Where to live in the Cotswolds

[ParsleyPot]

I am thinking of moving to the lovely Cotswolds.

Can anyone give any insider view on good places to look at please.

Must haves are:

• Rail station - or one within 3 miles
• Independent shops or market
• Community feel
• Local things to do - Pilates classes, health club, cultural groups and so on

Thank you

Stroud would definitely fit all of those. It's got a train line to Paddington, probably the best farmers market in the UK, very community-oriented (but rather hippy) and all the things to do you're after.

Stroud. Not a pretty town centre but beautiful views.
Dursley.
Cirencester.
Wotton.
But Stroud at the top of the list.

Tetbury ticks a lot of those boxes. Kemble railway station is about 8 miles, slightly further than you wanted.

Moreton in Marsh is another.

Where do you want your railway station to go?
Dursley (Cam and Dursley station) is on the Bristol-Gloucester line, and you’d have to go to one of those stations and change to get to London.
Stroud is on a different bit of line and will get you between Cheltenham and London via Swindon, but you’d have to change to go to Bath, Bristol etc.
Morton-in-Marsh heads towards Oxford.

All of them have lovely villages around (although lots will be more than 3 miles to the station). And depending on exactly what you mean by health club you might have to travel to get some of the things you want.

It’s a lovely part of the world though.

If you want the ultimate in farmshops and Pilates classes then head to Daylesford/Bamford in Kingham.

I wouldn't say Dursley tbh although some lovely villages around it (always had a soft spot for Uley)

Stroud and surroundings would work. I like that train line

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate your time in replying.

I need the train line to go to any London mainline station (without taking all day).

I'm now going to have a search for properties in the places mentioned to see how affordable they are.

Uley is lovely.
I have said it before on here, but, I can never understand the love for Stroud. It has an ugly town centre which is forever being chopped and changed around, (Merrywalks is on its 4th reincarnation in 30 years) the local roads are choked with traffic, and it is especially bad at the moment because of 'improvements' to the A417. It also has a big drug problem and yobby groups hanging around at night. Anyway, I avoid it like the plague.
Stations are few and far between. My deceased parents used to live near Kingham, but the nearest place to that, that fits your bill, is Chipping Norton, although Stow on the Wold and Burford aren't too far away. Property round there is very expensive, though it is a lovely area, and the North Cotswolds doesn't seem to have had so many house building splurges on green belt as the South Cotswolds.
Tetbury, for Kemble, has become over developed. Kemble also serves Malmesbury (also over developed) and Cirencester. Of those 3, Ciren would be my choice.

I'd look along the Cotswolds line, and think about what you want as priority. If you won't be using the railway everyday, then not being within 3 miles will give you more for your money and more options about going to things (driving to nice farm shops or to pilates etc) - but if you will need to go to London more than a couple of times a week you'll need to be closer to the railway, or closer to Swindon for the faster lines.
I guess it depends what you consider to be Cotswolds as well - its a really big area going from Oxford/ Swindon up to Tewkesbury. I live just over the border in Worcs and its a fab area imo - we have loads of farm shops, my little town has lovely independent shops. And even if you can't get food on Just Eat etc (or an Uber), you can go to yoga, pilates not far away, and we have a leisure centre. Plus a railway station (though parking is appalling) and the new Worcestershire Parkway station opening soon

Stroud has a certain magic.
Surrounded by commons.
Canal.
Cycle path.
Lido.
Down to earth and friendly.
Farmers market.
Arty.
Woodchester park is a gem.
Yes, ugly, but real, and surrounded by beauty.
Train to London in under 2 hours.
I have never encountered any yobs whatsoever. It is so sleepy in the week, with just enough going on at the weekend. Fab pubs and cafes.
I absolutely love Stroud, and find it incredibly welcoming.

@Poetryinaction how long have you been in Stroud? The drug problem was so acute about 18 months ago they closed the only remaining public loos behind the sub rooms because they were littered with needles, syringes and blood. They opened them again after a while (and an outcry about the lack of loos).
There are much nicer Cotswold towns.

