More people than ever are choosing to work from home and new research from broadband provider Fibrus has identified the 10 places in Cumbria best suited for remote working.
Penrith features in the list and number seven along with other towns such as Cockermouth, Keswick and Dalton-in-Furness.
The analysis takes into account broadband speeds, housing affordability, transport links, access to green spaces and the availability of co-working spaces such as libraries and coffee shops with free wi-fi.
Fibrus commissioned the research in response to a surge in the popularity of working from home. Official figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 14 per cent of people work from home all the time while another 28 per cent split their time between home and office, so-called hybrid working.
Those with degree-level qualifications and in higher-paid jobs are even more likely to work remotely.
Penrith featured in the list of best places to work remotely in Cumbria, thanks in part to its broadband connectivity and transport links.
Joanna Fozard is Manager of Penrith BID (Business Improvement District) and works from her home in the town centre.
"I work about 75 per cent in my office at home and the other 25 per cent I'm out visiting the businesses and seeing everyone," she says.
"The town is brilliant for the train station and being on the M6 and A66. It's a market town so it's busy and real and it's got heart."
There are numerous cafes and coffee shops in town which are loved by home workers, as well as the bigger Booths and Cranstons cafes, she says.
Joanna began home working eight years ago when she needed the flexibility around school hours, but connectivity was often a problem.
So the arrival of Fibrus superfast full fibre broadband has been a game changer.
"It's brilliant. There's no buffering, no nonsense, it just works. It's like the electric or the plumbing - it doesn't occur to you that there will be any issues," says Joanna.
It has also made Penrith a draw for professionals looking for a better quality of life.
"In the 10 years I have lived in Penrith it has changed from people living here at the weekends to go into the mountains but commuting to London or Glasgow in the week. Now a huge number of people are moving up from cities, especially from the South-east, and working from home for the quality of life.
"You look up from your desk or go out the front door, and you are seeing the beautiful views."
The arrival of superfast and reliable broadband has opened the door to these new opportunities for many, says Joanna.
"It's become less about where you are and more about who you are talking to. And you might as well do it from this jewel."
Linda McMillan, Chief People Officer, Fibrus Group, believes that Joanna's positive experience and flexible lifestyle demonstrate the attractiveness of home working for many professionals.
"Last year, we commissioned a futurist to look at the potential of rural communities as engines for growth, and remote working was just one of the pillars of growth over the next 25 years.
"We know anecdotally from our customers how much enhanced connectivity has already enabled people to return to their hometown without compromising career prospects, possibly to start a family or to set up their own business, but we were interested to see how Cumbria's towns stacked up when it came to other factors that would create a really attractive proposition to a remote worker or someone who regularly 'works from home' - especially through the lens of someone considering Cumbria from further afield."
Less than three years after entering Cumbria, Fibrus has delivered full fibre connectivity to over 120,000 homes and businesses across Cumbria, through both commercial rollout and the UK Government-funded Project Gigabit. These plans are continuing to boost digital connectivity across the region. Combined with Cumbria's natural beauty, this is helping to position the county as an increasingly attractive place to live and work remotely.
Linda added: "At Fibrus, we set out to transform connectivity in rural areas, bringing them out of the digital dark ages and giving people real choices, such as the option of working from home.
"That's something city dwellers take for granted, but in much of rural Cumbria it wasn't practicable until we came along.
"We will not stop championing rural communities and driving progress until every home and business is truly connected."
Nick Elgey, Sales and Marketing Consultant for estate agent Hackney & Leigh, which has offices across the Lake District, has noticed a marked increase in professionals moving to Cumbria.
He said: "They are able to relocate because they have the ability to work from home and they are drawn here for a better quality of life and, in many cases, more affordable property prices."
Their key requirements are fast, reliable broadband and, for those with children, proximity to good schools.
Nick added: "It's not only young families. We also see people winding down towards retirement, but still doing consultancy work, choosing to move here."
Although the Lake District is a big pull, he says relocators have helped to boost demand for higher-end properties in Carlisle, which benefits from excellent road and rail links and more affordable housing.
Meanwhile, research by the University of Sheffield School of Economics found that greater remote working has shifted £3billion in annual retail and hospitality spending out of large cities in England and Wales to benefit suburbs and smaller communities.
This latest independent research from Fibrus follows its report last year, The Future of Rural Communities, which challenged assumptions about rural decline and highlighted the potential of these communities as engines of growth.
Authored by an applied futurist, Tom Cheesewright, it forecast that the trend towards working from home – supported by advanced digital infrastructure and AI – would boost rural areas as professionals leave the congested cities for a better life.
Top 10 places in Cumbria for working from home:
Carlisle
Dalton-in-Furness
Cockermouth
Brampton
Whitehaven
Wigton
Penrith
Barrow-in-Furness
Workington
Ulverston
For more information visit the Remote Working Index map at https://fibrus.com/remote-working-index-cumbria
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