[Closed] Preston/N.Lancashire commute help

I'd not travel from north to bamber bridge though a few I worked with did. Have you looked at the likes of Eccleston and some of Leyland chorley way.

Ribble valleys nice to like Ribchester

Your problem is Garstang hasn't got a motorway junction and it is the longest continuous stretch of motorway in the country - so M6/M55/A6 junction can be awful. Also loads of housebuilding Garstang-A6 corridor so traffic is only going to get worse.

Longridge similar issues with loads of housebuilding increasingly clogging roads.

Consider trying to stay south of the Ribble for easier commute. Ribchester, Mellor, Samlesbury, Hoghton, Brindle, Wheelton, Withnell etc. Quite a bit of local Mtb potential in the area. Further East Lancs has chunks of nice countryside but can be grim in places...

If you really want to be nearer Lakes then Nether Kellet / Over Kellet / Carnforth / Forton are right by the M6 junctions so potentially a longer but quicker drive to BB than Garstang (35 mins most of the time but 3 hours if the M6 is ever shut....)

Thanks. I'm looking now in the Ribble Valley. The options for good road cycling look reduced south of Preston due to main roads and Motorways. Ribble Valley gives easy access to Forest of Bowland and round to the flatter stuff towards the Fylde.

My suspicion is that it's not the distance that will make the commute by car from Garstang bad, just volume of traffic. The commute by bike from the north doesn't look great either. From the area I'm looking at now in the Ribble valley I can cycle to work on b roads/lanes all the way.

I want semi rural and good access to quiet roads. A pub within walking distance would be great!

Mick_r, that was very helpful. I had came to the same conclusion about the villages south of the Ribble, some of them look to offer what I'm looking for.

I had thought of somewhere further up the M6 but closer to a junction. Fuel costs and removing the potential of a cycle commute are big factors. Also I'd be too reliant on the M6 which as you say, if closed, means Adiós!

Just be careful if planning to use B6230 on a bike as it is a rush hour rat run for BAE, Blackburn, brewery and United Utilities. You either need to do the little lanes (and hills) Mellor-Samlesbury Bottoms or Balderstone-Bezza-Samlesbury Church and then 500m of bike path by A677 to pick up Guild Wheel at Brockholes. Pm me if you need any specific info.

Renting is probably a nice way to find out how far into the countryside works for you.

South lakes would be nice but when there's m6 trouble the a6 is a nightmare, also it will get worse as there is a lot of new build around garstang. Lancaster traffic is probably the worst I have ever witnessed and that's with the bay gateway open. Also renting in s lakes is tough as there is v little in the Lakes, so lakes commutable towns like the cartmel peninsular are surprisingly expensive.

Look at even tockholes Belmont abbey village etc

I am South of the Ribble, Near Chorley, TBH if you have to use the M6 at the 'Tickled Trout' or up towards the M55 junction you are asking for trouble. Some days its a breeze, other its a nightmare 🙁

Chorley area is not bad, you have Rivington etc just on your door step and you can commute easily to Bamber Bridge.

I'm near rivington. Top end of horwich. Theres loads of nice areas.

M61 or in from the m65 is a good route.

Happy to arrange post lock down a road ride round some of the areas with you

Thanks everyone. I think having a commute that avoids the motorways is the way to go.

I have a property shortlist that includes properties in Mellor and Brinscall.

That's kind of you Duncan and would be a great help. Will also be looking to join a local cycling club too. I'll do road locally and keep the full bouncer for the lakes. I have a gravel bike also (very capable, 40mm tyres, basically a rigid xc HT with drop bars) but may not take that, I don't know if there is local riding that would justify it and I don't want the hassle of having my whole fleet in a smallish rental property!

Just started working in Bamber Bridge, live in East Lancs. 35/40 mins commute along the M65. Loads of riding across Rossendale and Calderdale both on and off road. I can easily ride from my door.

Not much legal riding in Forest of Bowland, very few bridleways.

House prices are cheaper here as well. Still good links to Manchester via M66 as well as the M65.

Muzz I'm on a gravel bike anyway. Theres good mtb within 5 miles anyway.

Theres some nice property tucked away.

I live in Blackpool. The flat roads of the fylde are great for a couple of hours roady-ing in an evening, you could string together a flat ride of 100 miles I reckon. If I want hills though I tend to head to garstang in the car then ride Bowland from there which is great, plenty to go at.

Virtually no mtb though, couple of rides at most. Lakes is close though, calderdale, rivington, North Wales, dales all easy reach.

I work with some folks who live towards the ribble valley and one who lives in Lancaster, all commute to Blackpool via various parts of the M6. It ends up closed or jammed because of an accident all the time. They often end up late or stuck in traffic for hours in the way home.

Wherever you choose, try to avoid the M6 if you can!!

I know you didn’t ask this and you may well be aware already but Ribble Valley, Trough of Bowland and areas like Mellor to a slightly lesser extent are pretty pricey. As others have pointed out there is plenty of scope though. My lad works in Preston and commutes from Darwen. There are nice areas (we live in one)and there’s decent mountain biking and road riding to be had.

I have a property shortlist that includes properties in Mellor and Brinscall.

Brinscall is nice, close to Rivvy, Great Hill, and the White Coppice.

I'm living alone so don't need anything too pricey, it looks like I can get my requirements for a max of £600 per month - village/semi rural, a private space to clean bikes. Doesn't leave me much to live off mind you!

As a (fairly) local, it's a tricky call. Is Whalley/Clitheroe too far? as they are quite nice towns.

As said, Garstang is not ideal as it locks you into the A6 going south (by car).

