Beautiful Places with a decent service

[JamesM]

Good evening!

With my job I can pretty much move anywhere in the UK - but ideally I'd like to be based 1hr/1hr 30 from Manchester - maximum 2 hours.

My main criteria is that the house is in a very scenic place, but max 5 miles from a station with a reasonable train service to Manchester (ie - at least *least* once an hour - and ideally not a chugger service that means I can't get any work done).

So, beautiful places, with a decent train service?

I remember being in the New Forest recently and being really impressed with the service from Brockenhurst.

PS - I might repeat this exercise with London as an option at some point.

Hope this is a thread people enjoy,

best,

James

 

[harry42]

Hadfield? Glossop?

 

[IanD]

Worth another try: Milton Keynes or Newport Pagnell

 

[calc7]

Most of central Cheshire

 

[W-on-Sea]

Chapel-en-le-Frith?

 

[anti-pacer]

Here's a pick....

Up to 1 hour

"Last of the Summer Wine" country - TPE/NT services from Huddersfield - fastest journey time approx 30 mins

Saddleworth villages - NT services from Greenfield - fastest journey time approx 35 mins

Hebden Bridge/Bronte Country - NT services from Hebden Bridge - fastest journey time approx 40 mins

Staffordshire Moorlands - VT/XC/NT services from Stoke & NT from Congleton - fastest journey time approx 45 mins

Buxton/High Peak - NT services from Buxton - fastest journey time approx 1 hour (less from Chapel-en-le-frith and Whaley Bridge)

Welsh Borders - ATW services from Chester - fastest journey time approx 1 hour

Most of Cheshire* I'll come back to this


Up to 90 minutes

North Shropshire - ATW services from Whitchurch - fastest journey time approx 80 mins

The Lune Valley - TPE services from Lancaster - fastest journey times approx 80 mins

Arnside/Silverdale - TPE services from both - fastest journey times approx 90 mins

York/Selby - surrounding villages - TPE services from York/Selby - fastest journey times approx 90 mins

Denbighshire - ATW services from Prestatyn - fastest journey time approx 90 mins


*Cheshire

Plenty of lovely little villages from the rolling countryside of the West, through the flat middle, to the hilly East.

Trains from Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Macclesfield, Warrington (under 30 mins), Crewe, Congleton, Knutsford, Frodsham (45 mins), Chester, Nantwich, Northwich (1 hour)

You also have numerous stunning villages on the Hope Valley line, and the Ribble Valley near Clitheroe but the rolling stock is slow, stopping 142's/150's.

Hope this helps!

 

[David Goddard]

Here's a pick....

*Cheshire

Plenty of lovely little villages from the rolling countryside of the West, through the flat middle, to the hilly East.

Trains from Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Macclesfield, Warrington (under 30 mins), Crewe, Congleton, Knutsford, Frodsham (45 mins), Chester, Nantwich, Northwich (1 hour)

Hope this helps!

Choose any of these places in bold and you get a Waitrose too!
As you would at Altrincham (trams to city centre), Cheadle Hulme or Poynton.

 

[anti-pacer]

Choose any of these places in bold and you get a Waitrose too!
As you would at Altrincham (trams to city centre), Cheadle Hulme or Poynton.

 

[Bevan Price]

Parts of Lancashire, although risk of Pacers on some services.
1. Parbold & nearby villages. About 50 - 55 mins. from Manchester.
2. Villages near Clitheroe & Whalley. About 75 mins. from Manchester.

 

[Chapeltom]

Chapel-en-le-Frith?

Your kidding, right? I wouldn't wish living in this town on my worst enemy.

No, seriously, easy access to the hills and within 45 minutes walk you can be up overlooking the town in pleasant, silent tranquility. I enjoy living here, real friendly and down to Earth. Its a pleasant place to live, Chinley/Chapel stations are within easy distance, both 35-50 minutes by train from Manchester and there is plenty of local amenities. Your 20 miles from Manchester/Sheffield but feel like 20 years and 200 miles from the hussle and bussle of the cities, right on the Pennines and the housing round here is very reasonably priced in my view.

I know a lot of local people, the organist at the church, a lot of the staff in the Co-Op/Morrisons, a number of those working at High Peak Radio. People aren't in your face and you can get into random conversations with total strangers walking down the street. Wouldn't swap it for anything else

 

[Gathursty]

Broadbottom, Daisy Hill, Appley Bridge, Upholland, Walsden, Adlington (Cheshire), Hale, Ashley, Mobberley, Lostock, Entwistle.

Spot the odd one out!

 

[anti-pacer]

Broadbottom, Daisy Hill, Appley Bridge, Upholland, Walsden, Adlington (Cheshire), Hale, Ashley, Mobberley, Lostock, Entwistle.

Spot the odd one out!

Adlington - as no chance of a 142
Daisy Hill - you wouldn't want to live there
Walsden - it's in Yorkshire

Could be any of the above!

 

[Gathursty]

Odd one out (beautiful places) is Daisy Hill obviously! Don't Google it, you can't unsee things! :P

 

[anti-pacer]

Odd one out (beautiful places) is Daisy Hill obviously! Don't Google it, you can't unsee things! :P

Ha ha! This is VERY true!

If you did Google it... this would be your reaction... hock:

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Adlington - as no chance of a 142
Daisy Hill - you wouldn't want to live there
Walsden - it's in Yorkshire

Could be any of the above!

As some of the morning peak services ex-Macclesfield are booked Pacers, yes there is a chance of them (ergo from Poynton etc too). Of course Adlington in Lancashire sees them roughly 50:50 with Sprinters.

 

[Lampshade]

Your kidding, right? I wouldn't wish living in this town on my worst enemy.

