The Sunday Times crowned it the UK’s best place to live in 2021. It made the paper’s shortlist in 2019 and again this year. But none of those appraisals were quite as poetic or glowing as the one Joanna Lumley gave Stroud when she visited this year.
The Gloucesteshire market town is, she said: ‘A panoply of glories. It’s like an Aladdin’s cave, this whole centre of Stroud. But the countryside here and the sunshine and the people and the friendliness makes it the only place to be on Earth.’
She’s not the only star to sing its praises. Liam Gallagher, who rented a house in the area last year, said he, ‘loved every minute of it… I woke up to deer in the garden some days. That was Biblical.’
So what’s the appeal?
The countryside
This is Laurie Lee territory – the Cider With Rosie writer was born in Stroud and raised in a stone cottage in nearby Slad, which can still confidently lay claim to one of Britan’s very best pubs in The Woolpack.
Sitting at the western edge of the Cotswolds, over 50% of Stroud District is deemed an Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB). You’re spoilt for walking trails, golf clubs and country pubs.
What to read next
The independent shops
Stroud is famous for its award-winning Saturday Farmers' Market and - unlike so many identikit high streets across the country - is packed with independent shops, cafes, and arts venues like the Stroud Valleys Artspace. ‘It’s united but everything is completely different and that’s sort of what community and society should be like,’ says Joanna. ‘I’ve left my heart here.’
The community
Stroud District Council has won awards for its ‘ageing well’ strategy, actively supporting its growing older demographic. Focused on mitigating social isolation and enhancing overall quality of life, the programme includes choirs, walking groups, Tai Chi and more.
The connections
By car, it’s an easy 15 minutes from the town to the M5. Meanwhile, direct trains take you to London Paddington in about 90 minutes, Swindon or Cheltenham in 30. Want to hop on a plane? It’s an hour and 20 minutes to Birmingham airport by car, or 1 hour 45 minutes to London Heathrow.
The schools
Stroud has two prestigious but selective grammar schools – one for boys (Marling School) and another for girls (Stroud High). So once you’ve made your move, you may well be able to tempt children and grandchildren to follow you.
But…
There is one downside. The terrain. Stroud is exceptionally hilly. Many of the older terraced houses are built into hillsides, which can impact accessibility and parking.
