Moving to Lancashire

Lancashire and Yorkshire are beautiful counties with a lot to offer. Clitheroe, the Lune valley, Kirkby Lonsdale- beautiful.
Colne and Nelson are in beautiful countryside. Maybe the 'less desirable' comment links to their status as former mill towns.
Rent a house in Kirkby Lonsdale or similar and explore from there. You'll love it

Hi there, I lived in the Ribble Valley for 10 years, in a village 3 miles from Clitheroe.

The Colne and Nelson area is not so desirable.

Barrowford has always been a popular village with great amenities.
It’s worth noting the rail links are not the best, there is a station at Clitheroe but it’s really the Manchester line.
Preston and Skipton have better links.

Consider the area around Longridge, the road and rail links are great and your close to the Lake District and the beautiful Lune Valley.

You really do need to visit and get a proper feel for the area.

The weather is not the best, we moved to East Yorkshire and our son was still at school near Clitheroe, he would phone us and moan about the weather whilst we were basking in the sun?.

I miss the hills, scenery, amazing restaurants but not the rain.

The villages round Pendle are nice, worth considering the Ribble Valley, Clitheroe is a lovely small town. To be honest Colne itself is not an area I would choose to live in.

I came across a lovely small town - Barnoldswick - while on a canal holiday earlier this year. Somewhere between Leeds and Burnley! Needed an emergency dentist and they fitted me in virtually immediately. Not bad for lockdown. Great independent shops, Loved it. Wetherby also nice.

Pendle Hill is lovely and some super open walking country, I visit often. Go for it!

Lancashire and Yorkshire are both beautiful and friendly. You will get something lovely for the price of a house in the south . Perhaps stay in a couple of different air b and bs when you can to get the feel of different villages?

If you're looking at Colne then why not consider West Yorkshire too. Colne is only 10 miles from Haworth (Bronte country). Not that I'm biased but Yorkshire is God's Own County . Seriously though, that whole area is stunning and if you're selling at down south prices you'll get something really nice in Lancashire or Yorkshire and probably have change. It's such a big move could you rent for six months or so first so you can get to know the area better.