A Guide to Living in Lancashire

Lancashire is a county in the northwest of England, with a population of just over one million. It has been an economically important area since ancient times and was home to many major industries including cotton mills. In more recent years, Lancashire has developed into a tourist destination thanks to its natural beauty and culture. If you’re looking for a place to live in the UK, then Lancashire might be just what you need. This guide will take a look at the county and outline some of its best features

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Best places to live in Lancashire

HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and HomeViews Transparency Rating of every development in the area

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Where is Lancashire?

Lancashire is located in the northwest of England, between Merseyside and Cumbria. The county has a coast on both the Irish Sea to the west and Morecambe Bay in the east. It has an area of just over 9000 km² and a population of around one and a half million.

Areas in Lancashire

There are several areas within Lancashire that you might want to consider if you’re looking for a place to live. These include:

Blackburn with Darwen – a metropolitan borough that includes the towns of Blackburn and Darwen, Blackburn is home to the University of Central Lancashire and combines lively nightlife with a huge range of urban amenities

Lancaster – Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire. It’s home to Lancaster University and has a population of just over 45,000. The city has a thriving cultural scene and is surrounded by beautiful countryside

Preston – Preston is the second-largest city in Lancashire. It has a population of just over 120,000 and is home to the University of Central Lancashire. The city has a strong industrial heritage and is undergoing a period of regeneration

Chorley – Chorley is a market town in the northwest of Lancashire. It has a population of around 36,000 and is close to both the M61 and the A583. The town is popular with commuters because of its proximity to both Manchester and Preston

Blackpool – Blackpool is one of Lancashire’s most famous seaside resorts, attracting millions of visitors every year. It is the most densely populated place in Lancashire and has a population of around 150,000

Burnley – a market town in the heart of Lancashire, Burnley is a popular commuter town with close links to Manchester, Blackburn and Preston

Chorley – located in the northwest of the county, Chorley is home to many historic buildings including the Chorley Manor, which dates back to 115 AD

Universities in Lancashire

There are several universities located within Lancashire, including:

University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) – one of the largest universities in the county, UCLan is made up of four campuses and currently has around 30,000 students enrolled

Lancaster University – a research-intensive institution with an excellent reputation for teaching and student satisfaction, Lancaster University is located in the city of Lancaster, just north of Morecambe Bay

Edge Hill University – located in Ormskirk, Edge Hill University is a campus-based university with around 12,000 students

Blackburn College – located in Blackburn town centre, Blackburn College offers Further Education and Higher Education courses to over 18,000 students each year.

Top Schools in Lancashire

There are several excellent schools located throughout Lancashire, including:

Loreto Grammar School – an all-girls grammar school in LancasterLoreto Grammar School has a reputation for being one of the best schools in Lancashire and is consistently ranked as one of the top-performing schools in the North West.

Ribblesdale High School – a comprehensive school in Clitheroe, Ribblesdale High School is famous for its excellent academic results and for the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer.

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School – a selective grammar school in Hornby, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School is one of the largest schools in Lancashire and has an excellent reputation for both its academic and sports achievements.

Population of Lancashire

Lancashire has a population of around 1.495 million, with the majority living in Blackburn and Blackpool. The population is diverse, with people from all walks of life calling Lancashire home. The county is home to several large cities and towns as well as a range of rural villages.

Featured developments in Lancashire

Reviews in Lancashire

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Our Forever Home

Verified Resident

Review Date Apr 2024

Barrowford is a lovely village with some nice bars and restaurants. The area has a number of good schools too. The location is perfect for onward travel given how close it is to the motorway but without the noise pollution.

Please review your development:

The design of the houses is fantastic and unlike anything we have seen in other new build developments. Snags have been rectified and were they haven’t, Customer Care have been excellent at putting tickets in to ensure these jobs get sorted. From start to finish, everyone at Northstone have been absolutely fantastic – answering our questions and having patience with us as first-time buyers. The Smart Home features of the houses are excellent and are a positive addition to the living experience.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

How to operate the Wondrwall smart home system (especially in relation to heating/thermostats) would have been better with in-person demonstrations rather than remote calls.

What is the best feature of your home:

Too many to mention! We love the Kitchen which is well kitted out, big windows that give in lots of light, Lootility and the overall warmth of the house.

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Disappointing design and poor Customer Care

Verified Resident

Review Date Apr 2024

Great location, near to motorway, countryside and facilities. Lovely parks and walks on the doorstep. Bus services are not great and could be better. Lack of street lighting attracts anti-social behaviour and unsafe feeling walking in the dark. Parking issues during the week from the office park across the road,

Please review your development:

Kitchen is really poorly designed, too many 300mm cabinets which are useless and not enough worktop space. Upstairs has a huge landing and small bedrooms 2&3, drivways very narrow, some more thought should have gone into the design. Wondrwall is a glorified gimmick and would be better being removed. Lovely large windows but you need blinds or curtains as its like living in a goldfish bowl. Customer Care is abysmal, snags still outstanding after 18 months.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Correct information would have been wonderful from Northstone Sales and information about council tax bandings as they are very high when comparing other local houses

What is the best feature of your home:

Garden size and bathroom water pressure is amazing

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Beautiful modern homes in a lovely location. Well recommended.

Review Date Mar 2024

Nestled just on the outskirts of Barrowford, a stones throw from Motorway and bypass. Makes travel a breeze as within 60 seconds you’re up on the motorway.

There’s plenty of shops, restaurants and bars within a few minutes walk.

Development is quite small currently so very quiet streets, suspect this may change as more homes are completed. But even still, anticipate no issues with traffic or road noise. Every home has a driveway so street parking shouldn’t be an issue.

Please review your development:

Love the design of Northstone homes, open and airy with loads of natural light due to the floor to ceiling windows. The downstairs lootility is awesome, allowing noisy laundry to be kept behind a closed door.

Mine is a 2-bed semi-detached Seven68 (768sq ft). Being a single working professional, it’s perfect size for me. But there are various sized homes on the development, right up to 1300sq ft 4 bedroom detached.

Apparently the builds materials are calculated precisely prior to build so there’s no wastage and mine came with solar panels/EV charger and wastewater heat recapture systems included. That along with triple glazing means my energy bills will be next to nothing. Considering I came from an old property with energy bills as high as £200 a month, this is a very much welcomed relief.

If you’re interested in a Northstone home, go and view one of their showhomes. Trust me, you won’t leave disappointed. The build quality and attention to detail is the best I’ve seen, hands down.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

That its far too easy to overspend on new furniture.

What is the best feature of your home:

Difficult to say one feature. Floor to ceiling windows. Massive garden and 2 car driveway. Energy efficient. Built in appliances. Lootility room. Broadband live on day one etc etc the list goes on.

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The house design is great. It has very thick insulation and triple glazing

Verified Resident

Review Date Mar 2024

Transport links to M65 and M66 at bottom of road, but the development is very quiet all the time no traffic noise. Rveryone has off road parking so all the pavement are car free which is good. Bin are always collected every week. Barrowford is lovely. Its got boutique clothes shops, lovely wine bars and restaurants also Booths food hall.

Please review your development:

The house design is great. It has very thick insulation and triple glazing. The technology is Wondr wall so you can control lights and heating on your mobile even if you are out or away. The Scandinavian style house is unique round here, so when you see them you will see the uniqueness to them. They are cheaper to run due to the build. Also good for walking a dog if you have one