How it rates Huddersfield is excited about the BBC’s impending move to Salford, which is 30 miles away but commutable. Huddersfield has much to be proud of: the university, canal network, good shops and stunning countryside dotted with some highly desirable property, not to mention nearby Holmfirth, where Last of the Summer Wine was filmed.

Architectural gems Well-preserved Victorian buildings, including the Town Hall and the Byram shopping arcade, are the legacy of a town built on the wealth of wool. Renovations to St George’s Square will provide a fitting backdrop to the statue of Huddersfield-born Lord Wilson of Rievaulx that guards the station. The Victoria Tower at Castle Hill celebrates Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee.

What’s new Whitley Willows has seven four/five-bedroom houses for sale, from £850,000 to £1.2 million, and 15 mill-conversion flats, from £190,000 to £290,000 (01484 550920, cooksonhomes.com).

Travel It’s only 30 minutes to Manchester by rail, which has turned Huddersfield into a commuter hotspot. Leeds and Bradford are less than an hour’s drive via the M62 and M1. Trains to London take a little less than three hours.

Quality of life An attractive town with plenty to do, surrounded by attractive countryside. Sport is big: rugby league has the Huddersfield Giants, Huddersfield Town FC play at the impressive Galpharm Stadium and every village has its own cricket team.

Smartest streets The Melting Point, a former iron foundry on Firth Street, is the place to live in the town centre. Flats rarely come on the market, but rentals start at £495 a month. Lindley, where three-bedroom houses cost from £175,000, is the most popular village.

Restaurants 1535 in the Melting Point, pictured, serves modern British food and cocktails. For Italian, Da Sandro. Find superior pub grub at The Olive Branch, a “restaurant with rooms” overlooking the Colne Valley, and fine dining at the Three Acres in Shelley.

Nightlife Lots of bars for the younger crowd, such as The Cotton Factory and Revolution, plus Tokyo nightclub. The Head of Steam is a fine railway pub. For culture, there is the Lawrence Batley Theatre and the annual Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and Literature Festival.

Education Excellent primaries include Lindley Junior School, Newsome Junior School and Holmfirth Junior, Infant and Nursery. Salendine Nook High School and Shelley College are the best-performing comprehensives. Greenhead College tops the Sunday Times “best sixth form colleges” table. Huddersfield Grammar and the Mount prep are the local independents.

Working life With more than 22,000 students, the University of Huddersfield is a large employer. Mamas & Papas and David Brown Engineering are among the big companies based here.

Upside Huddersfield benefits from good public transport, housing for all budgets and a diverse, thriving economy.

Downside Students are everywhere, which does not always go down well with the locals. Traffic can be awful at busy times.

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