Moving to the area

[hanban73]

Hi

We're looking to move to the area and wanted some advice on good / bad areas!
I've got 2 daughters, 3 1/2 and 16months. All being well my husband will be freelancing and working and needing to get to Bristol, Bath, Cheltenham and Gloucester.
My sister has just moved to Ross on Wye so would like to be close'ish to her. Have seen a few properties we like online (we currently live in London so not easy to do viewings!) in Newent, Coleford and Littledean near Cinderford. I'd like to be able to walk to a school and baby, toddler groups etc and a few local shops but also have countryside on our doorstep.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Hannah :)

[GalaxyDefender]

Ah, I can help you with anything to do with the south end of the Forest, I've lived in a few places here!

Coleford is an excellent place to live - I used to live there until we had DS and it was fab, wish we still lived there now.
Nice big park, a primary very close, secondary not so far, lots of shops (the greengrocer, I miss it so much!), a good variety of toddler groups and nurseries. I live in Littledean, but go to Coleford for a playgroup there for various reasons, DS loves it! The B&T group in Littledean was VERY cliquey imo, I always felt left out but that may have been because most of the mums were about 10 years older than me with babies much smaller than mine.

Speaking of Littledean, it's lovely and has what looks like a very good school with a nursery that feeds into it, but unless you drive it's a bit of a nightmare getting anywhere. There's one corner shop, a butchers and a post office. Oh, and a chippy For anything else, it's either a drive or five minute bus journey at extortionate prices (2 quid! For literally five minutes!) up to Cinderford.
The people here are lovely too, lots of people will stop to chat to you which you don't get in most of the bigger towns in the Forest.

Hope you find a place that's right for you ^^

[MyCatIsAStupidBastard]

I'm from Gloucester and there is a bit of snobbishness about the Forest of Dean, but it is pretty good (although Cinderford doesn't have the best rep).

Newent is very nice, as is Littledean. Don't know Coleford other than for the Perrygrove (mini) Railway and the Puzzlewoods (beautiful).

The A48 out to Ross has some beautiful villages - May Hill is a lovely place.

Hope that helps a bit.

[hanban73]

That's really helpful, thanks so much for the replies.
To through another area into the mix, seen a gorgeous property come onto the market in Newnham, would be great for my husbands commute and the school looks good but does anyone have any opinions in it as a place to bring up young children?
:)

[SunnyCarrie]

Hi

Tibberton is a lovely village just outside Newent, also Highnam, very lovely villages with very nice primary schools.

Good luck to you in Gloucestershire, it is different compared to London. My parents moved from Scotland to Tibberton and we had an idyllic childhood there. We like Highnam but can't afford it, newer houses compared to Tiberton which has more gingerbread type houses. Newent is a great small town, typical of this area everything is a bit hit and miss, really nice areas then scary areas, so I am not sure if we would live in Newent but it would depend on the area. Newent high school has an excellent reputation and if children do not get into the eleven plus schools then parents tend to try and ship them to Newent High school.

Cheltenham is very smart, again real dive areas but I guess every where is like this,great shopping! Painswick is very high brow, lovely Georgian homes, quaint village but near Stroud which is litteraly like the time that land forgot and not in a good way heehee it is alternative though so if you like hippie and green to give Stroud its due it does hippie well.

I live in Gloucester, again some nice areas and some scary areas, we live near Denmark Road which is a nice area, girls grammar school on the road, Brockworth is lovely, Churchdown very nice. Upton Saint Leonard's ,just outside Gloucester, with excellent motorway link, again a village feel but a moment away from what we jokingly call the city centre in Gloucester. Good junior school in Upton St Leonard's and a range of housing from modern to Georgian Mill houses. Abbeymead is ok too, modern houses, great primary school great motorway commuting links.

Not heard of Newnham, sorry. Hope there are a few suggestions here, I love the Forrest but it is seen a bit banjo land which is unfair!


SunnyCarrie x

[hanban73]

That's really helpful. Thanks :)

We live in Lewisham, SE London at the moment so although there is lots going on its not the environment we want to bring the girls up in, and certainly not the smartest area of London!

We're hoping to come up in a couple of weeks and view some areas and properties, getting really excited!

Happy sunny weekend everyone :)

[GreenShadow]

Not sure that I agree with your description of Stroud Carrie :(
(Although appreciate it was slightly tongue in cheek)

Stroud is lovely - not too big and not too small with beautiful countryside right on the doorstep.

[volley]

Yes Stroud is wonderful and if your husband is commuting between, Bath, Bristol, Cheltenham and Gloucs then it is perfectly placed also

[suedixon]

hi everyone, we are a South African family looking into relocating to the Uk quite soon. My husband will be working in Cheltenham and we need to rent a place for HIM AND my 14 year old son to rent.. My daughter (17 Years) will relocate at the end of next year when she has completed her South African Matric exam. Would someone be able to recommend good public and state schools. Good traditional manners, good academics sports and cultural activities are important to us. Have looked and seen ST thomas Rich school and it seems to be rated highly. However my son may prefer a co-ed school. If we decide to bring my daughter soon we would also need a school for her. Co-ed is her choice but we are open to any good school. We are also looking for advice on a nice neighbourhood in or around Cheltenham to rent in, a village appeals to us that is safe. If we are successful with St Thomas a village between Cheltenham and Gloucester seems practical. WE have only ever been to London so are totally in the dark about this area other than knowing that the Cottswolds is a nice area.
Would really appreciate some help.
thanks
Sue Dixon

[brightonmermaid]

hello - look at Cheltenham Ladies College and Wesbonbirt if you are after local independent schools

[brightonmermaid]

ah - for co-ed I know that Wycliffe in Stroud (coaches go from cheltenham) is good and there are lots of others I'm sure too.