MGH888

Tarporley is now firmly on the list ! It has excellent schools ... based on multiple sources, they are grading out to be some of the best ! My only pre-visit reservation is how small or remote it might be ? I was thinking of skipping if I was in a time crunch but I'll be visiting in April for sure now, so I will find out then.
Thankyou ! And if there are any other gems please don't hesitate to share.

brits1

I have visited Worcester quite a lot (doing reccies myself) I liked that it was a small city with good links to other cities ie Birmingham, Bristol and even Cardiff it has a number of good schools and also lovely countryside surrounding it, a huge plus for us was also the traffic which is so much better than it is in and around the Manchester/ Gtr Manchester area which has become a nightmare in the time we have been back in the UK

brits1

I have visited Worcester quite a few times in my own “reccies” it is a really nice smaller city with lots of history really good schools and excellent countryside on your doorstep, there are great links to other cities ie Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff also not far from the cotswolds and there are plenty of other historic places to visit and the traffic is a doddle compared to the North West. I see you mentioned Tarporley which is a nice area though very smal,l you drive through the high street in a split 2nd, Crewe and Chester will be you nearest places for an”decent” shop etc but I personally do not like Crewe (sorry to anyone who lives there) Although I am a born and bred Manchester girl we did return at first to a let’s say a posh post code we did not settle as for us it was leafy streets but not many shops and you had to get into the car for a decent shop/entertainment which was to be fair how we lived in Australia we just did not always want to get into the car even to have a coffee etc and the traffic around the M56/M60 is a nightmare most times of the day which did not help but that’s our own personal view I suppose you really have to come and experience these “things” what might bug some does not bother others. Good luck

Chocolate eclair

To be honest, I can't remember what it was about Rugby I didn't like, it was just a general feeling about the place. Feel the same about Nuneaton as well. Sorry I can't be specific, so I wouldn't discount it. You may well like it.

Just wondering about areas like Ashby de la Zouche and Rutland as well.
So hard to decide.
I've thought about Cheshire too as has some lovely areas but is expensive and perhaps too many footballers and WAGS!
So hard to decide where to be, but good to have choices.

We are planning to return April 2023.

Jerseygirl

Prestbury, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge…expensive. A little cheaper Macclesfield, Congleton.

ianandhelena

Here's a mumsnet thread about Cheshire towns: https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/propert...1402#114591402

brits1

That’s because Macclesfield and Congleton do not have so good town centres (maybe these will improve as people are being pushed further out of the decent suburbs around Manchester) the surrounding countryside is lovely though and with a mixture of terraced, semi detached and also detached houses along with council estates I would definitely say a better option (if on a budget) than looking at suburbs closer to Manchester

brits1

Rutland is nice small and surrounded by countryside I visited a while back now though are you interested in the eastern part of the midlands!

Chocolate eclair

Rutland is nice small and surrounded by countryside I visited a while back now though are you interested in the eastern part of the midlands![/QUOTE]
We are interested in a number of places. Have thought of the Lake District and North Yorkshire, love areas around Surrey (Farnham, Shere etc.) but couldn't afford to live there.

brits1

Lake District is lovely but the weather is worse than here in the north west, I love North Yorkshire and also the Ribble Valley area in Lancashire with Yorkshire being a bit less wet but a bit colder than Lancashire for me/us it’s the weather especially in winter, Norfolk and Lincolnshire and north parts of Suffolk offer good value for money house wise as does Shropshire, Worcestershire and parts of Somerset and North Devon there are others areas as well but all depends on work, lifestyle choice and to some being near family etc

Moses2013

It's always very hard to decide. One place that seems to offer the best of all worlds would be the Isle of Man, if it had more ferry services. Unfortunately the other downside is the cost of the ferry, otherwise you would have two capitals on your doorstep and Liverpool close by. Property is no longer cheap either, but it still has a lot to offer for those wanting a more relaxed life and don't mind island living.

MGH888

Thanks for all the input from everyone. Much appreciated. I'll be visiting about a dozen different towns and cities in 2 months time to start the process.

brits1

Good luck with the “sightseeing” a bit of advice if your going to be travelling to work by car then if you can try and see how it is in the rush hour traffic as this can make a huge difference when factoring that in to an area.

Slalomdude

We too are moving back to North Wales this year after 23 years in the US. Taking early retirement at 55. I grew up in Flintshire and we bought a house back there a couple of years ago with a view to moving back to this year. Good luck, it's going to be quite the transition for us.

MGH888

That's an eerily similar sort of time line and age ! I moved to the USA in 1999 - and will be 54 years and 11 months when we return next July.... one way tickets have been purchased for July 2nd ! So this is now very real!! Not sure about retirement, we have a nice pot but will work to ensure national insurance credits/years are full before hanging up the boots.... The inlaws are in Colwyn Bay - so one more tie in! Good luck with all you do and the move.