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Rural living

Looking to relocate to the countryside? Find advice in our Rural Living forum.

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North Yorkshire living

31 replies

Frokni · 29/09/2020 09:19

Good morning mumsnet,

When Covid has passed my DH and our DDs want to travel the UK and find some new small towns and villages, and if possible, a nice place to relocate with a character property and a patch of land.

I have heard that school standards around the Dales and parts of North Yorkshire are of a good standard and that quality of life is high.

For those who live there or know a lot about it, could you please elaborate on why you think it is a good place to live or not?

Thanks 😊

OP posts:

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Sitdowncupoftea · 29/10/2020 16:57

Where abouts as its a big area.

Frokni · 30/10/2020 12:36

Hi there @Sitdowncupoftea I was thinking roughly around Settle (10 mile radius)? Have family from Settle.

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Sitdowncupoftea · 30/10/2020 13:22

@Frokni I'm not familiar with Settle area sorry.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 30/10/2020 13:30

I am in North Yorkshire and love it and yes I would say quality of life is high, if you’re not the sort of person who needs city type action. It’s not for everyone.
I don’t know Settle, but there are many market towns with a sense of community and a bit of life.

Frokni · 31/10/2020 14:22

Hi there @TheCountessofFitzdotterel thanks for the information. What areas do you like/live/enjoy living near? I can gather some inspiration for other places too.
Thank you :-)

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Bananasandorangesss · 13/11/2020 08:03

I have a holiday let cottage in the Dales - it’s a beautiful and wonderful area that I absolutely love and so do my children - we go every school holiday - so am familiar with it from that perspective. I definitely wouldn’t rate education as amazing though - there is Sedbergh School but that’s about it in terms of good private schools. The local state secondary schools are often big and serving large areas including many villages. Grammar schools are huge plus - if you went Harrogate way I think you would have much better schools and also it’s a great town to have at your doorstep. I’m not so familiar with settle area as my cottage is in Swaledale so I don’t get over there much. I would definitely say the quality of life is good but it does depend on what you’re looking for. As much as I LOVE the Dales and spend weeks there each year, I’m not sure I could live there permanently.

Frokni · 13/11/2020 13:27

Thanks @Bananasandorangesss Swaledale looks beautiful too. You are very lucky. Thanks for all the advice. I have heard Harrogate is lovely and another place on my list to visit.

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MayBlossom · 19/11/2020 11:55

I live less than 10 miles from Settle but over the border in rural Lancashire so our nearest town is actually Clitheroe. I have friends in Settle who all seem happy there. It is very small though so you are more limited in terms of choice of schools (only one state high), supermarkets, sports facilities etc although there appears to be a very good community feel. My dad lives in Harrogate which is obviously totally different - much bigger, plenty of facilities and choice a pleasant place but it is very expensive in terms of property prices. It does have several excellent state schools. If I were you I would look at the Skipton area as it is a half-hour drive at most from both Settle and Harrogate so you are within striking distance for visiting. Skipton is bigger than Settle so more facilities/choices but not as big or expensive as Harrogate. It also has single-sex, selective state grammar schools which are highly regarded.

Frokni · 19/11/2020 12:26

@MayBlossom I am adding Skipton to the list of post-vaccine trips for 2021! Thank you. I know of Skipton but have never been myself.

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QueenOfToast · 19/11/2020 12:42

Joining your thread because I want to move to North Yorkshire too!

I like the sound of Skipton, Ilkley, Wetherby and Harrogate but need to spend more time in those areas to get to know them a bit.

Luckily, I won't need to worry about quality of schools because youngest DS is now year 12 so hopefully he'll be off at uni by the time we make our move.

I do, however, need to spend the next couple of years reassuring my southerner DH that moving to The North won't be too scary for him!

Let me know how you get on in your search. I'm now hurrying off to see where Settle is ...

Frokni · 20/11/2020 21:07

Hi @QueenOfToast that's fantastic news! Wishing you so much luck for your move. Do let us know your progress and findings as you search out different places.
Will look up Ilkey and Wetherby too.

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MayBlossom · 26/11/2020 14:52

Frokni and Queen of Toast, you may have seen that Skipton and Harrogate were last week named amongst the top ten happiest places to live in the UK (Skipton 2nd & Harrogate 9th). Not sure how many people were surveyed or what the criteria for happiness were but better to be in the top ten than bottom ten I would say. Suspect weather would have been a detracting factor for both - not very wet but cold in winter months (Queen, your southerner DH might find this an issue at first; mine (Cornish) did until he revamped his wardrobe.

