Thinking of moving to a village in Skipton/Craven area

We lived in Skipton between 2015-2019 and really enjoyed it. Never had any problem with crime and the area felt very safe. Bradford postcode so our car and home insurance premiums went up but fortunately never had to use them.

All the places you mention would be fine to live. To the north / north west of Skipton, Embsay / Eastby / Gargrave are also nice places with some stunning countryside right outside the door. House prices were constantly rising in those areas though. Wish we'd have bought a house there back in 2015 (we ended up renting) because there's a distinct lack of housing / desirable place to live, so your equity is safe. Further afield, your money goes further the closer you get to Lancashire. We looked at Barnoldswick as a possible place to buy. Plenty of nice terrace houses, some of which have been renovated to a high standard. Some of the towns over that side do have a distinctly "League of Gentlemen" vibe though so I'd highly recommend visiting for a week and scope out the area for yourself.

Another thing to note, wherever you live around there you'll be relying on the car because public transport is non-existent, bar the train to Leeds / Lancaster so might be something to think about if you plan on staying there into retirement.

I’ve noticed Cowling/Silsden/Sutton in craven/Steeton which are all near to Keighley are priced on the lower side and are also within my affordability. Is that due to the close proximity to Keighley?

Yes. They're nice enough, but there is definitely a different vibe to the villages further north.

My mini-reviews of the main local but-not-in-the-Dales villages.

Gargrave - nice village in parts, but cut in half by the A65, which is very, very busy. Pubs Ok-ish, but nothing special. Train station. Good access to the Dales for riding. Bit touristy, so price premium.

Embsay - satellite village of Skipton, even more so now two new estates are springing up. Pubs fairly mediocre. Pricey, but very handy for the Dales.

Cononley - the level crossing to get in or out will piss you off massively, as will the road junction that follows it. Nice enough, but both of those would be a deal-breaker for me.

Lothersdale - Much more remote feeling, nicer vibe, decent pub. Not sure about prices.

Carleton in Craven - My pick for this area. Friendly, shop/pub/chemist/school. Handy for main roads, close enough but not too close to Skipton. Slightly more affordable because not Dales.

Bradley - Worth a look, definitely more affordable because of proximity to south Skipton.

Draughton - you probably can't afford it, bit of a pensioner zone.

Public transport is OK is certain directions out of Skipton. If you want to go south or west, fine, if you want to get to Ilkley, don't bother.

Be aware of the flood plains if your looking in the steeton/Silsden/Cononley areas.

Thanks Devash! I’d not factored in insurance, so thanks for the heads up on that. Ahh I know how it feels to miss out on a good opportunity. The way house prices have shot up especially in rural areas, I’m kicking myself for not buying sooner.

I previously danced around with the idea of Barnoldswick (I’ve seen some really tastefully done up houses at decent prices). Only downside was that unless you live on the edge of town, you’re lacking immediate green space on the doorstep.

I'm in barnoldswick and possibly might move over to Skipton if i get a new job in Leeds. Just at the first interview stage.

Is Hellifield too far OP? One stop from skipton on the train line. Some reasonably priced terraces on sale there until just now. Deeper into the dales. I don't know it that well to be fair

I recceed the dales bridleway on Skipton moor last weekend and was quite impressed for fell running etc perhaps some short MTB runs

Thanks for the mini review, Martin! Nothing beats local knowledge!

@Jonno - Ah will certainly bear that in mind!

I previously danced around with the idea of Barnoldswick (I’ve seen some really tastefully done up houses at decent prices). Only downside was that unless you live on the edge of town, you’re lacking immediate green space on the doorstep.

I think it's really well served to be fair. I run a lot and there's tonnes of varied loops I can do, weets top has got some height. Not much MTB though. I tend to either go to settle or calderdale for a ride nowadays

Main push factor for me is connectivity if i get a job in Leeds. Looking at Skipton or possibly todmorden but my son's in Clitheroe so can't stray too far

@fingerbang - I’ll keep an eye on Barnoldswick, in case anything suitable turns up. Hellifield isn’t too far, but seems like a place you pass through rather than explore. Think there’s the moors above Hellifield, but other than that not much else going for it, besides close proximity to the Dales. I’d rather not have to drive somewhere to access greenery. Though eventually I’m going to have to compromise somewhere.

Calderdale is great if you like hills. Have you considered sowerby bridge? It’s somewhat closer to leeds than todmorden.

Another Barlick local here, we're on edge of town with easy access to Weets, it's a 10 min walk into town but more like 15 home with the hill.

Properties shift easily and there's always high demand for rentals, hard to find property with outdoor space near to the town centre.

This is about as cheap as it gets for town centre, easy access to countryside and outdoor space on a nice street. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/124773959#/?channel=RES_BUY

Sorry to divert the thread slightly but I'm in a similar position. I'm currently renting in barlick and hopefully in a position to buy somewhere soon. Criteria is no more than 30 mins from Clitheroe and access to fells and MTB so my shortlist is barlick, barrowford, foulridge, cliviger

With this Leeds job Skipton is in play cos of the train but it's obviously more pricey than the others, but arguably good for a six year old boy what with aireville park and dales proximity

Todmordens about 45 mins to Clitheroe so it's a big MTB indulgence at the expense of my boy, can't go further down the valley really

Anyway, back to OP's thread

I grew up in Kildwick (and went to school in Skipton), and had lots of friends in Silsden - still go back occasionally as mother is relatively close. It's actualy pretty nice, especially the further up the hill you can afford. It's also essentially the other side of Ilkley moor - used to ride from home up there all the time. Silsden/Steeton station is happily walkable - probably 10-15 minutes from Silsden village centre.

