Thinking of moving to the Stroud, Gloucester area

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Thinking of moving to the Stroud, Gloucester area

52 posts & 16 voices | Started 4 months ago by lordsalop | Latest reply from peteimpreza

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lordsalop - Member

Hello all,

I am thinking of moving to the Stroud area this summer having temporally relocated to Bristol last year for work. Now Bristol is great but the exorbitant house prices and lack of future schooling for our little one puts us off. We had some great friends in Manchester and good riding (have to say that as they read this forum!), so whilst the Mrs worries herself on mumsnet I'm here to settle the really important stuff. So....

1) is the riding any good? I'm going to take this for granted, being nestled in the Cotswolds with a plenty of valleys and forest to explore.

2). is there anyone to ride with? WLTM people who don't take themselves too seriously, believe its about the ride not the rig and most importantly understand that when all said and done MB'ing is really about earning a thirst for the local pub!!!

Whilst I'm here anything I ought to avoid when house seeking here?

Cheers for your advice

Posted 4 months ago #
alfabus - Member

1) Yes
2) Yes (Bigfoot and CC-CC both have the correct ride/pub attitude, plus loads of other people around to ride with if you don't fancy a club)

Dave

Posted 4 months ago #
IHN - Member

1) Yes Yes. Road, CX and MTB, depending on your niche or lack thereof
2) Yes (Bigfoot and CC-CC both have the correct ride/pub attitude, plus loads of other people around to ride with if you don't fancy a club) Don't forget the recently relaunched STW Cotswold Massiv

Whilst I'm here anything I ought to avoid when house seeking here

Stroud

Posted 4 months ago #
tang - Member

Yes and yes there are some handy riders in the area. Plus between a few of us on here we have every trail covered from Wotton under edge to the Forrest of dean. Drop me a line for any info on Stroud. Locations, schools that sorta thing. Don't listen to IHN (waves) there are some great parts of Stroud. I live in Nailsworth which is lovely and your not far from briz plus cam station is 15 minutes away for train commute.

Posted 4 months ago #
lordsalop - Member

So the town itself is a bit of a dive?

Posted 4 months ago #
alfabus - Member

Nice farmers' market.

I was initially looking at Stroud, but moved to Cheltenham (Leckhampton) in the end - I preferred the feel of the place, and it was more convenient for work.

Dave

Posted 4 months ago #
PeterStarkiss - Member

1) Yes, Your assumption is correct. Ride from the door, plenty of challenging uphills, great downhills off the commons and through woods.
Plenty of areas to link together towards Cranham, Painswick, Nailsworth, Dursley.

2) I'd love to know? Most of my cycling is by myself. Interested in the replies to this. I did one ride with the Cotswold Massiv, figured they had become even more niche! Where do we find information?

3) There are some excellent pubs selling beer from local breweries in Uley, Stroud and Nailsworth. Finding a good pub will not be an issue.

Re: House Hunting.
Check the aspect of any house, sunny side of the hill at different times of the day. Some of the valley bottoms are dark and cold, get a sunny spot on the hillside and you have epic views and evening sun.
Parking can be a major issue, offroad parking may be important. If you want an example of this drive through Chalford or Woodchester on your house hunting trips. Narrow roads, cars everywhere.

Posted 4 months ago #
IHN - Member

Fair enough, I was being a bit unkind to Stroud. It's okay. Nailsworth is smaller and nicer, as are Cirencester (about the same size) and Cheltenham (bigger). Gloucester has some nice suburbs, but the city centre was poorly served by the Luftwaffe and 1960's planners.

Commuting to Brizzle-wise, Nailsworth, Stroud and 'Nam are better served by trains, by car they're all much of a muchness.

As for Da Cotswold Massiv, we (I) did disappear for a bit, but am now back and fully intend to get some weekend rides up and running again. I'll post stuff on here in the week before so keep an eye out, and I'm thinking about starting a mailing list so drop me a line if you want to go on it. Certainly not niche, just riding normal bikes around whilst enjoying sociable chat/banter and post-ride pints. Then again, maybe normal is the new niche...

Peter - when did you come along?

Posted 4 months ago #
PeterStarkiss - Member

IHN,

Couple of Christmas's ago, met at the car park near The Kilkenny on a snowy day. Route went out round Colesbourne, Withington and many other snow covered hillsides, tough route as I remember but good ride.

Posted 4 months ago #
binners - Member

I very briefly, as a student, shared a house with a bloke from Stroud. He was a dick!

On the strength of that alone, I would never ever go near the place. Never mind live there. In fact... can I organise to have it carpet bombed?

Posted 4 months ago #
lordsalop - Member

Binners, keep your aggressive mancunian views to yourself! I'm trying to ingratiate myself to the good people of the west country, it's all peace and love down here dude. Ben

Posted 4 months ago #
richardk - Member

The Heaven of the South Ride clicky might give you some idea for the riding.

