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There are a couple of old threads on here about living in and around Bury, but I'm hoping for some more up-to-date views from the hive mind.
For a number of reasons (chiefly due to its proximity to a work opportunity, family, and t'moors), we're looking at a possible move to Bury. What I've read seems broadly positive. Metro access to Manchester, some shops and the market in town, and some decent schools. Looks like Ramsbottom, bits of Prestwich, and some of the other surrounding villages will provide us with what we need (affordable - £300-350k - family house in a pleasant area, lots of outdoors/bike/other things to do with and without the kids).
We'd be moving up from Surrey, and I know South Manchester quite well: we're happy to compromise on high end gastropubs and artisan coffee if everything else stacks up, and we have a shorter commute.
Pandemic permitting, we're planning to head up for a couple of days this month and see what we make of it.
I'd be really interested in views from those on here who know the place, particularly any areas to home in on or avoid when we are there. My wife has come to terms with the lack of an Oliver Bonas; what else might she have to steel herself for? 😃
Thanks!
I live in Rammy, its great. Manchester city centre is only 30 min in the car, 50 min by bike. Bury is nothing to shout about really, sure there is some nice areas but i don't have any knowledge of them. Bury meat/fish market is cool, we used to have really good framers market in Rammy. But its gone down hill last few years, not the stalls there once was. We have lots of good places to eat and drink, apparently the schools are good. Housing is expensive, but that's to be expected. There is lots and lots of very good quality riding XC/Tech Gnar/gravel/cheeky dug in trails, and easy access (ha ha, massive climb) over to Lee and Cragg quarries for more. Rammy town centre is small but there are quite a few boutique independent shops which the Mrs might enjoy. We also host the world champion black pudding throwing championships, run to the hills music festival, chocolate festival, Northern Grip MTB festival down the road at Lee quarry. And If you want to spend a small fortune you can go on the Santa express or meet the fat controller on Rammy train station. We also have several micro breweries. I'm massively biased of course
My wife has come to terms with the lack of an Oliver Bonas; what else might she have to steel herself for?
The presence of a Binners?
Ramsbottom is nice, plenty of good eat and drink places, just stay out of the fighting pubs. Traffic is a nightmare at rush hour, schools are good, you can metro into Bury and last bus home if you have a night out in Manchester.
Hills are great, lots of riding.
House prices are high accordingly, some areas have parking issues.
There is also a Greg's and Binners lives there
I'm in Simister, about 1 1/2 miles east of Prestwich. We like it but there is sod all here. Which is why we like it.
Prestwich is on the up at the moment. Have a look. Some nice bits. Some not so nice bits.
Not sure how far £350k will get you these days in the more desirable areas.
The presence of
athe Binners?
It's at least 3 degrees colder on average than Surrey and a lot lot wetter
Bury is a dump. Ramsbottom is ok. Summerseat is nice. Moving from Surrey, don’t underestimate the relative shiteness of the weather!
Nothing to add to that about Rammy really. It’s ace! We moved here ten years ago and we absolutely love the place. Even more so since they opened a Greggs at the bottom of our road. With that, loads of decent pubs and restaurants and hills all around you, what more do you want?
And you’ll be able to join us on Monday Night Pub Rides. Bonus! 😃
I’m in Simister
Holy shit, I thought that was an island in an inland sea somewhere north of Manchester.
Like 'on Simister' or 'on the Isle of Man'
Don't discount Rawtenstall a little further north, on the M66 so access to Manchester is Ok, getting out of Rammy or Bury is time consuming. Lots of places to eat, fair micro breweries and bars now and the riding is even better. House prices are also cheaper.
As above - Rammy is good, Edenfield WAS good but massive expansion being planned (lived there most of my life) Helmshore is nice, Rawtenstall is fast catching up with Rammy for bars/cafes/shops and is cheaper (we live here now). Waterfoot even cheaper still and potentially on the verge of being the next Tod/Hebden but don't hold me to that.