No, seriously, easy access to the hills and within 45 minutes walk you can be up overlooking the town in pleasant, silent tranquility. I enjoy living here, real friendly and down to Earth. Its a pleasant place to live, Chinley/Chapel stations are within easy distance, both 35-50 minutes by train from Manchester and there is plenty of local amenities. Your 20 miles from Manchester/Sheffield but feel like 20 years and 200 miles from the hussle and bussle of the cities, right on the Pennines and the housing round here is very reasonably priced in my view.

I know a lot of local people, the organist at the church, a lot of the staff in the Co-Op/Morrisons, a number of those working at High Peak Radio. People aren't in your face and you can get into random conversations with total strangers walking down the street. Wouldn't swap it for anything else

Indeedy, Chapel is nice.

One thing I have noticed though, is that everyone drives a Peugeot

 

[cuccir]

I agree that Peak District or Yorkshire Pennines are probably best options, particularly if you like walking.

Arnside is also a very good shout - a gorgeous spot and handy for the Lakes. Kendal might work too, using Oxenholme station - you also have direct trains to London from there.

 

[anti-pacer]

When the Todmorden curve is up and running, Burnley Manchester Road will offer good links to Manchester, and despite Burnley and surrounding towns being complete dumps (I lived in Colne for many years), the 'Pendleside' villages are mostly lovely.

 

[Latecomer]

Up in the hills above Hebden Bridge or Mytholmroyd (above river flood levels at least). Beautiful far reaching views.

 

[anti-pacer]

Up in the hills above Hebden Bridge or Mytholmroyd (above river flood levels at least). Beautiful far reaching views.

Hebden Bridge opens up a lot of commuting opportunities.

You have Heptonstall close by, which is lovely, and also places like Haworth not too far away.

Bad in winter though! hock:

 

[Latecomer]

Hebden Bridge opens up a lot of commuting opportunities.

You have Heptonstall close by, which is lovely, and also places like Haworth not too far away.

Bad in winter though! hock:

It certainly does. Aside from Manchester the commutes to Bradford and Leeds are reasonable and even York if like the OP you are prepared for a 90 min journey.

Yes, winters would be a bit harsh, but like you say plenty of scenic places to visit within easy reach.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

The Jurassic Coast (very broadly the coastline from Exmouth round to Poole) is lovely, so much so that it is one of only four UNSCO World Heritage sites based on natural beauty in the country. There are 28 World Heritage sites in the UK, but 24 of them are "cultural" sites such as Stonehenge, the city of Edinburgh and the Tower of London. The Jurassic Coast is the only natural area on the mainland too, the other three are The Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland and two groups of islands under British rule which are thousands of miles away.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/gb

Is well served by rail but it be a bit far from Manchester.

 

[t0ffeeman]

I always thought that Prestbury was the pretty village along that stretch. Was I wrong?

 

[JamesM]

Some wonderful replies - thanks. Especially to antipacer for that amazing response. I am looking through them now and planning on grabbing a South Pennines Day Ranger and buzzing round a few of these places. Hebden Bridge seems like a nice choice (3 trains an hour to Manc, 4 to Leeds, plus a few other destinations.

My main concern about Hebden Bridge would be the snow and the flooding they had their a year or two back.

Hadfield looks very interesting. I'm particularly interested in this because of a season ticket being just £1000 ("just"(!) but in comparison to other journeys this is good) and a typical cheap day return being about £4. I also like the fact it's so close to a motorway and thus the M60.

Do keep them coming - really enjoying the responses and the thread. Thanks for the Waitrose comment - funny!

Another quick question - I've googled a little about the Todmorden Curve - will this mean that Todmorden will get a greatly enhanced service as well, as presumably the Burnley trains will stop their on their way to Manchester?

 

[30907]

2. Villages near Clitheroe & Whalley. About 75 mins. from Manchester.

A beautiful area - as I discovered when I moved to the edge of it from across the Pennines - BUT:
the Blackburn-Bolton section is incredibly slow (it goes across the moors!), the peak hour trains are busy, and the Ribble Valley is an expensive place to live (by Lancs. standards) - and we're not on the list for electrification, though you never know....

 

[6Gman]

Choose any of these places in bold and you get a Waitrose too!
As you would at Altrincham (trams to city centre), Cheadle Hulme or Poynton.

Also a (very nice) Waitrose in Sandbach!

 

[snowball]

The Metrolink line runs through some very attractive scenery between Oldham and Rochdale, and housing might be cheaper there than in more obvious places.

 

[30907]

I've googled a little about the Todmorden Curve - will this mean that Todmorden will get a greatly enhanced service as well, as presumably the Burnley trains will stop their on their way to Manchester?

1 tph on Burnley-Manchester - not sure I'd call that "greatly" enhanced. But depending on the actual service pattern, it should offer greatly improved "connectivity" (sorry, hate the word) from the East Lancs towns and villages.

Hebden Br - bear in mind that road traffic in the Calder Valley is horrendous (or worse) - but I don't think snow affects HBD much - Heptonstall and the A6033 to Oxenhope, yes!

BTW re Hadfield - access to the motorway via Mottram is pretty dire traffic-wise, even though it's not far on the map!

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

The back ends of Preston where nobody goes are incredibly beautiful. Get a picnic and go on Avenham Park then hop on a bus to St. Annes or Morecambe.

 

[SeanG]

Odd one out (beautiful places) is Daisy Hill obviously! Don't Google it, you can't unsee things! :P

Having grew up there, and just recently left for pastures new (University at Newcastle) I can certainly agree.

The station isn't much cop either, as one of the regular women behind the counter has a job to understand most ticket enquiries I ever had. (The best was not knowing where Sheffield was)