I'd be cautious of relying on the train beyond Skipton (ie Gargrave/Hellifield etc). They have been screwing around with the timetable something rotten recently and you may find your convenient commuter service suddenly disappears and there isn't another one for two hours.

PS Hellifield/Long Preston all have the same A65 problem as Gargrave. It is a fairly horrible road to have running through the middle of your village. If you're going as far as Hellifield, you may as well go the whole hog (extra 10 minutes) and live in Settle, which is substantially better.

Be aware of the flood plains if your looking in the steeton/Silsden/Cononley areas.

Is a good point, especially with new builds in Silsden.

I'm guessing Settle is too far for you (both posters) and it's also on the pricey side but while I've got no pressing need to stay here, every time I look around I can't find anywhere to match it. Train is a bit limited but mostly works, and being on (but not cut in half by!) the A65 is good for road access.

If you want more of a town and better trains, Skipton itself has a good rep (deservedly IMO).

I’d move to settle in a blink if there was a house that came under budget. So far only seen one that fit the bill in the last few months and although it wasn’t perfect, the location sold it to me. (Was outbid)

I should’ve prefaced this earlier by saying, I’m not reliant on trains or public transport. I work from home and own a car.

’d move to settle in a blink if there was a house that came under budget. So far only seen one that fit the bill in the last few months and although it wasn’t perfect, the location sold it to me. (Was outbid)

I should’ve prefaced this earlier by saying, I’m not reliant on trains or public transport. I work from home and own a car.

so would I, I love settle. Could be a singletrack bidding war next time a rightmove alert comes up? To be fair, you'd probably see me off right away 🙂

If you like Settle have you looked at Bentham? Cheaper but not far away.

Agree with pretty much all the above, especially Martin. We live in Skipton and the children go to Carleton school. Parents in law also live in the village and we have looked to move but unfortunately houses are few and far between unless you want a small terrace.

Embsay is quite nice and offers walking and biking from your door. Water sports too at the Res if that's your thing? Bradley is probably a nicer village although it has less from the door imo.

Skipton itself is ace and doesn't take long to get to all other places. Buses will take you to most of the villages like Grassington, Malham, etc.

Used to live in Silsden and it's decent enough but getting much bigger. The pubs/cafes seem to be pretty vibrant these days.

Sutton is nice and right on the moor side. Crosshills, Glusburn, Eastburn and Steeton all kind of join on to one another. Nothing wrong with any of them but probably not what you are after. I have a soft spot for Cowling as lived there as a child. not much to do though.

Ultimately it comes down to your budget and what you want from it.

so would I, I love settle. Could be a singletrack bidding war next time a rightmove alert comes up? To be fair, you’d probably see me off right away 🙂

It’s a beautiful part of the world and its got a great community vibe. Knowing our luck, someone with more money will outbid us both haha.

If you like Settle have you looked at Bentham? Cheaper but not far away

It’s on my radar but not gotten around to checking out the area yet. As much as I like the idea of quiet living, Bentham’s a further 10 miles from Settle and looks a bit like it’s stuck in the middle of nowhere. Atm Settle is probably the furthest I’m willing to relocate to.

 

Yeah, it is that bit further.

For what you seem to want I'd be looking to see if anything comes up in Settle, Grassington, Threshfield,or Malham. If they are too spendy maybe look at Gisburn, Bolton by Bowland and surrounding area.

Ultimately every suggestion has positives and none have any real issues to worry about. They are nice places in a lovely part of the world. Best thing to do is come up and have a drive about to get a feel for the various areas.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/03/16/best-place-to-live_n_4973713.html#:~:text=Skipton%20in%20North%20Yorkshire%20is%20Britain%27s%20%27best%20place,which%20has%20good%20transport%20links%20and%20high-performing%20schools.

There’s a *lot* of new building going up around the edge of Settle. Someone’s going to have to buy them 🙂

The new stuff on the edge of Settle, whilst not on the floodplain as such, suffers really bad flooding when it was a farmers field (on the right as you come in on the A65 going north). My folks live on the Green (overlooking the phone box gallery) and were astonished when they started building there.

I do love the village though, as above, great community, nice local retailers and everything you could want on your doorstep. I never lived there as parents moved there after they retired and I was long gone but would have loved to be brought up there.

The new stuff on the edge of Settle, whilst not on the floodplain as such, suffers really bad flooding when it was a farmers field (on the right as you come in on the A65 going north). My folks live on the Green (overlooking the phone box gallery) and were astonished when they started building there.

Yeah, I was wondering exactly the same thing. The 65 has flooded alongside that plot at some point, I think, and there is a reason the adjoining railway track is on a 5m embankment. There are lots of new houses going up on the fields between Carleton and Skipton, which is pretty close to areas which flood at least a few times a year. Developers are taking the mickey at the moment.

There are lots of new houses going up on the fields between Carleton and Skipton, which is pretty close to areas which flood at least a few times a year. Developers are taking the mickey at the moment.

With all the building in Skipton it always amazes me that everything gets rejected in Carleton. Woolers keep trying but the village seems charmed, unlike virtually every other one!

I was told the reason the original developers of Waverly Park ran off was because they underestimated how much it flooded there. Could be hearsay though.

I went to the launch of the Space development at the Town Hall a few weeks back (the other development towards Carleton) and was underwhelmed. Very expensive for a lego house that might flood.

There are still reasonably priced houses around Skipton but you need to be very, very quick.

Thanks for all your recommendations and sharing your local knowledge, it’s been very useful, indeed!