Moving to Malvern/Cheltenham area?

[spinningbirds]

Looking to move our family away from the busy and expensive south east, to a more rural area, but somewhere that's culturally rich (we're into art, books, etc) and with some lovely cafes, restaurants within a few miles.

Malvern/Cheltenham area seems to fit the bill, can anyone recommend nice villages, ideally pretty, with a pub, possibly a shop & school? At least 2 miles away from a motorway as we are looking for rural quiet asa a priority :)

Also, does anyone commute occasionally to london from this area? Is that mad to consider?! I need to pop to london 2-3 times a month for work, so can't really move as far as Herefordshire/welsh borders, even though it looks so pretty up there!

Any general advice would be gratefully received :)

Thank you! Yes I looked on google maps and was like... what's the huge brown stuff all around...

oh, flood water!!! 😮

I would head for Herefordshire. I am in S. Hfds on the border with Wales .... Monmouth is my nearest town.
It is very beautiful with fabulous views of the Black Mountains.
Steer clear of Malvern ... dark and gloomy and hilly ... and the chintzy villages near Cheltenham.
Herefordshire villages are more gutsy and real life. Trains to London from Hereford. Also striking distance of Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham for culture.
As far as I am concerned Herefordshire is paradise. Brought my 3 children up here and they are really grounded and confident in the warmth of caring human scale communities.

This is lovely😊

Have a look at bredon. Small village feel with pubs, a shop and chip shop with things going on at the local rugby club, but not far from the motorway or Ashchurch and Evesham for trains to Bristol and London.

I live outside Cheltenham in a different village and this is the place I would go to now - if we weren't settled in schools etc in our current home.

I always fancied a house on top of Bredon Hill looking South West towards the late summer sun.

Pop Art Union Cheltenham into Google and you should find us.

Sounds dreamy. The late evening sun is such a gift, I'd pay a lot of money for that!😊

see you soon! x

It’s where my mind went but I didn’t like to mention it 🤐

Despite what others have said, please don't completely discount Evesham. Yes, it has a derelict shopping centre but that is due to be redeveloped. Prince Henrys High School is probably the best non-selective state school in Worcestershire. It also has a lovely park, riverside, a Waitrose and M&S food! Market Square has some lovely places to eat and is a pleasant place to spend an evening. It has some very peaceful and reasonably priced residential areas. So depending on whether you need state schools, Evesham is still a nice area and I personally prefer it to Pershore, having lived in both.

Maybe look in/around Winchcombe.

If you go for Malvern you want the west side of the hills, not the east side.

(Looking towards wales, not towards the Cotswolds). The snappily named West Malvern and Colwall. If you keep going on that road you end up in Ledbury. I like Ledbury but there is the supermarket problem (limited choice).

Another pretty town that gets overlooked is Ross-On-Wye. Not sure what the train links situation is though.

Just a note of caution on Ledbury, and to slightly lesser extent Malvern. While there are direct trains to London (Paddington) in the morning it still takes the best part of 3 hours. Most trains involve a change, take more than 3 hours and you’ll end up at Euston. So personally I wouldn’t see that as commutable even occasionally, or at least not by train.

I did some work for a client up there a couple of years ago and found the quickest thing to do was drive, but I was going from west London. I’ve Airbnb’ed my way around the Hereford, Worcester, Ross on Wye, Malvern, Cheltenham loop over a 9 month period and would go Cheltenham every time. Some trains are under 2 hours from there, again Paddington.

You don’t say where in the South East you are, so ‘culturally rich’ is difficult to quantify. Certainly for Herefordshire Ledbury could be described as such, but I’m not sure Malvern carries that off. It’s a lovely little town, with a theatre that has some, good stuff. But you won’t be going to a different show, performance or gallery every week if that’s what you currently do. Likewise while there are a few restaurants n the town, in general you’ll be in a car going to a pub in the countryside more often than not. Or you’ll be limited to the hotel restaurants, a taps place, a steakhouse, some curry houses and an Ask. Or maybe it’s a Prezzo. Can’t remember. And the hill can be oppressive when you’re staying / living right under it. Having said that, at some of the places I stayed I had the most amazing sunrises, and views of mist below me :)

Ledbury, Malvern, Ross on Wye and Hereford all have new sprawling housing developments :( But I fear that’s probably the case everywhere…. I sympathise, as know Sussex well having sold our place there and bought in the Cotswolds some time after my husband died. I reckon you should go east and look at Suffolk to avoid the over development of Sussex!

Thank you, it's a tricky one.

Suffolk has appealed in the past, the ancient buildings are beautiful - but I just can't handle the flatness! I think the rolling hills of herefordshire are amazing - as you drive, your view is changing constantly.

I guess suffolk is probably sunnier though, and is near the coast, so maybe we should look harder at that option, thanks for suggesting it

Cheltenham is a very pleasant, cultural, safe, architecturally interesting and 'educated' place.

Literature, Jazz, Music and Science Festivals. Good theatres, live music, art. Beautiful parks and good sports facilities.

Excellent primary and secondary schools - both state and independent. Increasingly popular University of Gloucestershire.

2 - 2.5 hours drive to London. Close to Oxford, Bristol and Birmingham

Lots of beautiful countryside and lovely villages, such as Prestbury, Woodmancote or Leckhampton.

There's a lot packed into a town its size.

The trains to London aren't easy - bus (or drive, if that's an option) to Gloucester, then train from there. Or Ledbury, but that's not quick.

But it's a lovely place to live. Lots of independent shops on the high street (rare, these days), nice restaurants and a nice community feel. I wouldn't describe it as 'culturally rich', but the theatre has stuff on a lot, and there are often concerts in the church.
Lots of lovely countryside close by, and easy access to Hereford and Gloucester.

Winchcombe could fit the bill.

We live in a Gloucester postcode and your money does go further.

This could be the dreamy house.
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/152553569

Can recommend Prestbury for near Cheltenham. Walkable distance into Cheltenham, lots of property types to choose from. Leckhampton is also nice.

I'd suggest checking out the cotswold towns and villages

I live in Malvern and think it is definitely not gloomy and has a lot going for it, particularly if you have kids. Avoid Malvern Wells if you prefer afternoon sun but otherwise has sun like any other place the hills are beautiful and we walk up them pretty much every weekend. My dad commutes to London, it's about 2.5 hours on train which run frequently or driving 3+ hours. Just over the hills is Colwall which is a fab village and has a train station.

Bit leftfield, and I may be way off with house prices, but have you considered Abergavenny? Quick local train to Newport, then straight into Paddington in about 90 mins.

My DS is buying in a village on the edge of Cheltenham (albeit the cheaper Gloucester side) and I've been surprised looking at schools.how most are good or outstanding.

Love Hereford Ross on wye is maybe too far out for you be Ledbury is lovely, just be super careful of flood risks when buying.

Could you sell up and rent for a while? Seems like a good way to go and then you can explore the area and be in a stong position to buy when you find your small farm.