Chepstow/monmouth/st briavels advice please

[Twoshoesnewshoes]

We’re looking to move in a couple of years- we were planning on staying in Devon but adult DC and work are more Bristol based so it may be better to look nearer there.
what are Chepstow and surrounding towns like?
looking for a small town with several eating places, nice delis, galleries, bookshop or two, that kind of vibe. We like Hay on Wye - where else would be good?
needs to be in hilly landscape with river nearby.
budget around £650k for 3 bed preferably detached, large garden, quiet location and open view.

Anyone?
also Lydney
we’ll go and stay for a weekend and explore but it would be great to know where to focus.

Ross on Wye?

We live just outside there. It ticks all of your boxes - except for the bookshop.

I would recommend giving a listen to the Mark Steel episode about the Forest of Dean - very funny, and spot on! It's on BBC Sounds.

Thank you @MoriftedinaFrenchEscapeRoom I’ll have a listen!

I live just outside of Lydney not sure if I would like to live there. The forest area is absolutely stunning, however, if you have family commuting to Bristol I would look at somewhere like Thornbury opposite Lydney across the river Severn. The reason being the m48 bridge gets closed due to high quite winds quite often so will need to use the m4 bridge which adds 20 mins either way. It’s a real pain when it’s closed. Normally though it would take me 35-40 mins to reach Bristol.

OH has been at the open air pool in Lydney this afternoon. Perfect day for it - but those are few and far between. FWIW, I wouldn't like to live in Lydney either.

Apologies to any Lydney MNetters!

Thanks all, that’s really helpful!

Chepstow is great with lots to do in the surrounding areas. There are nice parts to the town, cute independent shops but the larger shops are now gone from the town centre except Poundland and M&S.
Tbh it seems like half of Bristol have moved to Chepstow lately so the traffic is pretty bad in the rush hours and it’s very hard to get a dentist - infrastructure hasn’t caught up with the new houses being built etc.

There are lovely villages surrounding Chepstow, though St Briavels is quite a trek and a long windy road to civilisation.

Look at Magor or Undy too - good links to m4 and a bustling village (they’re merged into one really) with a good community feel and pubs, shops etc.

Lydney is ok, just the traffic into Chepstow to get to Bristol would put me off. It’s cheaper to buy but obviously not as close to the city or m4.

Monmouth is lovely and some beautiful villages around that area too. A better town centre than Chepstow but a bit further than Chepstow.

I’d stay in Monmouth for a weekend but visit Chepstow and Magor one day and then focus on the Forest of Dean another day.

@macaronisaidshetlandpony that’s great, thank you!
ill have a look Magor, and Monmouth too

Monmouth is commutable to Bristol and naice. Ross is nice, a bit further and you've Raglan. Lydney isn't charming in anyway or shape. Chepstow is ok - towards the race course is prettier than Tutshill end ... Not sure any of them are going to be big enough to give you a book shop or two though. Probably looking to Abergavenny or Hay for that?

Get back to me if you need any more info. There are some great little villages tucked away between Chepstow, Usk and Monmouth. You don’t have to worry about schools so you have lots of options. Do you like castles? We have lots of those… for visiting not living in though ☺️

Monmouth and Chepstow booth have nice independent book shops plus a W H Smith each. And a river…
Usk has a river you can swim in…

Chepstow and Monmouth have lovely areas and surrounding villages eg Tintern, Trellech, Llanishen, Redbrook. Wye Valley in general is lovely! Houses cheaper in Forest of Dean

my friend has lived in Monmouth for 20+ years.
Can be a rather middle class feel to it and certainly not "hard" Welsh. The town itself offers good range of amenities, but as a place from which to commute to Bristol I would regard it as a non starter.
Yes the A40 down to the M4 is dual carriageway but it is around 29 miles to get to the m4 bridge, which as others have said can be problematic at times.

the "valley road" (A466) is shorter (18 ish miles) and gets you "direct" to Chepstow (so avoiding the drag along the M4 from A40) but it is slower and can suffer flooding and puts you on the old Severn bridge (M48)

Monmouth, Abergavenny, Usk and Chepstow all really lovely

Thanks everyone!
@macaronisaidshetlandpony yes I love castles, wooded hills, rivers and nice pubs!
looking at Tintern - nice places on rightmove- would it be problematic commute to Bristol because of the bridge?

I think you’re all saying be nearer the m4 (north) bridge rather than the old south bridge is that right?

No, the other way round!

I would be nearer the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge as it’s rarely closed due to weather only once to my knowledge. You can still use the M48 bridge but as mentioned due the shape and structure it closes more. Did some mention Magor? You have some lovely places to explore especially Monmouth. Good luck

Do you want a train station? Because Chepstow has one and Monmouth doesn't.

Crickhowell every time

Oooh crickhowell
off to rightmove
yes within 20 minutes of a station ideally

Magor and Undy are great transport-wise. Magor will soon be getting its own station although you'd have to change at the next stop - Severn Tunnel Junction - to get to Bristol by train.

Magor is very small compared to Chepstow and Monmouth. Magor Square has a nice deli, post office, pub, doctors but it's not really comparable to the market towns in size. Magor and particularly Undy are heavily residential, and have expanded hugely over the past few decades.

Not Lydney, would be my recommendation.

The commute is fine most of the time. It’s just that if one bridge is closed or there’s a RTA somewhere then you’re in for a much longer journey. Lots of people commute to Bristol.

There are some lovely cottages in your budget. Are you thinking of villages or a town? Shirenewton, Whitebrook, Trellech, Redbrook are very pretty villages and are rural without being completely in the sticks.

Lydney is a shit hole 🤣 Don't. Just don't.

Monmouth is naice.