Personal Testimonials
You may have a vision of yourself in an old Cotswold stone house in one of the central Gloucestershire villages. However the shortage of large family houses is such that it pays to be open minded in your house search. You may end up in a beautiful new barn conversion in one of the Wiltshire or Oxfordshire villages.
Everyone has a personal story to tell of how they came to the area.
Alice from Kingcote, near Tetbury, has lived in the Cotswolds for eight years. “We moved to the Cotswolds because my husband was offered a job with Dyson, based in Malmesbury. We had wanted to move out of West London and once we visited the area we felt it offered what we wanted.”Why did you choose the village you are in?
We initially rented in Great Somerford which we felt was ideally placed for me to continue to commute to London, where I was still working, and only 10 easy minutes drive for my husband to Dyson. However once we started looking for houses there was nothing north and west of Great Somerford, (which we preferred rather than south of the M4), in the style we wanted or price range at the time we were looking , so we ended up moving a whole 20 minutes drive away from Dyson, five miles the other side of Tetbury.
Once we saw Kingscote we absolutely loved it because it had no shop and no pub in the village which, to us, meant it was really quiet whilst retaining a pretty busy community feel. We loved the fact that 19th Century drainage problems had prevented it being ruined with 1950’s houses, so it still felt like the estate village which it originally was.
What criteria did you use for choosing your house?
High ceilings as my husband is very tall. We also wanted four plus bedrooms, two bathrooms and a pretty garden.
What do you like out about living in the Cotswolds? Are the locals friendly?
I like getting involved in the country side of life and the fact that we have four small towns each within five miles of us and Bristol and Bath are not far away. However, I don’t really visit Cheltenham.
We have found it easy to make friends, particularly once I stopped working in London so I could be more part of the community. I’m secretary of the Village Hall Committee. The locals are friendly. Our friends are a mixture of people who grew up here and incomers, which I like.
What, if anything, do you miss from your City life?
“I definitely miss working in London and the buzz I used to get from that. Working in Birmingham was never quite the same! Alice also misses the shops and culture. “Bath has a great theatre and Bristol is on the map for tons of tours but I still miss the immediateness of everything in London”. “But it will not make me go back!”
Abigail has lived in Ampney Crucis for 11 years. "I went to school in Cheltenham and loved the area. When I was looking for a weekend place it seemed the right direction as my parents are in Bray which is an hour away." Luck played a part in finding the right house. "My husband saw a granary that was going to be converted". As weekenders, "we wanted a small garden and a rural location with a view". Abigail particularly likes "the countryside, the feeling of space and the beauty" of living in the Cotswolds.
She has found most locals are friendly, "albeit slightly sniffy about us Londoners!" When asked what she misses from her London life Abigail says "the anonymity. You can get lost in London. In the Cotswolds everyone knows where you are and who you are. This is also a bonus of course". She also misses the restaurants and being able to get around in a taxi relatively cheaply. "Any journey out here is £30+ and that's one way!" Whilst Abigail misses some friends she says "most come and visit us here". At times you might feel that you are running a hotel as friends will be keen to escape the city for country weekends.
The international appeal of the Cotswolds is demonstrated by Edwina who moved to the Cotswolds from Australia for a number of reasons. "Its proximity to London, airports (Bristol, Birmingham, Heathrow), family in Somerset, friends already living here and the fact that we had visited here in the past and have always loved the countryside," she says. Edwina who has lived in Nailsworth for four years chose her house because of its proximity to the children's school and friends and it is south facing. There is not much she misses from City life. "Its lovely to visit London but shopping and restaurants can also be found here," she says.
Ellie from South Cerney moved to the region three years ago to be near to her daughter. She particularly likes South Cerney, one of the largest villages in the Cotswolds, because “it has some amenities such as shops, a village Post Office, chemist, doctor’s surgery and a bus service to Cheltenham and Swindon. It is the most reliable bus service that I have ever come across”. With an eye on later years, Ellie’s criteria for a house were “low maintenance, a small enclosed garden and on a bus route.” She says the locals are “very friendly” and likes the fact that “it is quiet and there is not a lot of crime.” In what I expect will be a recurring theme, she misses the “big shops and Bridgewater Hall” (the main classical music venue in central Manchester).
Antonia moved to the Cotswolds because her husband Jonathan "loved the area" and it was also not too far away from Dorset where her parents live. Antonia lives in Charlton, near Malmesbury. "It was possible for Jonathan to commute to London daily. From Dorset it is impossible. Then the house just came up and we went for it" says Antonia. The attractions of living in the Cotswolds are, "the area which is very pretty with real countryside. There is lots to do with variety and good schools". Antonia has found the locals to be friendly noting that "lots of people are London emigres". Antonia does not miss much about London "apart from a decent beauty salon and a few good shops" such as a delicatessen.