Run by Edge MTB who are a good group (going solely on the basis of buying a bike from one of them last year)

Posted 4 months ago #
IHN - Member

Oh ****, do you know Binners? There's no way you're joining Da Massive then, you're tainted by association with that baldy Manc t0$$pot

Spookily, Binners joined Da Massiv once, and on the same ride that Peter came on. A ride on which, if I remember rightly, I nearly died from exhaustion and hypothermia. All good fun!

Posted 4 months ago #
binners - Member

Oops. Sorry M'lud *doffs cap*

Hang on a minute though. I thought you owned most of Gloucester? Can you not just have the natives chased off the land by the local yeomanry?

Or am I getting confused with Shropshire?

I did indeed join IHN (my internet twin) and the Cotswolds massive for one of the coldest rides I've ever been on. But then it was January in inches thick of snow. And very nice it was too

Posted 4 months ago #
PeterStarkiss - Member

I though I remembered Binners on the snow ride, I think the general consensus was that it was hard going, I think whoever was leading cut it slightly short before limbs dropped off.

Looking forward to the next one already,

Posted 4 months ago #
monkey_boy - Member

1) yes over the bridge

Posted 4 months ago #
IHN - Member

I think whoever was leading cut it slightly short before limbs dropped off.

That wasn't me, I was very much at the back, clinging on for dear life. But thank god they did...

Had a massive burger in the Hungry Horse after though, so that made it okay

Posted 4 months ago #
lordsalop - Member

Yes Binners Shropshire you imbecile, christ knows how we survive without more of us going to eton. I was hoping to start afresh without a poshtw@t badge, looks like I'll have to start a save the Gloucester badger from culling campaign to fit in now.

Posted 4 months ago #
IHN - Member

Hold on, is he a posh ****t?

Then he should definately move to Cirencester.

Posted 4 months ago #
Aristotle - Member

IHN - Member

Hold on, is he a posh ****t?

Think fast-living, hard-driving playboy. Like a young Prince Andrew, but with better breeding.

Be prepared to tug your forelock.

Posted 4 months ago #
IHN - Member

Think fast-living, hard-driving playboy. Like a young Prince Andrew, but with better breeding.

Then he'll f***ing love Cirencester.

Posted 4 months ago #
binners - Member

Whatever you do, don't lend him your car! No matter what his staff threaten you with

Posted 4 months ago #
mogrim - Member

I very briefly, as a student, shared a house with a bloke from Stroud. He was a dick!

Wasn't called Euan by any chance?

Posted 4 months ago #
tang - Member

This Euan, you don't happen to have a surname.....
Don't worry this area is full of people trying to escape their breeding but in handy distance from waitrose and London and familier faces. Plenty of posh dropouts.

Posted 4 months ago #
lordsalop - Member

Look, I can't help the quiff my hair just does that and having more than five GCSEs is unusual in Manchester.

Posted 4 months ago #
binners - Member

It wasn't Euan. But they may have been related

and having more than five GCSEs is unusual in Manchester.

What's a GCSE?

Posted 4 months ago #
IHN - Member

What's a GCSE?

It's what those of us in Cheshire got whilst you Manc lot played with crayons.

Luckily, you managed to make a career out of it

Posted 4 months ago #
lordsalop - Member

However, on checking Cirencester I can confirm the period features and quaint little lanes will really suit the Aston. Even found a house painted pink, f&@king lovely

Posted 4 months ago #
lordsalop - Member

Is there a nice bistro nearby?

Posted 4 months ago #
IHN - Member

keeps quiet about the fact that he's moving to Cirencester next month

Posted 4 months ago #
IHN - Member

Apparently, my friend says that there are a number of nice pubs and restaurants in Cirencester. And an excellent Waitrose. And some lovely little bakeries, coffee shops and delis. He, my friend you understand, also said that in many of the surrounding villages there are some wonderful pubs that do excellent food.

Posted 4 months ago #
Aristotle - Member

lordsalop - Member

However, on checking Cirencester I can confirm the period features and quaint little lanes will really suit the Aston.

Good for drifting?

Posted 4 months ago #
tang - Member

Cirencester is rubbish for riding. Not so many Etonians this way, everyone went to Harrow. Thank god that tradition ended with my Dad!

Posted 4 months ago #
mogrim - Member

tang - Member
This Euan, you don't happen to have a surname.....

Can't remember, met him in Southampton. Not a nasty guy, just weird.

Posted 4 months ago #
IHN - Member

Cirencester is rubbish for riding.

I've been looking at this, for my friend you understand, and I reckon that it's not as bad as I, sorry, he, initially thought. Pretty easy to link North through to Bisley, Sapperton, the Duntisbournes, Slad etc. Not a fat lot going South though, dead flat. Nice roadie country though

Posted 4 months ago #

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