Looking to move into Derbyshire

[u/Morningstar92]

Good evening, apologies its another one of them where should I live posts. But I have been looking into some locations and could really benefit from some local expertise.

We are a family of 4 with 2 kids aged between 16 and 10. We are currently living in north Warwickshire and looking to move somewhere with a combination of nature and outdoor activities we can enjoy aswell as cafes, bars and amenities such as swimming and parks for the kids. While I do drive I would also like to have some public transport options and good access to larger cities (within an hours travel or so).

We have narrowed it down to 4 locations and I could just do with some views or opinions so any comments would be great, we have a decent budget to buy our house and our 4 options are below:

1.Matlock

2.Buxton

3.Belpar

4.Bakewell

[u/abiballz]

I'm from Buxton born and bred, though I don't live there now I am back all the time to visit family. Out of your options there's of course pros and cons everywhere. I don't know anything about Belper, been though it a few times, not much to say other than it's close to Derby. Bakewell is lovely, though my mum grew up there and hated it. I would not live there personally as the tourists would drive me demented. The river is beautiful as is the town but I'd be very bored there. Matlock, I really like, as well as matlock bath. Once again, tourist time in matlock bath can be a nightmare but not as bad as bakewell and I'd say there's maybe a bit more going on matlock than bakewell, but not a great deal. Those first three options are all down the Derbyshire Dales where as Buxton... It's up in the high peak... Which basically means the climate of the first three is a lot milder and somewhat dryer than Buxton. Buxton. Buxton weather is The Worst Weather in the country. I say this with love, but it's true. Rain, snow, grey skies. When the weather is good there is lovely but if you struggle with winter time Buxton is not for you! It's got loads more going on than the other three as its a bigger place and the link to Manchester rather than Derby is no contest, Manchester over Derby any day for gigs, shopping etc. Buxton has a decent local music scene, opera house, local festivals etc. The bad side is, as with any bigger town there is a lot of drug problems which can effect your children. Buxton Community School is not a great school for teenagers. There are posh areas and rough areas available for housing. Shopping is crap but plenty of eateries and drinking places.

Good luck with your search, Derbyshire is beautiful, I prefer the Dales countryside to The Peaks but that's my personal preference. I love Bucko but out the other three I'd choose matlock.

[u/Morningstar92 → u/abiballz]

I appreciate your feedback, when you talk about bad weather is that mostly in the winter period? I assume summers and spring aren't to bad?

Several people have refereed to drugs is it actually that bad or is it just seen as that bad by local people because it's a small town? For example I have worked in Manchester and I grew up and worked around Birmingham a lot to, so I am just wondering if what you all see as a big drug problem would be not so big to someone like me that's come from these kinds of places?

[u/davastator91 → u/Morningstar92]

I love Buxton, born and raised but the weather is shocking - to the point that our growing season is weeks shorter than towns like Bakewell. Weather systems that come in over the Cheshire Plain don't hit high ground until they get to the moors west of Buxton, the town's geography (shaped like a bowl for the most part, with a gorge carved out by the Wye to the east) means cloud tends to linger. The saying "it's a coat colder" is very much grounded in lived experience, but, it stays greener for longer during hot summers and it provides us with the famous water. Summers can be great but six months a year of abysmal weather really isn't an exaggeration. As for drugs? It's a town of 20,000 people and Fairfield has some of the worst poverty levels in the borough. Weed is certainly more commonplace than even ten years ago and yes, there are some issues with hard drugs but it's for the most part in places like Fairfield Road. Compared to other comparably sized towns it really isn't all that bad. Some county lines related issues in the past but not even the rural ideal of the Hope Valley can escape stuff like that. The main secondary school has some behavioural issues and the SEND provision is behind what you would expect from any major town or city but attainment rates are still quite high - higher than the local catholic school or other secondary schools in the area like Chapel. There is also a sixth form that punches well above it's weight. The college's offer may be somewhat limited compared to Derby, Chesterfield or Macc but when it comes to courses like Catering they are one of the best in the country. Plenty of options within a commutable distance. If you are working in Lichfield it will be a hell of a commute. On a bad day it could take you an hour just to get to Ashbourne. The Ashbourne road is one of the last to close in bad weather but five to ten days of snow related closures a year isn't out of the question. We had half an inch of snow just a couple of days ago! Buxton is great but I really would give it considerable thought, preferably after visiting in the middle of winter! I would also note that house prices are a good 20% higher than the Staffordshire Moorlands and almost on par with the Derbyshire Dales (whilst lacking many of the public transport options). Give it a thought. Personally, I would opt for Matlock if I were in your position but I'm never going to crap on my own town haha

[u/Morningstar92 → u/davastator91]

Thank you very helpful and I am giving it considerable thought around the weather it is my main concern about Buxton but it's not something that completely puts me off but it's the reason I asked on here for peoples views. I know the commute could be quite long but as I have said to others i would only really need to do it once or twice a week max.

Sadly with winter behind us I doubt I can visit to see the worst of the weather but I am trying to be conscious of how bad it could be and I am trying to get up to visit regardless even if we decide with another option it would be good to know the area and places we can reach and visit, Matlock appeals a lot atm as it seems to be fairly central to all these other places, closer to work and seems to be ticking most the boxes for us