Tell me about…. Cheltenham

Considering a Job Offer at present, would mean moving away from Devon and all the awesome riding/boating/climbing/mates.

I know its got the Cotswolds on its doorstep and the new flyup centre opening next year but anyone has experience of moving there on their lonesome and meeting new riding/climbing/adventure bods?

Bit posh, nicer than Gloucester.

Cheltenham is a large spa town in Gloucestershire, England.
Cheltenham takes its name from the small River Chelt.
Cheltenham has been a health and holiday spa town resort since the discovery of mineral springs there in 1716.
Cheltenham’s railway station is still called Cheltenham Spa .

🙂

It’s quite nice. Lots of old people and when the races are on it’s carnage. Otherwise a pleasant, quiet little town.

Moved here many years ago and I really like it.
Plenty or riding locally and great shops. Either the local club or the stores can get you hooked in.
Best bit about it is that it’s so close to other great areas. Quick to Forest of Dean, Wales etc. Or for other parts of life it’s ideal for other big cities e.g London, Bristol or Birmingham.

Good indoor climbing centre nearby in Gloucester (The Warehouse) – good place to meet up with fellow climbers. http://www.the-warehouse.co.uk/%5B/url%5D

I work in Bishop’s Cleeve nearby, I reckon I’d live around Winchcombe if I wanted to move – which I might as like it here.

So enough going on and such to live in the Town rather than say communting from Bristol?

Dull clone town, with nice countryside nearby.

harryjan – Member
So enough going on and such to live in the Town rather than say communting from Bristol?

That would depend on your age and expectations. If you’re of settling down age and don’t mind driving to the nearest city for everything they’d have to offer it’s a great place to live.

ransos – Member
Dull clone town, with nice countryside nearby.

Was thinking this was harsh but if you’re young and looking for nightlife you may well be better off in Brizzle. Someone younger would have to advise there.

I’d certainly rather live local with a quick commute than 10+ hrs a week spent in the car getting down the M5/32.

Which bit of town is work in?

Plenty of posh totty, the Ladies College 6th Form, a happy hunting ground.

Woof woof

GCHQ?

Stroud is nicer to live, bit expensive, and hillier.

The ED shuts at 8pm.

Compared to living in some of the other local towns, Gloucester, Tewskbery, Evesham, Cheltenham is the winner.

From my time there, Cheltenham has two sides, very rich and very poor, if you can afford to live in a nice area of Cheltenham it’s beautiful, but the other side has a reputation for being a chav hell, with a well known family awash with influence.

What, still? I thought they were mostly banged up?

Cut my mtb teeth thereabouts. Loads of clay up leckhampton 8)

Been a while since lived there but I too was struck by the stark class/social divide. It’s the gateway to the Cotswolds…

I quite liked it but didnt fit in socially – prob me being neither fish nor fowl

One of my best mates lives just outside it, he loves it. Quite an outdoorsy type chap.

Cheltenham sometimes has an undeserved reputation for being overly posh. I’d say that yes, it has its posh parts, but on the whole is no worse than any other similarly sized spa town. It also has some rough parts, but these are easy enough to steer clear of once you know where they are.

Wouldn’t live in Bristol and commute up, no chance. In fact I know people that do the opposite! Cheltenham is a much nicer place to live than Bristol, in fact the only thing I’d say Bristol has going for it over Cheltenham is if you were young and single and wanted a banging night life. Cheltenham is a little more reserved, but is still much better for a night out than most places, with more variety and a more friendly atmosphere on the whole.

As for cycling, well for some reason Cheltenham has more bike shops per head person than any other town/city that I can think of! The Cheltenham & County club is huge (if clubs are your thing), but I know a lot of people that have nothing to do with the club and still ride lots in and around Cheltenham. Cycling is big there basically, so don’t worry on that front! And you’ve got FoD, a417 project (coming), the Cotswolds etc. all within spitting distance…

I’m from about 12 miles north of Cheltenham originally, and most of my extended family gravitated south and have ended up settling in Cheltenham, including my sister. I’d live there if I could, but my business is in Droitwich and the GF works in Brum, so we have to make do with Worcester (which is ok, but very dull and lacking in any form of excitement compared to Cheltenham).

If you’ve got to move somewhere for a job, I can think of a whole lot of places far worse to move to…

Lived in Cheltenham the first time in 1990 at Uni, and after graduating plenty of friends have stayed to work and eventually bring up their families in the town. Not from there originally, but I call it home and I can seem my own family gravitating back in two years time. Either that or Plymouth funnily enough.

Thanks Chaps,

Doesn’t sound too bad, giving up Dartmoor on my doorstep for the Cotswolds isn’t too bad I guess.

OP from an outdoor lifestyle perspective it is a step down, cannot deny that. However this is compensated to some degree by being closer to riding/hiking in Wales for example. I also would not commute from Bristol. Live in Cheltenham with a short commute and enjoy the summer evening rides after work rather than being sat in the car.

Cheltenham is a much nicer place to live than Bristol

Bristol is one of the finest places to live in the UK, and Cheltenham…has some nice countryside nearby.

That said, I’m not sure I’d fancy a daily commute: I occasionally have to drive to Stroud for work and getting out of Bristol at rush hour is a PITA.

OP from an outdoor lifestyle perspective it is a step down, cannot deny that. However this is compensated to some degree by being closer to riding/hiking in Wales for example. I also would not commute from Bristol. Live in Cheltenham with a short commute and enjoy the summer evening rides after work rather than being sat in the car.

I tend to agree; hard to go back to long commutes after having a 20minute ride each way for the last 4 years!

Hard to beat Devon but equally very fewer firms that are pushing boundries/doing really interesting stuff.

ransos – Member
Cheltenham is a much nicer place to live than Bristol
Bristol is one of the finest places to live in the UK, and Cheltenham…has some nice countryside nearby.

Or Bristol is just another city with some really s*** bits and a few nice bits. and you have to pay to go to Wales*, Cheltenham is a large town with some really s*** bits and a few nice bits and you don’t have to pay to go to Wales. Out of interest how much riding can you do in Bristol from the Doorstep? CF Cheltenham where i can ride to the foot of the Cotswold scarp and be off road in 10mins with plenty of options?

*if you intend to use the remotely sensible route, if you want to drive from Bristol to Gloucester to cross the river for free your call. Also means you can go to the FoD for free etc.

Mind you some of the comments about bike theft and Bristol you might get to ride your bike for a couple more weeks in Cheltenham, which has its own problem (Sonny Curran)

It has a reputation for being a “little London”.
Great evening life, good shopping and trails not that far away.
All good.