Where is the bloody Cotswolds

[Bottomplasters]

I always struggle to get my head around the Cotswolds. Everyone goes on about it.

Is it like the lakes? Is it really nice and where actually is it!

I’m north west and am always confused by this.

Anyone else get confused about stuff like this?!

So Cotswolds V Yorkshire dales which is nicer? Or totally different?

The scenery and the countryside in the Yorkshire Dales just takes your breath away. It’s stunning. You don’t get that in the Cotswolds.

The towns and villages in the Cotswolds are very quintessentially chocolate box pretty which you don’t get in the Dales. I still prefer the towns and villages in the Dales as they are quieter, less ‘posh’ and less touristy. So depends what you are looking for really.

I live near Gloucester, it's not a dump (or at least if it is it's MY dump!) and I don't feel unsafe walking around it. It has problems like any other city but there is a lot of snobbishness aimed at it. The whole Fred and Rose West thing probably didn't help mind....

Where I live is lovely, quiet and friendly.

Anyone know about exploring the Cotswolds without driving a car? For travelling inside the Cotswolds, once you get there.

You can do walking holidays if that floats your boat. It's possible to use an itinerary with pre-booked accommodation, various levels of difficulty, accessibility etc.

So Cotswolds V Yorkshire dales which is nicer? Or totally different?

Different. If you want open spaces, waterfalls, rivers etc, Dales. If you want pleasant rolling hills with pretty villages, Cotswolds. If you want mountains and lakes, the Lake District, Snowdonia, lots of Scotland.

Not an either/or in my book - it's a 'which next?'

FWIW DH grew up in Gloucester, and while its perfectly pleasant, good cathedral, not that many bad areas v some northern towns ... now we live within day trip distance of the Dales and the Lakes he wouldn't really want to move back there.

Redditch IS Birmingham.

They have a B postcode and therefore part of Birmingham much like Solihull. And much like Solihull they like to pretend they aren’t Birmingham

Redditch isn’t Birmingham . It is a town in its own right and is in a different county. Having a certain district postal code doesn’t make it part of the city limits.

They have a B postcode and therefore part of Birmingham much like Solihull.

That's not how postcodes work - one belonging to the central large city or town can cover a large area including many other entirely discrete towns.
Redditch isn't even in the West Midlands ... but it's not in the Cotswolds either.

Redditch is very definately the west midlands

In the same way as leicester is the east midlands

And gloucestetshire is the south west

If its not in the midlands or the west qhere is it then? Scotland the north east?

I'd say Solihull is Birmingham but Redditch isn't. It wouldn't be made better or worse by being in Birmingham though, it is what it is.
Either way, it's in the West Midlands.

I thought Redditch was in Worcestershire, just south of the West Midlands. I meant the county, not as a general geographical location, hence the caps. So it's in the west midlands but not in the West Midlands.

Redditch is in Worcestershire.

It is in the West Midlands region but not the county of the West Midlands.

apparently the West Midlands county includes City of Wolverhampton
Dudley
Walsall
Sandwell
City of Birmingham
Solihull
City of Coventry

Now i'm actally confused because i always thought coventry was in warwickshire

It appears it isnt but there we go

Now i'm actally confused because i always thought coventry was in warwickshire

It was before the WM was created.

Redditch is Worcestershire. Bromsgrove is nearer to Birmingham than Redditch and is also Worcestershire, and they both come under Worcestershire NHS and Worcestershire LA for schools.

And confusingly Warwickshire county cricket play their home games in birmingham

Birmingham was historically in Warwickshire, I think it changed some time in the 1970s.