Clifton Moor & Rawcliffe are close to both the York ring road and the city centre making them very popular places to live.
These two areas merge into each other, so we’ve combined them into one post packed full of information if you are thinking of moving to the area.
Find out about the local schools, parks, shops and more. We’ve got everything you need to know about Clifton Morr and Rawcliffe in our York Mumbler Family Guide!
On a map πΊ
Clifton Moor & Rawcliffe are approximately 1 1/2 to 3 miles from York City Centre with good bus routes and cycle tracks into the centre. Located close to the ring road/A1237 which provides easy access to the rest of York, Leeds & Harrogate.
Transport Links π
- The number 6 First York bus service runs from Clifton Moor (outside Tescos) to York University and goes to the city centre via Water Lane and Clifton.
- The number 2 & 2A First York Park & Ride bus service runs from Rawcliffe Bar Park & Ride via Shipton Road and also stops at the Railway Museum.
- The number 19 Reliance bus service runs from Skelton to York through most of Rawcliffe.
- Close to the A1237, so great if you need to commute to Harrogate or Leeds.
- York Railway Station is approximately 2 1/2 miles away.
The great outdoors π³
Open Spaces & ParksΒ
- Rawcliffe Lake is home to a range of wildlife including ducks, Canada geese & sometimes even a heron! It has footpaths around the edge of the lake & is suitable for bikes & scooters & also for dog walking.
- Wildlife area at Homestead Park, Water End, Clifton β The wildlife area at Homestead Park offers the opportunities for looking for a range of wildlife such as butterflies, birds, squirrels, wild rabbits and insects. There are also bug houses & logs & areas for den building.
- Clifton Green β there is a triangle of grass with benches for seating.
- Clifton Backies Nature Reserve, Water Lane, Clifton β Clifton Backies offers woodland & meadows & is great for exploring, wildlife spotting & dog walking. It has a duck pond & ruins of the airfild from WW2 as well as benches for relaxing.
- Rawcliffe Country Park, Shipton Road, Rawcliffe boasts a range of trees & shrubs & is great for bird spotting & dog walking through the meadows, woodland and from here you can walk or cycle alongside the river Ouse.
Play Areas
- Rawcliffe Rec has a small enclosed play area and plenty of open space (great for dog walking).
- Homestead Park offers an extensive children’s playground, gym equipment, duck pond, wildlife area, picnic area, seasonal displays, pop up cafe, seasonal plant shop & plenty of benches for seating. Toliets & car parks are also available.
- Rawcliife Country Park is equipped with climbing frames, swings, slide, seesaw & rocking toys. It also has a climbing boulder & a pump track for bikes.
- Clifton Library Playground, Rawcliffe Lane is a popular playground with a range of equipment such as swings, slides, basket swing, roundabout & a large wooden train as well as a basket ball court. Toilets & car parking are available at Clifton library.
- Ashton Park, Burton Stone Lane, Clifton offers two seperate playgrounds β one for younger children & one for older children with a range of play equipment on offer including swings, slides, roundabout, basket swing, climbing frames & balance equipment. There are also benches for seating.
- Brailsford Crescent playgrounds offer two seperateplaygrounds β a smaller playground with a much larger one behind it. The smaller one has a mini frame, roundabout, seesaw & rocking toys & the larger one has monkey bars, basket swing, climbing frames, balance beams & an area for playing basket ball.
- Rawcliffe Rec playground, St Marks Grove is an enclosed playground with climbing frames, slides, swings and roundabout.
You can find more details of all the parks and play areas in York here.
Local Amenities π
Shops:
Well aside from every car showroom you could need, there are lots of great shops and restaurants at Clifton Moor. Tesco is the main supermarket, and there is an Aldi on Water Lane. Clifton Moor is also a great place to visit if you have recently moved house or are renovating. There are plenty of furniture showrooms, carpet retailers, bathroom experts and a B&Q, which starts to feel like your second home when you move house!
Local corner shops are not such a frequent find as in other areas of York (Clifton Moor has so much to offer). There is a Londis/Post Office, chip shop and a coffee shop on Eastholme Drive in Rawcliffe.
Eating Out & Entertainment:
There are lots of places to entertain the family at Clifton Moor Retail Park. With a 12 screen Vue cinema, Tenpin bowling. plenty of family-friendly restaurants including Bella Italia, Harvester & Flying Legends and various fast food options. Also just minutes away on Wigginton Road is Creepy Crawlies a huge indoor and outdoor play centre as well as Mini Figs & Bricks which is every Lego fanatics dream.
Warehouses in the area (Flying Legends (Clifton Moor) & Riverside Farm (Skelton) offering ball pools, slides & soft play areas. Meals & refreshments can be purchased in the play areas. Toilets with baby changing facilities are available, as well as car parking. Regular visitors can purchase monthly passes.
Pubs, restaurants & cafes:Β
- Lysander Arms, Manor Lane, Rawcliffe – pub with an outdoor play area
- Dormouse, Shipton Road – pub with large outdoor seating area
- Riverside Farm, Shipton Road – pub with Wacky Warehouse
- The Mitre, Shipton Road – pub
- Mulan, Oakdale Road – Chinese restaurant & takeaway
- Fish King, Eastholme Drive – Fish & chips & Chinese takeaway
- Domino’s, Oakdale Road – takeaway
Library:
The local library in Clifton is fantastic. It has a dedicated children’s area, frequent activities and storytime sessions for kids plus an enclosed outdoor play area. It is however relocating to a brand new site off Rawcliffe Drive and going to be bigger and have a cafe – it is due to open late summer 2024.Β
Sporting Facilities & Gyms:
Post Office:
The local Post Office is located on Eastholme Drive within the local Londis.
Churches/places of worship:
Community Centres:Β
Great ideas for families:Β
Schools & Nurseries π«
Nurseries/Day Care:
Primary Schools:
Secondary School:
So, Mumblers of Clifton Moor & Rawcliffe, why did you move there? π©βπ©βπ§βπ¦
A lot of Mumblers moved to the area to raise young families as it has some great nurseries and primary schools, plus there is plenty for children to do. From the beautiful Homestead Park to the shops and restaurants of Clifton Moor you are never far away from anything you might need.
Rawcliffe Lake
There is a lot of love for Rawcliffe Lake, which offers a little bit of peace and tranquillity in the heart of this busy residential area. It is the perfect place for dog walking, running or for little legs to get some safe scooter or bike practice in!
Everyone finds Rawcliffe & Clifton Moor safe and friendly places to live. It has great shops at Clifton Moor Retail Park, is close York city centre and well located for the ring road if you have to commute to work.
“Iβve lived in York for 7 years and this is the first time Iβve known who my neighbours are.”
“I really feel like part of the community.”
A good bus service operates between Clifton Moor and the University but it is easy to walk (and certainly cycle) from Rawcliffe into town.
Mumblers love the location as there is so much to do within walking distance or a short drive and they really love how close it is to York City Centre.
Why not leave us a comment and share your tips and knowledge on the area with other people looking to move here.