If you could handle M6 driving then you could consider south Lancaster - nearer to Lakes etc. and good for road riding in the Trough, but still a fair drive.

I was also gonna say Chorley/Brinscall kind of way.

Good road or off-road riding from the door, and you can still ride out to Ribble Valley and Bowland for longer jaunts.

I've kind of ruled out Garstang and around there due to the gnarly motorway commute. I was set on it, had some doubt, posted on here, then settled on an opinion! The main advantages it had was close to the Lakes, good riding from door (excellent variety in the road) and it looks a decent Lancs town.

I'm settling on the Brinscall / Mellor area. Most rural settlements in Lancs, no matter the size, seem blessed with with a local drinking establishment which is very welcome indeed. I imagine the beer will be excellent. Although, as someone who will be single and living alone for the first time in many years, I better be well behaved!

Cha****ng, what sort of off road are we talking about locally?

If there is the opportunity to do good gravel/xc long rides off road and on quiet lanes, I'm all ears. In that case I'd take my Whyte Friston. I'll have a full bouncer too for the lakes.

Reggiegasket, I'd say Clitheroe was too far East.

You're right on the edge of the West Pennine Moors, there is a good mix of off-road riding from easy to technical, open moors to woodland singletrack.

Rivington/Winter Hill is the local hotspot.

Sounds good cha****ng!

Variety is definitely a good thing to have in terms of local riding options and it looks as though I will have that. To be honest, I wouldn't be relocating to an area that didn't have good riding!

I live just up the road from clitheroe and work in city centre Preston and it's only a 45 min rush hour commute which suits me fine.

All my local MTB riding is on the north side of the Ribble, towards the hodder valley

Don't know about brinscall but mellor, just outside Blackburn is Carl Fogarty's manor and he's always out on his MTB, pre covid obvs. I guess you'll be near witton park/billinge woods which is okay for an evening sesh. Try local bike shop 'mtb monster' for local riding

I've been commuting from Burnley to Longridge for a couple of years now.

Pre lockdown, M65, M61, M6 was awful, even at 6am. The days I have to brave rush hour are quite stressful, not helped by the fact that the Ribble Valley seems to have a high proportion of utter ****ers in SUV's who will happily drive you off the road.
The standard of driving is genuinely shocking.

Do not move to Longridge. It's a soulless little hellhole populated by NIMBYS and bitter folk who wished they lived somewhere else.
Highlights include the YMCA charity shop, the Bridge Chippy and a hideous little park covered in dogshit.

Preston itself has all the charm of a festering wound and is impossible to drive into or out of at rush hour.

Blackburn is even worse and has a one way system designed by Escher.
It is as ugly as a hatful of monkey's arseholes and appears to be populated entirely by troglodytes.

Whalley or Clitheroe are genuinely nice and the A59 commute is actually more bearable than the motorway alternative.

Harsh rusty but not unfair.

Rivvy, white coppice darwen moor are all good for mtb.

It's why I moved to horwich 15yrs ago.

Just spat coffee everywhere!

Rusty - can we please have your descriptions of Darwen and Horwich just to see how upset Duncan and Mr S get 🙂

Brinscall is probably your best call. Many nice hilly back road options to Brig. Quick and usually clear one junction hop on M65 (or other road options that will be clear if mway busy). Right on doorstep of good mtb, road and walks. Even has a swimming pool! Good access for road and biking in all directions (less than 1 hour to south Lakes).

Rustys review is brilliant.

Anywhere round lancaster will be more expensive to rent because of the uni and hospital. Even with all the new build estates, a decent 2 bed terrace is 600pcm.

Horwich isn't all bad... it's got a few idiots.

It's getting bad for traffic though but if you head away from the rebock it's ok.

Look at heapy and withnell as well. Even adlington

Even gregson lanes ok.

Sorry, long day. 🙂

I genuinely was expecting better of Preston and it does have some really pretty bits on the outskirts.
Nobletts chippy is nice and there's a great little Indian street food place in the covered market.
I have a soft spot for the football team, they do an awful lot of community work and the stadium is ace.

The traffic though, how on earth do you all cope?

I quite like Horwich, at least it's not pretending to be something it's not. Bolton is friendly and unpretentious and has proper hills.

Darwen has a charm all it's own. 🙂

I'm more surprised that no one has picked up on the fact I live in Burnley.
In all honesty, I love the place. It's clean, friendly and has a great 'can do' vibe about it. Plus it has the best riding of almost anywhere I can think of.

Love to all.

Rusty's assessment sounds accurate.

I had a feeling traffic would be an issue in this area. It's one of the reasons getting somewhere with a decent bike commute is important, although I do expect the local driving style may be am issue!

Very helpful comments here, thanks everyone

If commuting to Bamber Bridge you could move to Southport and give up on life altogether.

Culture.....

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My house is on the market now. About a mile from Mellor.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-78814654.html

I like the bus station, the recent new forecourt has improved it no end. 🙂

The Harris is very cool, but would be much better if the daytime contingent of alkies and smackheads had somewhere better to go.
I can't take people there for that very reason - it's the Piccadilly Gardens of Preston.

I suppose it all comes down to money and resources.
If you're not careful, Preston will go the way of Rochdale.

Visited Preston for the first time in ages a couple of months ago. It was bloody awful. And I live in Blackpool!! It felt really run down, there's a handful of nice vendors around the market area, they've started something good there. Avenham park is nice, but the rest of it just felt.... Rough. And I live in Blackpool!!

Unfortunately Preston isn't great, I did two weeks of jury duty and had plenty of time to look around the centre during lunch breaks. The Harris Museum was okay. Preston also has the longest traffic lights in the world.