BUT all the above suffer from gridlocked M66 into Manchester at peak times.
Waterfoot even cheaper still and potentially on the verge of being the next Tod/Hebden but don’t hold me to that.
Stacksteads the new Harrogate? 😳
Rawtenstall is great nowadays! Waterfoot is still a a bit ‘high six’
As pointed out, the price you pay for all the great bits is the traffic is an absolute nightmare anywhere in the valley at peak times. the M66 is a car park.
If you wanted to stay somewhere really nice when you come up, The Eagle and Child in Rammy has some beautiful rooms, the food there is absolutely top notch and there’s a fantastic view across the valley from the beer garden
Guardian review so your better half knows she won’t have to forsake gastropubs 😃
Waterfoot even cheaper still and potentially on the verge of being the next Tod/Hebden but don’t hold me to that.
That have me a laugh, then I had a think. There is the making of something decent but Waterfoot needs a pub/cafe bar that keeps the idiots out ideally by serving real ale. If they manage to do something with the arcade it could start to turn a corner. Boo did comedy nights, the library cafe was OK, Emily's deli is a little highlight. There are a few artists studios as well lurking around so not all neanderthal man
Waterfoot even cheaper still and potentially on the verge of being the next Tod/Hebden but don’t hold me to that.
That have me a laugh, then I had a think. There is the making of something decent but Waterfoot needs a pub/cafe bar that keeps the idiots out ideally by serving real ale. If they manage to do something with the arcade it could start to turn a corner. Boo did comedy nights, the library cafe was OK, Emily’s deli is a little highlight. There are a few artists studios as well lurking around so not all neanderthal man
Exactly - the arcade is beautiful inside, the Boo is great and even the bowling green has a youth team. It has a post office and Co-op. There are also some 'Grand Designs' stylish/quirky houses tucked away down back streets that you don't see at first sight.
Thornfield avenue is beautiful in summer.
The old bank on the corner has been nearly renovated, the Royal will be finished at some point.....
If you cycle commute in and out like I did for a year you'll notice some nice cars commuting out of Waterfoot.
I have a side line in this so can confidently say that its also the only place North of Manchester that still has Victorian commercial buildings available that haven't yet been converted/gentrified if you are looking for spacious 'loft style' Shoreditch style 'houses' although quite a few have been done already and some to amazing standards.
The old bank on the corner has been nearly renovated,
could be a great bar
the Royal will be finished at some point…..
They have been saying that for over ten years
If you cycle commute in and out like I did for a year you’ll notice some nice cars commuting out of Waterfoot.
have been for years, plenty of big houses, the Kearns development is Audi/SUV city
Still plenty of knuckle draggers and banjo players though
Nice cars? A bit of a thread going on here on a cycle site? Success and nice areas equals nice cars? Shouldn’t we be celebrating lots of bicycles? Just a thought, no chips for the followers!
Nice cars? A bit of a thread going on here on a cycle site? Success and nice areas equals nice cars? Shouldn’t we be celebrating lots of bicycles? Just a thought, no chips for the followers!
Plenty of people on high end normal and ebikes
?
The cars point was that a small ex Victorian mill village that to an initial cursory glance might appear to have nothing but takeaways and kebab shops and red brick terraces is actually a thriving undiscovered gem with some money tucked away in it and although it might not appeal to the OP if someone else was thinking of getting a foot hold on the housing ladder or eyeing up investment opportunity then what sort of cars are knocking about is part of my yardstick of an area.
.....and it does have the valley of stone cycle route so calm down
Bury market depressed me. They even managed to make a mess of my black pudding butty (not a euphemism, btw). Can't thing of many reasons currently why I'd want to go back there.
It has a post office
Waterfoot post office is infamous for not being open
I lived in Prestwich for a year, in a pretty nice part. It was alright, a few nice places to eat and phillips park is ok for a quick blast (I really, really like hills). Good access to the motorway but getting through Prestwich itself is always busy. The ride into work (in the centre) was pretty good, cars were always stationary so not much risk of getting hit! Tram also good although absolutely rammed at peak time, if you caught it in Bury you'd have a fighting chance of getting a seat on the way in.
