Finding the best place to live in the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds is one of the best areas in the UK to live in. If you are looking for a guide on the best place to live in the Cotswolds, you are in the right place.

There are a number of things to consider which will guide you to decide on the best place to live in Cotswold.

House Price

When considering where to live in the Cotswolds areas, one of the important factors to consider is house price.

The average house price in the Cotswolds area is almost £500,000 as at the time of writing. The current house price can be seen by clicking here.

The house prices in the pretty towns and villages of the Cotswolds area are expensive. The cheapest and affordable houses will be found at the edge of the Cotswold in Gloucester and Cheltenham.

The average price of houses within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Beauty(AONB) is often higher than the settlements outside of the Cotswold AONB.

The most popular settlements within the Cotswold AONB are:

• Tetbury
• Coln St Aldwyns
• Moreton-in-Marsh
• Northleach
• Bourton-on-the-Water
• Burford
• Cirencester
• Castle Combe
• Chipping Campden
• Blockley
• Stow-on-the-Wold
• Stanton
• Painswick

Schools and Education

Some people move to a new location because they want their children to be able to attend the best schools. The Cotswolds area is one of the areas in the UK known for some of the best schools in the UK.

Independent Schools

Cheltenham is often been regarded as the centre of the Cotswold. The three prominent independent schools in Cheltenham are Cheltenham College, Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Dean Close.

There are two standout prep schools in the south of the Cotswolds, these are Beaudesert Prep School and Pinewood.

There are other independent schools at various locations within the Cotswold area that can be considered.

Grammar Schools

The Cotswold area is one of the areas that retained their grammar schools. For a child to be selected to attend grammar school, they have to seat and pass an exam called 11 Plus. Grammar schools are not a fee-paying school but they have high education standard.

There are people who move to the Cotswold areas so their children can attend the best schools. There are 4 grammar schools in Gloucester, 1 in Cheltenham and 2 in Stroud.

Comprehensive Schools

The Cotswold area is not short of outstanding comprehensive schools. The Balcarra Academy in Cheltenham and The Cotswold Academy in Bourton-on-the-Water are two of the best comprehensive schools.

These schools and other good state schools are not selected schools so no exam is needed for a child to be admitted. However, you need to live within the catchment area.

Proximity to London

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a place to live is the ease of commuting to and fro the workplace. This might apply to people who currently work in the south of England especially London.

The best place to live in Cotswold for ease of commute to London is the south of Cotswold. The three Oxfordshire towns of Woodstock, Burford, and Chipping Norton are often regarded as part of the Golden Triangle. This is because of their strategic location which makes it easy to commute to London.

The A40 and A44 road routes can be helpful to commuters travelling to London.

The pandemic of 2020 and 2021 has made working from home popular. Also, several people work from home a few days of the week instead of commuting to their London office every day. Such people who live in the Cotswolds can make use of railway stations with direct train services to Paddington from stations at Kingham, Charlbury, and Hanborough.

Historic Environment

Some people like to live in areas that have a lot of history and character. If you want to live within or around areas with character, you might consider pretty villages close to Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bath, and Oxford.

Living in the urban town of Cheltenham or Bath isn’t a bad idea either. Cheltenham which often regarded as the Centre of the Cotswolds is one of England’s most beautiful towns because of her impressive and elegant regency architecture.

Bath also a Regency Town is a place to fall in love with. Bath has impressive Georgian architecture and combines vibrant contemporary culture with a rich history and heritage.

The traditional capital of the Cotswolds is Cirencester. This is a town that also has a lot of history and can be considered for people who want to live in the historic area of the Cotswolds.

Countryside vs Urban

There are a lot of benefits to living in the countryside. You will enjoy breathing in quality care, there is less crime and you will have access to nature. Cotswold is renowned for its beautiful landscape. The traditional Cotswolds villages are cherished by many people in the UK for their quintessential environment.

You can consider pretty villages and small towns like Cirencester, Stroud, Dursley, Tetbury, Coln St Aldwyns, Moreton-in-Marsh, Northleach, Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford, Castle Combe, Chipping Campden, Blockley, Stow-on-the-Wold, Stanton, and Painswick.

If you are looking for main urban areas in and around the Cotswolds you can consider the following

Cheltenham, Bath, and Gloucester.

The benefit of living in the main urban area is the fact that amenities and entertainments are easy to reach. As well, transportation networks are sometimes better in urban areas.

Events, entertainments, and leisure

For the best of events entertainment and leisure activities, Cheltenham tick most of the boxes for this. Cheltenham is famous for her world-class racecourse commonly called Cheltenham Festival.

The town always has a packed calendar of events and festivals which include the Jazz, Science, Music and Literature Festivals.

If you live in settlements that are close to Cheltenham you can take part in enjoyable festivals going on there.

Bath will also tick a lot of the boxes as regards Events, entertainment, and leisure.

Final Thoughts

Cotswold is indeed one of the best places to live in the UK. From security to ambience to recreation, entertainment and general landscape, it is easy to spot its beauty.

The average price of houses shouldn’t deter you from living in Cotswold. Houses within the AONB are generally more expensive than the average houses due to historic significance.

If finance isn’t a problem for you and you are looking for a new place to buy a house, you have to consider Cotswolds.