Hi all, interesting reading this forum. My job's relocating to Sheffield in July, and my partner will relocate to Sale, South Manchester. Any suggestions on good places to live? We'd both probably have to drive although I don't know how heavy traffic is coming into Sheffield. Thanks

Glossop is half way, depends what sort of place you wanted to live, and where in Sheffield you are working - the train service from Sheffield to Manchester and vice versa isn't too bad, and doesn't take too long

Stocksbridge or Glossop are probably the best places for commuting to both cities.

Anywhere in the Hope valley near a station as there are direct trains to Sheffield and Manchester. They also stop at Stockport where you can get a tram to Sale.

Regular trains run from Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly (every 30 minutes). From there the Metrolink tram goes to Sale. Some of the trains from Sheffield also call at Dore. Also some trains call at Meadowhall before they get to Sheffield.

In the winter the roads between Sheffield and Manchester tend to be bad and as soon as it snows they close, as they both involve a mountain pass.

Following train companies run on this route.
Transpennine Express : www.tpexpress.co.uk
Central Trains : www.centraltrains.co.uk
First Northwestern : www.firstnorthwestern.co.uk

Season tickets valid on all trains regardless of operator.

Thanks for all of these replies - very helpful. Useful to know that one season ticket does all train operators - that might make commuting by train affordable. And if a tram goes from Stockport to Sale, that might mean we could move to Sheffield proper!

If not, what are places like Glossop, Stockport and Stocksbridge like to live in?

Also, what about somewhere like Buxton which seems half way between Sheffield and Sale? Or does that just get snowed in (on my mind given the weather of this week)?

Thanks

I don't know the place, but I know some of the roads around Buxton aren't that great - I think one of them is the most dangerous in the country

You will have problem with snow if you live in Buxton...... That said there is a train service from Buxton to Manchester so you could get that instead of driving in bad weather. A peak time day return train ticket from Buxton to Manchester Piccadilly is £10.50. However you have no choice but to go by road from Buxton to Sheffield.

Tram doesn't go from Stockport by the way. You'd need to get a train from Stockport to Manchester Piccadilly (about 10 mins) then get a tram from Piccadilly station.

I've checked the season ticket rates for the train from Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly: (a normal day return ticket is £13.45)

Week pass £55.40
Month pass £212.80
3 Month pass £638.30
6 month pass £1276.50
Year pass £2216.00

weekly pass for Metrolink tram Piccadilly to Sale is £15.70, it should be possible to add this on to your train season ticket at the same time.

I think someone else has suggested living at Stocksbridge, if you are driving this would be handy for the Woodhead pass to Manchester.

You might want to check out www.streetmap.co.uk and have a look at road maps of the area to give yourself an idea of the geography.

You can download a railway map from http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/info/fs_info.htm

My friend lives in Glossop

It is an attractive small market town, she and all her pals who are now more or less 30, have never moved far away, or if they have then they have come back again, so they obviously like it.

Why dont you have a weekend away visiting the area and some of the possible towns and looking in estate agents windows?

As Max has said Hope Valley or Chapel en le Frith, Whaley Bridge

Buxton is a bit far out, if I were driving to Sale from Sheffield.

I would go Hathersage/Castleton/Chapel en le Frith/ Whaley Bridge/ Wilmslow/ Sale.

Thanks for all this - I think you're right - I have to spend a few weekends driving around seeing where I like/can afford/picking up train timetables before settling on an area.

One more quick question - are the trains from Stockport-Sheffield reliable? I know they go twice an hour. If I was to commute in that way I'd avoid the traffic, but don't want to be putting myself at the mercy of bad trains (and that's something NO train timetable will tell you).

i go over to stockport from shef on the train occasionally, and they are not too bad, but not that good either. I don't know if i'd want to commute everyday, but it could be done. It costs £12 return, but will be less if you get a season ticket or the like.

I commuted from Sheffield to Manchester for a year. In that time I think there were 2 cancellations in each direction and perhaps the same number of late trains.

wow, i must get on every single late train that runs.... ;)

Whatever you do...DO NOT LIVE IN GLOSSOP!!!! It is the armpit of England. I commuted from Sheffield to Manchester Airport for 5 years and my GOD I was ready to bomb the place at the end of it. Glossop is a total nightmare at any time of day or night. It takes about 30 mins to get from the end of the Snake Pass to the top of Mottram Moor. I hate the place with a passion. The tears I shed sitting in queues of traffic in Glossop. Do yourselves a favour !

I did live in Wilmslow for a year...VERY nice. Sale is also meant to be all right.

Originally posted by Babooshka
Whatever you do...DO NOT LIVE IN GLOSSOP!!!! It is the armpit of England.

It could certainly do with a by-pass for sure as it is a terrible bottle neck.

Nomme

I commuted from Crookes (top end of Sheffield) to Sale for a fortnight by car.
It's an absolute nightmare. It takes 3 hours to get there because the traffic is so heavy, and approx 2 hours to get back.

With decent roads it would take <1 hour.

All this is really helpful (again). Latest is that we've given up on Glossop but are still considering Buxton (that's the heart talking), but Stockport is still a contender so I can take the train to Sheffield and then the bus to the uni.Or else somewhere like New Mills that I can drive from but get a (slower) train if necessary.

Cyclone - which route did you take from Crookes - did you go on the A6 at all? I thought it would probably be an hour from Buxton to Sale, but from what you say, it may be even longer.

(would much prefer just to move to Sheffield, but unfortunately not going to happen).

Like you I will be relocating to Sheffield this year but am currently commuting from Warrington via, M56 - M60 anticlockwise - M67 - A628 every day & back.

The journey in takes anout 2 hours & the return takes 1.5 hours (post 6pm).

I'll be glad when we finally move.

Originally posted by katvax
All this is really helpful (again). Latest is that we've given up on Glossop but are still considering Buxton (that's the heart talking), but Stockport is still a contender so I can take the train to Sheffield and then the bus to the uni.Or else somewhere like New Mills that I can drive from but get a (slower) train if necessary.

Cyclone - which route did you take from Crookes - did you go on the A6 at all? I thought it would probably be an hour from Buxton to Sale, but from what you say, it may be even longer.

(would much prefer just to move to Sheffield, but unfortunately not going to happen).

I went over the snake, round the M60? (mancherster outer ring road) for a few junctions, then straight into Sale on whatever road it is. Was a couple of years ago now. I was going as far as the Cap Gemini offices if you know where they are.

Originally posted by Cyclone
I was going as far as the Cap Gemini offices if you know where they are.

I know where the CG offices are and I'm surprised it took 3 hours. Are you with CG?