’m more of a roadie so you’d see me struggling up Cragg Vale instead. Rochdale Canal is a good flattish ride from Manchester all the way up to Sowerby Bridge (Happy Valley area) and a bonus is the train line runs parallel so you can jump on that if you’ve got a mechanical. Both decently placed for nights out in Manchester or Leeds.

Devon obviously! We can be on Dartmoor in 20 mins or in the city in 30. What's not to love....ok apart from the rain!

@PauliesWalnuts sounds great. I had my DNA analysed as a present recently and apparently I have several hundred years of ancestry in West Yorkshire. Quite wet there though I think??

Buxton. Although it is rainy. 400k will get you a large 4/5 semi edwardian villa. As a pose to a 2 bed cottage in bakewell or grindleford or a 3 bed 1960s in dore.
Minus points 40 mins to sheffield 40 mins to south manc. (But less touristy and not full of sheffield folk at weekend)
Good music too.

Otherwise look the other way across the m1 to Retford. (Train to london).

My one woman campaign for Norfolk continues 😆

@Pinetreesfall hmm yes that's true - went to Okehampton once and went running it was great -- but then tried to use google maps to drive through Dartmoor to Chagford in a torrential rainstorm and nearly killed the hire-car I was in as the tiny roads became rivers 😬

www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-basic-soil-type-s-in-the-UK_fig1_277669269/amp

Dont move to somewhere with clay (heavy) soil if you’re not already used to your footwear and your dogs being caked in sticky, gluey, claggy muck that doesn’t drop off, won’t wipe off, and needs soap, warm water and scrubbing to even begin to shift it. Clay is hell if you like to be outdoors, it will drive you mad.

I moved to a different area due to my ex’s job. Viewed houses on dry summer days, not knowing the soil was like concrete. Moved in January and learned the hard way about clay mud. Don’t do it! I’d move away in a heartbeat if I could!

Obviously IRL it is not sideways

Most of Scotland

@Spudlet that just made me laugh out
loud! I feel i need to go and at least check Norfolk out!!

Planning on moving in 2024 so should have enough time to get there 😀

I've hear Norwich is nice and has a lovely cohousing community forming www.angelyard.org.uk but think it is too central to the city for me unfortunately as NO trail running!!

And £400K would get you a nice pile as long as you avoid Edinburgh

Im mostly just enjoying going through my pics now

I also give you Edwinstowe. 3 bed detached for under 400k. Sherwood Forest on your doorstep. Sherwood Pines mtb trail on your doorstep. Off road cycling to clumber park and more trails. Close to nottingham

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/129672095#/?channel=RES_BUY

also look at Southwell nearby

The Malverns has everything you are looking for.

I came on to say Malvern, Sheffield or Milngavie and they’ve all already been mentioned! If you want proper hills/more of a wilderness getting away from it feel these are great bets 👍 Milngavie is at the end of the west highland way.

Glad i made you smile 😁 Norwich is lovely, but definitely not as good for running or biking. But as long as you're in striking distance of the A11, its fairly easy to reach - well, at the moment it isn't because of some pretty longrunning roadworks. But they should be done by the time you move. Bury St Edmunds is a bit smaller but also nice, and closer to the forest. You can easily do a half marathon around the Kings Forest and barely have to cross a road.

If you’re on a budget have a look at east coast- from sheffield, through Wakefield, Leeds, and up to the Tees and N Yorks.

less rain that side of the country. Lots of walks along the transpennine trail, you can follow the canal towpaths for miles, further north there’s the Lyke Wake Walk.

leeds has some great areas on the outskirts that are accessible yet still have that muddy rural feel.

@YourWinter argh yes another factor for the algorithm

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/127146674#/floorplan?activePlan=1&channel=RES_BUY

365k detached in southwell

Will google maps it - house is big!!

Bedgebury Pinetum in Kent would suit your cycling needs. Also Bewl water which isn’t far away for cycling and walking or running.

Somewhere in Bournemouth Bay?

Very low rainfall. Fantastic seaside and inland walks. Swanage beach is dog-friendly year round as I recall. And Bournemouth has a great arts scene.

As for property: Boscombe is shabby-Victorian and more affordable than Bournemouth/Pool.

Poole