Property Prices in the Worth Valley, West Yorkshire

[alexl92]

I'm just interested to know whether the presence of the Heritage Railway in the Worth Valley affects house prices in the area much, and also how prices in Keighley and the other villages along the line compare to other towns and villages in that corner of West Yorkshire?

As a visitor to the area, I've often thought they're largely very pretty villages (the parts of Keighley centre I've seen seem like every mill town around Bradford - a bit messy and run down) and being on the edge of the dales this would normally make housing quite expensive, but it is all within the Bradford postcode area which means prices are lower than equivalents with say, a Leeds, Harrogate or York postcode.

Equally, I've noticed that Keighley seems to have a lot of back-to-back terraced housing. In Leeds and to an extent Huddersfield, this type of dwelling tends to be in more deprived, less affluent areas with higher crime rates. Is this the same in Keighley?

I'm not looking to move there at the moment but have always wanted to live in a semi-rural area rather than a city, and whilst Zoopla can tell you prices, it can't tell you what the area is like.

Interested to hear any thoughts! Many thanks in advance.

 

[Iskra]

Keighley is awful and therefore generally cheap; more comparable to the likes of Burnley and Blackburn than other parts of West Yorkshire and has the same 'divisions'. Ingrow is still cheap. Oakworth, Oxenhope and Haworth can be more expensive, but there are still poorer quality houses available at reasonable prices. There are more picturesque villages out of the Worth valley itself. These places are a bit of a pain to get to (being remote from the major motorways) and don't have great services/amenities, therefore compared to other more 'picturesque' parts of (West) Yorkshire are comparatively cheap. While the valley, moors and reservoirs can be attractive and pleasant in summertime I personally find the pollution-stained sandstone used in most buildings in the area to be dreary and ugly and especially so in winter when it's wet, giving a miserable vibe.

Both my parents are from Oakworth and both my sets of grandparents live(d) in Oakworth and my grandad is now in a care home in Keighley so I have spent a lot of time in the area and still visit frequently. Personally, I wouldn't want to live there, but then we're different people... I suggest spending some more time visiting the area yourself.

 

[alexl92]

Thanks Iskra. I kinda suspected as much about Keighley. Am I right in thinking that Ingrow is basically part of Keighley?

I do like Victorian stone properties in general, particularly as they tend to have larger windows and higher ceilings inside which makes rooms feel much bigger, and the idea of living near (or even better, within view of) the railway really appeals. But it'll be a long time before I'd be seriously considering moving out that way.