QueenOfToast · 26/11/2020 17:05

@MayBlossom Thanks for that excellent propaganda. I will casually mention it to DH over supper!

Frokni · 26/11/2020 17:47

Hi @MayBlossom Harrogate always makes the lists so I am pleased it's in there again. Skipton is very high up which is just great too!
Will search out the list online as I think it's a great way to research places to visit too.
:-)

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Springsoonplease · 14/03/2021 23:32

North yorks is fab .

PennineBSU · 17/06/2021 10:53

Free NHS Breast Screening invites going out Sept to early 2022 in the Skipton area to eligible women

One of the cancer screening programmes for those registered as female at their surgery to those aged 50-70yrs. Open letters will go out over the 4 months, so women wait for their invite then ring in. The mobile will be at Skipton Tesco though there are other sites not so local to Skipton available too.
The trend is for the women aged 50-53, those being invited for the first time to not have a great uptake. So engaging with younger women is helpful. We offer (free)group chats that generate conversation to share information. Online and F2F. FInd us on FB, Twitter, IG @PennineBSU

caringcarer · 17/06/2021 11:05

I lived in North Yorkshire about 30 years ago. I lived at North Cowton which is a rural village in Northallerton. There was one primary school that had 2 classes. Both my children thrived under a no nonsense teacher who gave them a solid start. We had a great quality of life then. Both children went horse riding twice a week and swimming too. They played hide and seek behind giant hay bales and went on Livy bike rides. Close to Richmond. We also had regular trips to Scarborough for unspoilt coast. Everyone was very friendly their too. When we moved there with DH job I was a bit worried as used to city but I cried when we had to leave 5 years later.

Idontgiveagriffindamn · 17/06/2021 11:28

We live in West Yorkshire but very near Skipton. Skipton is lovely and has decent schools there are plenty of restaurants as well.
Harrogate is bigger with most shops and more of a ‘city’ feel to it.
My inlaws live in a village in Swaledale near Leyburn and Richmond. It’s lovely but very, very quiet. You’d need to drive as transport links are poor.

MarieInternette · 21/06/2021 12:38

Have you looked at Ripon? Good transport links nearby (A1 motorway nearby, train direct to London from Thirsk takes around 2 hrs, Harrogate 30 mins by regular bus which then goes on to Leeds). Excellent selective grammar school. 20 mins drive to Harrogate.

It’s a city with a lovely cathedral but very much more like a market town. Tennis club, new swimming pool, cinema (due to reopen soon apparently) race course, lots of gyms and lots of supermarkets inc M & S. The villages surrounding are lovely and beautiful countryside on the doorstep inc Fountains Abbey and Newby Hall.

Property prices are more reasonable than Harrogate and it doesn’t have the traffic Harrogate does. I live nearby and can very much recommend it.

HazelnutCookies · 13/07/2021 00:29

@Idontgiveagriffindamn your in laws don’t live in Reeth do they by any chance?

Foxhasbigsocks · 13/07/2021 02:15

Pros for me were beautiful countryside, old fashioned in a good way, culture of blunt, honest and straightforward approach, people generally friendly.

Cons were can be insular and narrow minded. Eg when I lived there years back quite a few people locally talked about how they wanted to bring back the death penalty. I wouldn’t advise a guardian-reading woke type to move to the moors villages e.g. as I think it could be a bit fish out of water for them

Idontgiveagriffindamn · 13/07/2021 05:57

[quote HazelnutCookies]@Idontgiveagriffindamn your in laws don’t live in Reeth do they by any chance?[/quote]
They do.

Phillipa12 · 13/07/2021 06:47

Queenoftoast I'm from Wiltshire and am sadly now back in Wiltshire but I spent 15 years living in Harrogate and then just outside Ripon and if I could I would move back to North Yorkshire in a heart beat. I miss everything, the people, the places, even the weather, you certainly need a coat that covers your arse especially when your stood on a windswept dales school playground in midwinter. I hope you convince your dh, it really was a move that I never regretted.

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HazelnutCookies · 13/07/2021 08:11

@Idontgiveagriffindamn oh what a coincidence, we have a holiday cottage there. Thought it must be from the description of location!

Idontgiveagriffindamn · 13/07/2021 08:46

@HazelnutCookies it’s a beautiful place - perfect for a holiday cottage.
We love visiting the inlaws place. We haven’t been since the pandemic started - can’t wait to get back.

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