Otley is the town I grew up in and now, after going to University I’ve finally come home and it’s been a big transition.
I live across the river and it has always been quiet here, far from the main roads which are so often filled with traffic with people getting to work and HGVs rumbling through.
However, the town centre, as its name suggests, is the heart of Otley. Shops and pubs line the high street while there is plenty of space to walk around near the small clock tower.
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Many of these small shops and pubs are still independent, such as the eclectic 20p shop or the Black Bull. Some have won awards like the fantastic Weegmans butchers, there’s no better place for a pork pie in all of Yorkshire and you can cite me on that. There are also larger chains like Greggs and Costa.
But while these shops and pubs may be the heart of the city, the soul is imbued in every person. People from Otley are friendly, first of all, but they are also straightforward, a value which makes it so easy to talk to anyone around here, especially after living in a University city where people can often be more closed off.
Nature is also a key part of the town, the River Wharfe which flows through the centre is calm and beautiful, only taking on an air of menace when it starts to rain although this has thankfully been made less threatening by the new flood defences. The Chevin is also perfect for a walk and the town is not too far from the fantastically stark Ilkley Moor.
There are plenty of parks as well throughout the town and, just by the bridge, the road is lined with trees which give the whole area a sense of nature.
While I certainly understand the appeal of the city and often find myself wishing I could live in a busy centre again, the calmness of Otley will be somewhere I always want to return to. In fact, the only real problem I have with the town is the transport.
Perhaps it is just my obsession or maybe many people in Otley feel the same way, but this town absolutely needs a train station. Please, the Menston station is just too far to get to, especially when you already live on the other side of the river from the bus station, it makes my morning commute miserable.
While there are plenty of buses to take you into Leeds, the lack of a station can sometimes be isolating if you want to meet up with friends in Leeds, or go to another city even further away.
But, despite these flaws, Otley is a fantastic place to either live or visit, whether you want quiet in nature or just to have the Yorkshire town experience, Otley is the perfect place.
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