Gloucester / Cheltenham area advice please

[Polcol]

Hi, my husband has potentially got a new job coming up in Gloucester which would mean us moving that way next year. I want to start to get a feel for various areas. We currently live in a big (ish) village in north somerset with 2 kids in primary school and one baby and I would be keen to find somewhere with a similar village feel but with close access to a town (Cheltenham or Gloucester) for leisure centre/sports clubs etc. Also with good primary and secondary schools. I don’t know the area at all well so would appreciate any advice? Thanks 🥰

I was born in Cheltenham and moved to Gloucester 12 years ago. Cheltenham is expensive. Depending on what sort of budget you have and where your husband will be based I would focus on the following areas:

Cheltenham

Charlton Kings
Leckhampton
Prestbury

So for Cheltenham the GL53, GL52 postcode.

Gloucester:
Churchdown
Hucclecote
Brockworth
Upton St Leonard’s

GL3 and some of GL4

HTH - I know the area well and have worked in estate agency if you want to know anything else.

That’s great, thank you so much for your help. My husband would be working in Gloucester hospital so anywhere commuting distance away from there is perfect. Half hour drive would be ideal. We would be very happy to live in one of the surrounding villages rather than in town. Just hard to know which are best! Thanks again xx

DS lives in Whitminster. It is a beautiful village, really quiet even though it is 5 mins or so from the M5. Fabulous country walks on your doorstep.

Quedgeley is really nice, a few primary schools and a seniors school. It's just on the outskirts of Gloucester city

The Gloucester places beeniebeamer mentions would be much less than half an hour to the hospital, and all nice enough places. Longlevens is also nice.

The Cheltenham places mentioned probably would be half an hours drive to Gloucester hospital, as they are the far side of Cheltenham and traffic there sucks. Much more expensive, good schools though I believe.

It’s a nice area 🙂 I used to live there for a few years, sometimes regret moving away tbh.

I lived in Gloucester and worked in Cheltenham. To be honest if he is working at the hospital I would not consider Cheltenham. The traffic going past GCHQ is a complete nightmare. If I were you look at Highnam in Gloucester - there are some lovely established estates and some new build estates being built now. It is the right side of the hospital and it would only take about 15 to 20 minutes to get there.

The traffic from highnam to Gloucester at peak times is horrid

Longlevens/Elmbridge. Good catchments nice leafy areas, walkable to the hospital and on bus routes. Traffic from further out is actually very annoying day in day out.

The Forest of Dean is so lovely - not sure about the length of the commute but it might be worth looking around. Littledean is lovely.

I just checked - 18 mins from Littledean to Gloucester.

Hi OP, I see that the usual suggestions of Churchdown/Hucclecote/Longlevens have already come up and I'd second those (and avoiding the traffic from Highnam or Cheltenham, although both are nice.)

There are a number of state grammar schools here, you can sign up to take the eleven plus exam to be in with a chance of them. Churchdown is the only one of the three places mentioned above that has secondary schools, there are secondary schools in Brockworth and Barnwood not far from Hucclecote and Longlevens is quite close to the schools in Churchdown. Good primaries in most places.

If you want more of a village feel then there is Painswick or for a smaller town then Stroud. Less like a suburb of a City which the other areas mentioned are.

Prepare yourself for the roundabouts 🥴😂

We were looking in Cheltenham before lockdown started, Leckhampton was the area we thought about but it's all on hold now

If you are looking for a traditional village feel Frampton, Eastington, Whitminster are all good options and the traffic into Gloucester from the south side of the city is far better than Highnam.
I grew up in Highnam and around areas like Maisemore and Hartpury, all lovely, but traffic to Gloucester city in rush hour is bad.
Quedgeley, Brockworth, Hucclecote, Churchdown offer less of a 'traditional' village experience. There are more amenities and good primary/secondary schools, as well as supermarkets etc. But more new build estates and suburby than villagey. Although there are still the older village parts too.
It really depends on your budget and what your requirements are for the immediate locality. The more traditional villages come at with a premium in the prices. For example the price of a three bed in Whitminster/Frampton would buy a large 4 bed in Quedgeley.

Thank you so much for your replies everyone. It has given me so much food for thought. Like everyone it’s about trying to get the right place and the right price. We have a top end budget of around 650 and ideally we can have 4 bedrooms and a reasonable sized garden within walking distance to a good primary school. Other amenities within walking distance is a bonus. I am a keen walker and try to be an enthusiastic runner and my husband cycles so the greener places you have mentioned sound great. Thank you again everybody. Xx

You should be able to get a decent 4 bed in all of the places mentioned for £650k

My cousin works in Gloucester and lives in Malmesbury - I think its about a 45 minute commute. Gorgeous market town, outstanding secondary school, small town feel but has a leisure centre and a cute high street.

Haresfield is lovely. There’s a good primary there too within walking distance.

There is also Cirencester, which is nice, although town rather than village. There is a traffic pinch point coming in and out of Gloucester, but there are traffic flow improvements in the pipeline.

I'd go for painswick or churchdown. Both are lovely and would be a cyclable commute. I believe prestbury is a rather sweet village as well, but the commute might be a bit too much.

I would go for Great Malvern or Ledbury. Commute time 30-40 mins but you have access to the wonderful Malvern Hills and the surrounding areas. Schools in Malvern and Ledbury are good. If you choose Ledbury, then Worcester, Gloucester and Hereford are all about a 20-30 min drive. Great Malvern has leisure facilities.

Best of all, they are both north of Gloucester so your money will buy you a much better house as you are not in the expensive Bristol commuter belt.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-75775148.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71959144.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-80001020.html

My advice would be look at secondary catchments and work from there. It seems ages away but will come round fast! Do you want easy access to the Gloucester grammars? Cheltenham has pates which is a superselective. What catchement are you in if you decide the grammar system isn't right for one of your children?

Great Malvern has leisure facilities.

It does but the swimming pool is dire. It's good for tennis though.

This has just sold in Painswick on the same road as the primary school and in your budget - most 4 beds will be more if Cotswold stone but you could probably just get an older place for that.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-91113269.html

My neighbour cycles in to Glos hospital from near Painswick but it's very hilly so has some electric help for the way home! Lots of running over Painswick Beacon and Cranham woods and the Slad valley.

I live in churchdown and I love it! I also work in education for the council. I would pick an area concentrating on secondary school catchment areas!