Places to live within 30 minute drive of Gloucester recommendations?

[strongswans]

Can you please recommend me places to live within a 30 minute drive of Cheltenham? We're originally from the South East so would be good to hear from people in the know! So requirements are:

Good dog walks
Quiet
Easy to get to countryside
Good secondary schools for DS who is 13 with SEN

Other than that and of course being somewhere safe, as long as we can drive to Longlevens, Gloucester within 30 minutes, we aren't tied to anywhere so please point me in the right directions of where to look.

Also I have seen Dursley mentioned, it looks good on the surface but have also heard about a bad reputation so not sure about that?

South of Cheltenham I'd recommend Wotton under Edge and surrounding villages which are lovely. Good schools and easy access to motorway for Bristol and Glos. You'd get far more for your money there than around Cheltenham!

Stroud and Nailsworth are also great places to live if you wanted more shops and town amenities.

around cheltenham is lovely - good for walking and can be just a short walk up to nearby hills for the dog!
My in-laws used to live in cheltenham and I always enjoyed visiting - hope you find the place you're looking for

Longlevens is nice, or Churchdown which is close to it and has two large secondary schools. Cheltenham is nice but expensive. Hucclecote is also close to Longlevens and often gets mentioned as a good place to live, the end nearer Brockworth is better for the Churchdown Schools.

There are Grammar Schools as well, if that is something you are looking for.

Hucclecote
Churchdown
Upton St Leonards
Abbeydale
Bishop's Cleeve (journey timing may be out on this one)
Hatherley / Up Hatherley
Charlton Kings

30 mins of Cheltenham or Gloucester?
I grew up in Wotron under Edge, which is near Dursley. It is very nice. personally wouldn’t live in Dursley but the surrounding villages are nice. I live up North now but have family there still and would consider a move back if circumstances were different. By going South of Gloucester you are nearer to Bristol which is much nicer.

I went to Katharine Lady Berkeley’s which is Wotton under Edge and your best bet for a comprehensive in the area.

Stonehouse, although that's another area that is expanding at the moment (house building!).

Great thank you everyone. Will start looking at the places mentioned. Wotten ender Edge has come up a few times so will start there.

Frampton on Severn
North Nibley
Wooton under Edge
Hardwicke
Eastington
Stonehouse
Uley
Saul
Epney
....just a few for you to browse.

Wotton is lovely and has a lido and a great comprehensive (KLB).
Dursley is really nice. It's reputation is undeserved. It has a fantastic leisure centre, a good school (Rednock), lots of fabulous dog walking, and is so easy for commuting.
Stroud is fabulous. So pretty and green. The centre isn't attractive, but is arty and alternative, and very friendly. It has a leisure centre, lido and good secondary (Archway) along with very good grammar schools (but single sex).
Nailsworth is a lovely little town. Most kids get the bus to SWR in Tetbury.

Stroud is a fantastic little town with hippy vibe. Nailsworth is pretty and chi-chi with some great small shops.
I like that side of Gloucestershire much more than I like the Forest of Dean side (feels like the backwoods!). Only know from holidays though so can't comment on schools.

SWR would be a good choice for supporting SEN.

If you really want quiet, try some of the villages around the Stroud area. Nympsfield, Woodchester, Minchinhampton, Amberley. They are all so pretty with so much to offer in terms of walking.

I live near Wotton. It is a lovely little place but I think you would struggle to get to either Gloucester or Cheltenham (not sure which one you are meaning) in under 30 minutes. More like 40.

Worcester. Great walks in surrounding areas including the Malvern Hills. Two motorway junctions so easily accessible. Great independent restaurants in town.

Painswick is another option, agree that Stroud is nice but very hippy (and hilly).

You’d really struggle to get to Longlevens within 30 minutes at peak times from anywhere south of Gloucester itself tbh. Wotton, Dursley not a chance, Stroud depends where but would be very tight, Minch etc nope. Stonehouse is okay although Maidenhill school is one to avoid and there’s a refuse incinerator being built just near J12 of the M5 to consider. No way you’d get to Longlevens in thirty mins from the Forest either, although if you wanted to be out towards that way Newent is okay and has a decent secondary.

Churchdown would be an easy journey and has one decent school, avoid the other. Sizeable hill nearby for dog walks and there are loads of others in easy distance (although not within 30 mins specifically but I’m assuming you’re meaning for days off etc: the Malverns, Forest etc is where we go for longer walks.)

Cleeve would probably be too far at busy times although it depends as you can loop around to the M5 from one end, Cheltenham maybe ok if you were the side near GCHQ although it isn’t a great area. Some vat of Tewkesbury might be doable but I don’t know it well enough to comment.

parts of Tewkesbury not vat!

I'll have to agree to disagree with heartshaped's analysis of the schools tbh, I've got a year 7 so have looked round most of the ones mentioned recently (not Newent) and I thought they were all good apart from one in Churchdown which is possibly the one they liked! They are all OFSTED 'Good' but if you are looking for good pastoral care I would go round and get a feeling for them yourself.

Burford. Lovely place. Good schools.
Stow on the Wold
Bourton on the Water