Yahoo Finance Let’s move to Masham, North Yorkshire: beer and sheep run through its veins
What’s going for it? Sheep and beer. Beer and sheep. Sheep, beer. Beer, sheep. Often together (ahhh, a pint of Black Sheep! A lamb and ale stew! A lamb and ale stew with a pint of Black Sheep on the side... now you’re talking). There’s no getting away from them in Masham. There can’t be many places this size with two – TWO! – illustrious breweries in them. I wouldn’t be surprised if the citizens of this beautiful market town on the flanks of the Yorkshire Dales were buried with a fleece and a flagon of ale. Thanks to the monks (Jervaulx and Fountains Abbeys dominated these parts for centuries), the keeping of sheep and the brewing of beer have long gone hand in hand round here. They’re in the blood, in the culture (the fabulous Masham Sheep Fair is a sight to behold), in the landscape and definitely in the history. There are, it’s true, other things to do in Masham. A teacake, perhaps, at Johnny Baghdad’s. Fish’n’chips at Harry’s. You could potter round the giftshops, buy a canvas in one of the art galleries, play an over on the cricket pitch. There is, whisper it, a fine wine merchant in town. But remember, these are but sideshows to the main events. Move here and ewe will think beer and dream sheep. There’s no escape.
The case against What? You’re a vegan teetotaller? Also, out of the way, though not particularly remote; and quietly rural for those who like their hubbub.
Well connected? You’ll be wanting a car. Trains: in Thirsk, a 30-minute drive away, with services to York (17 mins) or south to Leeds and Manchester, and Northallerton (9 mins), where you can change on to the mainline. Driving: 10 mins to Bedale, 15 to the A1(M), 20 mins to Ripon. Buses connect you to Ripon, Bedale and Richmond.
Schools Primaries: Masham CofE and, in the hinterland, St Nicholas CofE (West Tanfield), Snape and Thornton Watlass CofE are all “good”, says Ofsted, with Kell Bank CofE “outstanding”. Secondaries: nearby Bedale High is “good”.
Hang out at… Where else? The Black Sheep Brewery, to wash down your beer with some food. The posh among you will like Samuel’s.
Related: Let’s move to Glossop, Derbyshire: it’s fierce and friendly
Where to buy You can have any style, any size, so long as it’s in stone, the gorgeous pale stone of the Dales. All ages, but mostly a fine selection of cottages and Georgian townhouses in Masham itself (especially around the huge, beautiful Market Place), or the villages futher out. Here, the countryside is half in, half out of the Yorkshire Dales national park (with its restrictions on development), but all glorious, speckled with farms and barns. Some new builds, especially on the routes to the A1(M). Large detacheds and townhouses, £500,000-£800,000, and more for the vaster piles with land. Detacheds and smaller townhouses, £300,000-£500,000. Semis, £200,000-£400,000. Terraces and cottages, £175,000-£350,000. Rentals: little; a one-bedroom flat, perhaps £450pcm.
Bargain of the week Two-bedroom period end of terrace in the centre of Masham, £165,000 with hunters.com.
From the streets
Susan Briggs “Visiting the great local shops can take quite a while – everyone stops to chat.”
Alastair Balfour “The long-established, old-fashioned Joneva delicatessen and confectionery shop in Market Place.”
• Do you live in Ilfracombe, Devon? Do you have a favourite haunt or a pet hate? If so, email lets.move@theguardian.com by Tuesday 3 March.