We're now a bit further out in Littleborough (20 mins on the train into Victoria), we thought about Ramsbottom but we wanted a quick way into the centre that didn't involve the car. We are at the mercy of Northern here though, which is fine for me as I commute at most once a week but under normal circumstances my partner is in daily and, well, she sure isn't a fan of them!
Thanks folks, that's really helpful.
What are Unsworth and Gigg like?
Waterfoot to Rawtenstall cycleway should surely be "Valley of shoes" not stone? 🙂
Valley of clogs and slippers doesn't quite have the same ring to it!
You could go north and look at west Houghton or horwich.
Good riding from the door in horwich and easy access to the lakes or the trough of bowland.
Money goes further too.
In fact I have a lovely house that backs onto the moors for sale......
I grew up in Unsworth. Then bought my first house in Prestwich.
Commuter belt with a large collection of 1960s and 1990s middle class homes. Not in walking distance of the tram.
Couple of pubs, hand full of shops, an independent Italian restaurant (that is a bit shit), primary and secondary schools. Not a lot else.
Nice, clean, dull.
Even the betting shop has closed in Waterfoot and the drug rehabilitation centre in the old primary school is a wonderful addition to the area. I used to live in Waterfoot and it's been going down the drain for 20 years. Bacup is slowly improving, Morrisons helped alot, but it's got a long way to go to be pleasant. The M66 can be a mare, depends on time of day and year, I spent 6 years commuting down it. Getting out of Rammy isn't fun at rush hour. I just like Rissendale generally, proper rural when you get out of the valley bottoms, Rawtenstall is definitely on the up, Tod and Hebden accessible and despite the M66 generally good road network and the housing is cheap and reduces the further you get from the M66. There are actually some very nice, expensive houses tucked away.
Gigg? NO. Just don't.
Come to Saddleworth, no extra digits required.
Personally I'd look to areas with a train station, Northern may be a nightmare from Rochdale but further out it seems fine for commuting in to Manchester.
The Metro unfortunately is attracting a lot of violent youth looking for trouble, either on it or in the satellite villages and was running well over capacity during rush hour
Your money will not go too far in Ramsbottom Unfortunately and supply is always tight for anything desirable
We've lived in Prestwich for ~7 years now, we moved recently and considered some of the other areas mentioned (like Rammy) but decided to stay in Prestwich as it's easier for my wife to get into town for work.
Pros:
Relatively good value for money compared with south Manchester, though it's getting pricier.
Some nice little cafes/bars.
~20 minute ride into town with decent(ish) cycle infrastructure on the way in (not so much on the way back).
Lots of parks around for walks (Heaton Park, Drinkwater, Philips)
Philips park is decent for a local ride.
~1 h to the Peak and ~1.5 h to south lakes for riding.
Met stops nearby making town access easy (though it's always rammed and horrible at rush hour).
Cons:
Traffic through Prestwich can be a nightmare (but I basically only drive to go biking, so not much of an issue for me).
Prestwich centre is pretty ugly, though that seems to be an issue in most areas of Manchester.
Demand for houses was pretty high when we put our house on the market last year, ended up with 6 offers within a week - however, apparently the biggest demand is in the £200-300k bracket and houses above £300kish take longer to shift so you might be ok with your budget.
Weather has been utter shit this summer!
houses above £300kish take longer to shift
We got way more than 300k for ours and that took 16 hours to shift. It was 3 years ago though.
After 17 years in Prestwich we were desperate to leave, mainly because of the misery and stench created by cars.
Your money will not go too far in Ramsbottom Unfortunately and supply is always tight for anything desirable
Theres not much comes up for sale in Rammy. One of our recently retired neighbours downsized and moved further out into the sticks (just pre-lockdown). They shoved their (rather nice) house on the market and it was sold by lunchtime.
