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Leeds Live
Leeds Live
National
Sebastian McCormick

Life in the 'beautiful commuter village' near Leeds which has 'everything you need'

The first thing I noticed as I entered Pool-in-Wharfedale was the road.

Straight through the middle of the village is the A658 which leads directly to Bradford on one end and Harrogate on the other, both major destinations for people in the area. A few miles down the road there is also the junction for the A660 which drives directly to Leeds and the A659 also passes through the town.

This means Pool is the perfect town for commuters, with many people working outside of the small village of around 2,000 residents according to the 2011 census.

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However, in many ways it is more than meets the eye. There's plenty of green around as trees line the main road and off to the sides there are lots of small cul-de-sacs, surrounded by greenery, where much of the population of the town lives.

These areas have brilliant views of the surrounding hills with beautiful buildings and gardens lining the streets. They are also very quiet, giving a sense of serenity to the area which only adds to the natural beauty and the River Wharfe passes right by the town.

One resident, Wendy Holdcroft, said: "It's beautiful, it's just got everything that you need here really. Lovely walks, lovely people.

She added: "It's just a lovely place to be and a beautiful area." There does seem to be plenty of resources for local people. Just off the main road you can find a sports centre and a school, as well as a corner shop and post office.

However, nowhere is perfect and, as mentioned earlier, most people leave the town for work. Wendy added: "There's not a lot of work opportunities in Pool, there's a few places to work so most people will be who are working will be leaving the village."

Due to this and the location of the town, the roads can get very busy, even during the day and the paths, especially along the A659, are very thin.

Barry Batra lives in a village near Gatwick Airport and along the coast in Lincolnshire, but was up visiting his brother in Pool and he was impressed by the small town. He said: "It's quiet, but what I like is the river, it's got a lovely river, and you can just walk down there and walk along the river."

He added: "If I was working in Leeds, personally, I'd be out here, I wouldn't be anywhere near the towns."

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