Is it worth leaving Bucks for Gloucestershire

[starpies]

We are looking to buy a bigger home. We are in currently renting in Buckinghamshire but everytime we look at what we can buy for the same money in Gloucestershire we are quite ready to pack our bags and leave!

Which parts of Gloucestershire are nice? We are looking for rural/semi rural places but preferably

Good point @PresentingPercy I am south Bucks and probably haven't stretched as far north as I should have before writing off Bucks entirely!

Well, I went to grammar school in Gloucestershire and now live in S Bucks. . My old school no longer exists, tho, so somewhat moot. I have to say that I find prices pretty similar, to be honest, as long as you compare like-for-like, in terms of desirability. Parts of the Forest of Dean are lovely, quite a lot is not. It's also no longer grammar and considered "deprived", so kids may get bursaries for higher education. If you go over the border to Monmouth, it's very nice, with a fabulous comp and 2 very good private schools (Haberdashers).

I would say anywhere not Cinderford in the forest of Dean is fine imo. But it is a working class place not MC (on the whole/people I know) so if you're after the "quaint, Cotswold" experience then that's not what you will get. But it is BEAUTIFUL and very friendly imo

Nailsworth and Cranham near Stroud are gorgeous. One thing about the Stroud valley is that it gets SERIOUS fog. So if driving on country lanes in fog in the dark is not your thing then avoid.

I also love frampton on Severn. You could get a house in the "new" bit but not the chocolate box ones

I would buy these places if I were you
www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/58029066/ - minchinhampton is a bit dull but close to stroud which has loads

I forgot i love painswick! www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/55750367/

Easy commute into London with this one
www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/53455265/

The nicer villages in Forest of Dean are gorgeous, Gloucester City is improving but has struggled to lose its poor rep. Some people love Cheltenham, but it's nothing special imo.

There are some lovely villages in the Severn Vale e.g. Frampton on Severn, Slimbridge and others. All within 3 miles of the station at Stonehouse and still easy reach of Stroud. The M5 a couple of miles away. Prices are a bit more affordable than Cheltenham or the Cotswolds.

Why is that 7 bed in Ewen so cheap?
(well cheap by Criencester standards)

Ewen is very close to the station in Kemble and a pretty village.

Painswick is lovely on paper, but very twisty steep narrow village roads, not fun on an icy morning, or if there are a lot of wet leaves on the road etc, and I think I am right in thinking it is high up? on top of cotswolds so gets significantly more snow?

Good point 're painswick, Yes it is at the top of the hill into Stroud but I would hope the main road form glos-stroud is gritted which runs partially through painswick. It is steep but I still love it!

I lived in Bucks and moved to Glos!

Grammar provision is great; there are 4 grammars in Gloucester itself, the boys one, in particular, is outstanding and I went to the girls one, again an excellent school.

Crypt- mixed
Ribston- Girls
Denmark- Girls
Sir Thomas Rich's- Boys

I'd be within commute to these, and to get real value for money, for a lovely area, I'd be looking Eldersfield/Tirley/Staunton area- more or less equidistant for Cheltenham for nicer shopping/restaurants etc.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/66444900#/ This is what the budget will get in that area...

Presenting Percy: HS2 is being built and ruining a lot of lovely countryside and villages near Aylesbury including the Quainton/Waddesdon areas. Glad I moved away from there and all the destruction :(

Cheltenham or one of the surrounding villages would definitely suit your needs, 100% avoid Gloucester and Cinderford.

Malmesbury but it’s Wiltshire. Top comp secondary school (outstanding) and Kemble train station close by.

Cirencester also near Kemble train station. Town central in Cotswolds

chalford good access to Stroud grammar and stunning!

Tetbury land of royals. Kemble train station

Wouldnt bother with Gloucester or Cheltenham

This is nice area

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/104167076#/

Nice views but needs work

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/79071543#/

Cheltenham is probably the best area in the county. Good areas within this are Leckhampton, Charlton Kings, Prestbury....... Montpellier and Bath Road are nice shopping areas as well as the town centre. It does have a fairly large affluent feel but there are equally some very deprived areas. Schools are very good, however.

Stroud has more of a "hippy" vibe, and is a bit tired/poor in the town centre but nice areas around it are Chalford, Bisley, Minchinhampton, Nailsworth but it's all a bit more rural and with teenagers, you're going to spend hours in the car to Cheltenham and back!

Gloucester has good schools as mentioned previously but is an absolute dump of a city centre and Mecca for the £shopper. There are a few OK restaurants and hairdressers but we avoid it like the plague even though it's closest. The Forest of Dean is equally deprived and run down, albeit picturesque. Best avoided.

Someone mentioned the areas between Gloucester and Tewkesbury - best avoided unless you like long journeys when the Severn floods. And it does at least 3 or 4 times a year.

If we didn't have family ties in this area, we'd move up to the Cotswold area. I like the outlying area around Cirencester - lots of quintessential cotswold stone homes but sadly not a lot of house for the money! Compton Abdale is my current favourite, or Withington, Hampnett, Hazleton. Lovely villages and not far from Cheltenham or Cirencester.

Close to Cirencester and Kemble train station

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/78827931#/

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/89820580?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard

The New Inn is a great pub, the landlord, Les is a character.
KLB is a good secondary and without hassle of 11+

But the selling point (apart from the views) is the name....who wouldn't want to live in Waterley Bottom

Waterly bottom is beautiful area

I highly recommend Gloucestershire and I’d look at areas in Cheltenham (Charlton Kings), Churchdown (between glos and cheltenham) and there are pretty areas of Gloucestershire if you google nice villages. They have many new housing developments and your healthy budget will put you in a strong position to find a house near one of the best comps balcarras (Charlton Kings) if you are wanting the catchment area. They have amazing results. The houses in charlton kings are smaller than average but you may get a bit more for your money if lucky. You are paying for location but really nice community feel around there.

Your DD sounds like mine and loves everything from music to maths to sport. I’d say she’d do really well in glos 11plus. Mine qualified for all of them apart from Pates of course but I wouldn’t let the competitiveness put you off. If they’ve prepped for a while they should be in with a good chance.

We are very lucky in glos even with the private schools. We have super ones such as cheltenham ladies, dean close and kings. All of these schools are lovely and offer up to 20% off fees if you obtain a scholarship. It can be topped up with a financial bursary for those who need extra financial help.

I hope this helps!

Rodborough and Minchinhampton ould be worth a look, nice communities within easy reach of Stroud Station. Easy access to the grammar schools too.

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Dursley and Wooten under edge area is the cotswolds so beautiful