House princes round here have gone through the roof over the last couple of years since the Sunday Times started sticking Rammy in their spurious 'ten best places to live in the UK' lists.
As has been noted by plenty already, regarding the weather, they put all these wind turbines and reservoirs here for very good reason. I hope you like axle-deep mud when you're out riding 🙂
There is also a Greg’s and Binners lives there
Proof that, sometimes, correlation is the same as causation
After 17 years in Prestwich we were desperate to leave, mainly because of the misery and stench created by cars.
True. Up until 10 years ago I used to live on the "West Side" (A56) and traffic / parking is a mess. "East Side" is a bit quieter.
Glossop is nice although I don't live there, I was just working near there for a few months.
As has been noted by plenty already, regarding the weather, they put all these wind turbines and reservoirs here for very good reason. I hope you like axle-deep mud when you’re out riding 🙂
There's an old East Lancashire saying, "if you can see Pendle Hill, it's about to rain. If you can't see it, it's already started."
BUT all the above suffer from gridlocked M66 into Manchester at peak times.
After many years of driving into manchester, i switched to using the x43 last summer. Was much better once the bus station opened and you didnt have to stand in the rain on bank street.
morning and evening there is a express service that goes via blackley and shudhill. The 7:25 express gets me into manchester for 8:15/8:30 then theres the same around 4:45/5:15 to get back.
Monthly ticket is £120 ish which is about half what it used to cost in petrol and parking in Manc.
Thanks for the input. Went up this week for a scout and I think we'll focus on Rawtenstall and Ramsbottom. Both looked nice, and more green and open than further south. Not much on the market though, we may look to rent for a while to secure school places and buy ourselves a bit of time to look properly. Albeit short term rentals seem few and far between. But looks like a lovely area to live in!
I'm biased obviously and love living in Rammy, but Rawtenstall is great too. You can't go wrong with either, really. As you've noted, there's never much on the market and it goes quick
I'm just heading out on the road bike shortly for a loop up through Rawtenstall and Hassie, then back down the valley via Helmshore. Here's a shot from an early morning pootle on a similar loop earlier this week.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228727581_4f2acdb03d_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228727581_4f2acdb03d_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2jwxmLv ]Morning pootle[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/14162682@N00/ ]bin lid[/url], on Flickr
You'll have to look us up when you're moving up and join the Monday Night Pub Rides. This was the last (socially distanced) Rammy one...
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228099653_6df4ee6c56_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228099653_6df4ee6c56_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2jwu97a ]MNPR[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/14162682@N00/ ]bin lid[/url], on Flickr
As you can see, the riding around here from your door is just about tolerable 😀
Have lived in Edenfield/Rawtenstall all my life. Great place to live!
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Are we just posting random 'its grim up north? pics of Rammy and surrounding areas up?
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[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/8678/29480282393_2e4eddecec_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/8678/29480282393_2e4eddecec_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/LV59SV ]Trigger-on-the-Range[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/14162682@N00/ ]bin lid[/url], on Flickr
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[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48460851321_5fd37559a9_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48460851321_5fd37559a9_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2gQjwKk ]Bit moody up here tonight[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/14162682@N00/ ]bin lid[/url], on Flickr
Too much? 😀
😄👍
We should be on the Rammy & Rocky tourism board!
Nice! I'll definitely be in touch if it all works out 👍
I moved back to the North having lived in Heston for 10 years to Waterfoot.
The house proces as low (there is a reason for that) BUT great trails, a great local bike shop (Ride On) Rawtenstall has some superb bars and cafes.
So a lot going for it BUT:
Into Manchester is a mare as has been reflected
Its a long valley with traffic issues along it.
For me its the best place I have ever lived, I have met some fantastic people (many on here), joined and sing in the local male voice choir, ride out a lot more now than I used on simply sublime trails.
Go on you know it makes sence