Yes, no doubt any town the size of Stroud will have problems with drugs, but if you are not part of the problem, you may never be affected by it. You could Google Cirencester or Tetbury for similar stories if you wanted to.
Stroud is 'real', as I said. But definitely one of the friendliest, artiest, quirkiest places I have ever lived. And I have moved around a bit, in various countries too. I've been here 7 years.
It may not be what the OP is after, but does have the aforementioned pilates, independent shops, market, and community feel. And a lot more besides.

Cheltenham is much nicer than Stroud. Montpellier and The Suffolk’s have loads of independent shops. Trains direct to Paddington. Lovely surrounding countryside. Fantastic state and private schools. Amazing park at Pittville. Lido in the summer. Wonderful place to live, but pricey because of it!

Charlbury has everything you’re asking for. Really worth a look.

Charlbury Charlbury next stop Charlbury.

I used to love the conductor announcements on the train from London

I was surprised how much I didn't like Stroud, as I'd been thinking of moving there for years. I like Totnes, Lewes, and as it gets mentioned in the same breath as those kinds of places (not forgetting Hebden Bridge!) I thought it would be ideal, and I like how much community stuff goes on there. Much more urban in feel than I was expecting, although the fringes are attractive. And so much traffic. But I would have possibly still moved there if I could have afforded the more peaceful areas, but my budget was tidge.

Charlbury has a lovely name! Never been there though...

I've put it on the list of places to see.

Dursley is an awesome place! So much to do, with a real "out in the countryside feel", but 20 mins down the M5 and you're at The Mall CC, Bristol. Swimming pool, gym, leisure centre, an abundance of independent shops, a decent size Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Iceland, and 20 mins up or down M5 to Bristol and Gloucester, where you have huge shopping centres. Lots of baby/toddler/child activities going on, and a huge community feel to the town. Really reasonable house prices, and a very low crime area, fantastic school options. Love the place.

Yes I love Dursley too.

I prefer around Dursley rather than Dursley itself. We have family in Cam and visit Slimbridge a lot.
Kingham/Churchill is lovely, but probably too small, I grew up there.
Nailsworth is nice, no idea on closest train station, but would assume Stroud? I wouldn't recommend Stroud, drugs etc. But the surrounding villages are lovely (woodchester, minch, amberly)
Charlbury is quite nice, I'd recommend looking in that area and around burford, as you have towns that are quick to get to (Witney, Oxford, Swindon and Cheltenham - depending on village)

I agree with @CMOTDibbler - try looking just over the border for more affordable houses (e.g. near Honeybourne station).

Although wouldn't recommend burford itself! It's a lovely place to visit, but it's horribly busy with traffic, all the 'independent' shops are owned by two people, it's very touristy. I think it has about 19 places to eat with only 1000 or so residents. (I was at the school, as well as working throughout my teens and 20s)

Stroud (I live here, fits a lot of your criteria but also as people have said there’s a huge drug/homeless problem that has got rapidly worse over the past few years)

Cheltenham

Nailsworth (nearest train station is Stroud)

Any of the villages around Stroud/nailsworth

Any of the villages around Dursley but I’ve never been keen on Dursley itself (was my nearest town as a teenager, haven’t been back as an adult so not sure how I’d feel about it now!)

Much the same as everyone else is saying!

Honeybourne has grown a lot with the new housing, and it does seem to have a real community feel, but def a village (I think there is just the one shop? I only ever cycle through rather than going there as such) rather than a town with more going on. But that side of Evesham up into the escarpment is gorgeous and 'proper Cotswolds' to me. Bourton on the Hill (not the water) is my quintessential Cotswold village

I live in one of the villages around Stroud mentioned on here several times and absolutely love living there. Super community, friendly and welcoming, great primary schools, cracking walking and lots going on.

Although, I very rarely go into Stroud - except for school uniform! The farmers market is amazing, but there's so many other lovely places to go that I'd rather not head into Stroud itself.

Cirencester and Tetbury are lovely. But I do miss a good M&S.