Why move to Barnsley?
Sitting on the north east edge of the Peak District National Park, Barnsley is perfect for those who like to get out and about. But if you don't like to venture out into South Yorkshire's rugged countryside, the town centre offers plenty - including a 700-year-old market with up to 300 stalls.
Barnsley is also going through a period of transformation, with a £6million industrial development under way at Capitol Park and ;The Glass Works project, which will house a 13-screen cinema, dozens of shops and restaurants, also currently under construction.
The Local Market
Barnsley offers a diverse range of properties with starter homes and apartments on offer for less than £50,000 which are popular with both home owners and investors. The investors benefit from a high demand and rental properties are never left empty for long with the demand currently significantly outweighing the supply. There are a large number of Victorian terraced houses throughout the borough and these are complimented by numerous new developments being built over the last 15 years by local and national builders. Moving further out of the town centre there are many substantial rural dwellings often boasting stunning countryside settings and views and achieving prices in excess of £600,000. Property types and prices differ quite considerably according to district. Choose between studio flats in Royston, renovated Victorian terraces in Barnsley town, new build flats in Lundwood and Monk Bretton, two bed terraced houses in Wombwell and Darton, modern three storey town houses in Hoyland, bungalows, three bed semi-detached family homes in Worsborough and four bed detached houses in Woolley Grange.
Location
The main transport hub Barnsley Interchange, a combined rail and bus station, opened in 2007, is the first project in the remaking Barnsley scheme to be completed. Stagecoach Yorkshire run most bus services within Barnsley, operating to and from Barnsley Interchange. Train services are provided by Northern Rail. Northbound there is a half hourly express service to Leeds which takes around 35 minutes augmented by a slower service via Castleford which takes around 50 minutes. There is an hourly service to Huddersfield via the Penistone Line. Southbound there are four trains per hour to Meadowhall Interchange and Sheffield, two of which are local stopping services and two of which are express. One service per hour continues to Chesterfield and Nottingham. Evenings and Sundays there is a less frequent service. The nearest airport is Robin Hood Airport approximately 26 miles (42km) away. There is a direct bus service from Barnsley to the airport; the X19, which runs hourly.
Sport
Barnsley F.C. play in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Their home ground, Oakwell Stadium is situated in Oakwell, just outside of the town centre.
Speedway racing was staged at a track near Barnsley at Barnsley Lundwood. The track entered a team in the Northern Leagues of 1929 and 1930, and currently have professional speedway rider Josh Bates hailing from Barnsley
Shopping in Barnsley
Lovers of shopping will be eager to see The Glass Works project completed, but there is plenty of retail therapy in Barnsley to keep them occupied in the meantime. The Alhambra Shopping Centre is Barnsley largest retail centre, with more than 40 stores including Primark, Next, TK Maxx and Vodafone.The centre is located next to Barnsley thriving and historical market, where shoppers can pick up almost anything from one of the 300 stalls on offer.The Victorian Arcade, meanwhile, is great for those who like to stop for a coffee and slice of cake while pounding the shopping beat.
Eating out in Barnsley
Among Barnsley's best restaurants, of which there are many, Beatson House at Cawthorne is one of the most popular. Serving classic British food in a dining room environment, dishes featuring local produce feature heavily on a menu full of delights. Those seeking the tastes of the Mediterranean should head for The Secret Italian on McLintock Way, which serves classic dishes from an authentic Italian kitchen.
