Talking Points

Brighouse locks and barge in Yorkshire

Why Brighouse is the ideal location for Leeds professionals to live

Over the years, we have seen a marked increase in the number of tenants coming to us in search of professional accommodation in the vibrant market town of Brighouse. Others seek guidance from us on where to live and end up choosing a property in Brighouse, despite never having considered the town before.

So, this blog post looks at the reasons behind the popularity of Brighouse as a location for young professionals commuting into Leeds city centre.

The easy commute

Located on the River Calder and within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, Brighouse is conveniently placed just four miles east of Halifax and 12 miles south-west of Leeds city centre.

Despite the distance between the town of Brighouse and the city of Leeds, Brighouse is well connected and it doesn’t take long to travel between the two.

If you choose to rent a professional property in Brighouse, you can drive to Leeds in just half an hour. Public transport also offers quick and frequent journeys for a simple commute to Leeds and back.

On the bus, the journey time is longer than driving yourself, but you can sit back and relax while someone else does the hard work; listen to music or a podcast, read your book, or catch up on social media.

business man on train commute

There are two train routes running between Brighouse and Leeds; one of which is direct, and one indirect.

The direct route takes around 30 minutes and the other takes just under an hour. On the indirect routes, you’ll just need to change trains at Halifax or Bradford Interchange.

If you enjoy stretching your legs, it could be nice to walk the four miles home from Halifax railway station in summer.

The average train journey between Brighouse and Leeds takes just 42 minutes. On an average weekday, there are 36 trains travelling between the two stations. In other words, if you miss a train, it won’t be long before another comes along!

With regular trains, you’ve got the flexibility to stay out for drinks with friends or colleagues after work or perhaps grab a bite to eat.

Easy access to Leeds and London

London skyline

A huge bonus to commuters living in Brighouse are the direct and indirect trains regularly running down to London and back.

If you’ve got a meeting in London, you won’t need to head into Leeds first; you can just jump on a train at your local railway station!

Not only that but the journey only takes between 2 hours 16 minutes and 3 hours 30 minutes, depending on the route that day. London Kings Cross and London Euston are the usual destination stations the other end, both of which are helpfully central for your onward connections.

There’s so much to see and do

There’s a real buzz about Brighouse, and it’s also this that attracts new tenants and visitors.

There’s a wide range of quality pubs, bars, restaurants, takeaways and shops in the town — including independent shops — alongside an impressive calendar of annual events.

In summer, there’s the Brighouse 1940s weekend to look forward to, followed by the Brighouse Arts Festival in autumn, and the Victorian Christmas market in November. Not to mention a charity gala and all manner of other exciting and unique events throughout the year.

From April to November, there are artisan markets held in the town on selected Sundays — including food stalls selling locally produced cheese, chutney, meat and bread. You’ll also find stalls full of local crafts, handmade soaps, knitwear, and so much more. Don’t miss the street food either!

There’s a handful of great attractions in Brighouse, too — including the ROKT Climbing Gym (featuring the UK’s highest man-made outdoor climbing wall), the Smith Art Gallery, and The Pot Spot for somewhere fun to take the kids on a rainy day.

If you’re considering moving to Brighouse, the Visit Brighouse site might be of interest.

Piece Hall in Halifax, Yorkshire
The Piece Hall in nearby Halifax

Other local attractions

Living in Brighouse, you’d also be within a stone’s throw of some wonderful local attractions, including the National Coal Mining Museum for England, which was a finalist for the Tourist Attraction of the Year award in the National Staycation Awards 2019.

There’s also the recently renovated Piece Hall in Halifax, the Bradford Industrial Museum, the National Science and Media Museum, and a huge selection of beautiful parks to explore.

Of course, there are also cinemas and bowling alleys locally, so you’d never be short of something to do when living in Brighouse.

If you like a drink, then a trip to Bradford would certainly be time well spent, thanks to Sunbridge Wells — beautifully restored underground Victorian tunnels which now contain a selection of bars and restaurants. It’s not to be missed!

If you’d like to take a look at some professional properties in Brighouse, you can view our current selection online. If you can’t see the property for you, get in touch as we may know of one that’s not been listed yet — or you may wish to be notified of future properties.

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