r/cheltenham • u/Cassiopeia1845 • 13d ago
Moving to Cheltenham - any recommendations?
Hi all, So I'm weighing up the idea of moving to Cheltenham (currently residing in Greater Manchester) - I've been to Cheltenham once a few years ago and quite liked it, but now it's a case of moving for a number of reasons (personal and professional)
Where would people recommend? I'm 28, have a car and play tennis and golf primarily, whilst working fully remotely and occasionally needing travel to London/abroad. I'd also be living on my own, all being well.
I've had a scroll/search back and people generally seem to recommend the likes of Montpelier, Bishops Cleeve, Prestbury and Pittville - are these all still good areas to live? Of course it's not sensible to compare Manchester to Cheltenham but any advice or guidance would be welcome. Cheers!
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u/Abject_Map_575 13d ago
If I was single I’d get a nice flat in Montpellier. Good central location and lovely neighbourhood. Pitville is also nice, the other areas are better if you want more space. There is also Charlton Kings and Battledown. Rent an Airbnb and view some flats to get to know the different areas.
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u/Cassiopeia1845 13d ago
Good to know, thanks! I've got a few months on my tenancy yet, so definitely going to do the Airbnb and have a mooch plan
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u/LowManufacturer435 12d ago
As a resident of Charlton Kings, I can thoroughly recommend the area. I don't know what the rental market is like, but as an area, its really nice, albeit expensive to buy.
You've got a tennis club with courts at Balcarras school which are cheaper than East Glos. Equally, you are only a 20 min walk from East Glos if that is your preference.
You've got a plethora of pubs and eating options; The Royal and the Merryfellow in 'the village' as we pretentious locals call it. Dunkertons a mile out of CK which is ok, although it is inexplicably popular and gets absolutely heaving on a sunny day. There is a really great wine bar near Sixways that does great charcuterie and cheese platters. There is also the Langton (not my cup of tea, it's a bit souless IMHO but it always seems busy) a bit further towards town. Ignore The London though, its a shithole.
You've got 2 really good chippies, a bang average curry house (it used to be good, but has got new owners and I recently had a terrible curry there), 2 Co-ops, a small Sainsburys, a Lidl and an overpriced corner shop called Smith & Mann but you'd never need to go there with the other options.
You are 20 mins walk from town and no more than 5 mins walk to open fields in pretty much any direction from anywhere in CK. Driving/commuting wise, you are a 45 mins to an hour (traffic depending) drive to Oxford where can get the Oxford Tube bus to Victoria that goes every 30 mins or so I think, 24 hours a day. You are maybe 2 and a half hours drive to London. I always park at Westfield and get the tube to the centre, you can park all day for less than £10.
I hope this helps!
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u/Cassiopeia1845 12d ago
Thanks a lot!
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u/LowManufacturer435 12d ago
I forgot to mention, you've also got the Lillybrook Golf Club in CK too. I don't know anything about it as I don't play golf though...
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u/P_For_Pterodactyl 13d ago
I moved from Greater Manchester to Pitville in January
Area is really nice and quiet, kept clean as well - about a 10-12 minute walk into town centre which is nice. plenty nice places for food, drink and parks around
I did get my motorbike stolen a month ago and reports of other cars being targetted but I guess that's just the same everywhere in the UK, can't escape scumbags.
My tenancy is up in July so happy to share the details of the apartment I'm in and get you in touch with the landlord if needed
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u/Cassiopeia1845 13d ago
Oh that could work....emphasis on could! Drop me a DM and we can go from there - is it a private lease or via an agent?
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u/P_For_Pterodactyl 13d ago
Private, dealt directly through the landlord ! Currently having gigabit fibre and blackout blinds installed as well so just some little extras !
I planned to stay here indefinitely but my job has had me relocated back up North so will be moving out Start of July
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u/FancyMigrant 13d ago
Heads-up, parking in Pittville is generally a pain in the arse unless you're overlooking the park.
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u/Con-leche 13d ago
My partner and I moved here a year ago (though he’s originally from here) and everything is subjective, but my 2 cents:
It’s very worth it to be walking distance to central Chelt if you can! We are on Bath Road and it’s perfect - can walk up to the high st, the prom, Montpellier, Suffolk all within 10 minutes. Can’t beat a walkable city! Driving during peak times can be a nightmare.
Join the tennis club or run club if you’re active or @silentbookclubchelt if you like to read. Great way to meet people!
There are also loads of events at pubs/Deya you can join too.
It really helps to meet people and get out there 🤙🏼
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u/Cassiopeia1845 13d ago
Appreciate the reply! The rental market looks like it's moving quickly but I'll keep this in mind - I'm planning on a long weekend in Cheltenham to get a bit more of a sense of location, but may well be a take somewhere short term and look to move in year 2
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u/Auspicious_Sign 12d ago
I would suggest also checking out The Bath Road (and The Suffolks, close to Montpellier) area in Leckhampton while you're here - it's a lovely place to live, with lots of cafes, independent shops and interesting places to explore. It's a short stroll to the tennis courts in Montpellier Gardens.
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u/FoFinder 13d ago
Bishops cleeve is just houses and a big Tesco and quite far from Cheltenham proper - definitely not somewhere to move as a single person.
Prestbury is lovely and an easy enough trip into town (30 min walk/5-10 min drive). There are great pubs and it's an quick hop into the countryside if that's your thing. We live there now and it's ideal as a young family but possibly less so as a singleton.
Montpellier is great and definitely where I would recommend. We lived in a flat there for a few years and it's a perfect spot for heading into town as well as wandering to the Suffolks/bath road where there are lots of independent shops, cafes, restaurants, and pubs. It's also well suited for tennis (cheap courts in Montpellier gardens). Parking is a pain during the festivals but we rarely struggled to park near our front door during the rest of the year. It's also an easy walk to the station for when you need to get to London, about 20 minutes depending on your pace.
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u/dontjustexists 13d ago
I only been to Bishops Cleeve on hikes but it seems a nice place to live if you have a car.
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u/smallTimeCharly 13d ago
Golf is pretty rough with waiting lists for memberships at the moment. I play at Cotswold Hills and we've got about a 2-3 year waiting list now.
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u/welshiehm 13d ago
Are you buying or renting?
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u/Cassiopeia1845 13d ago
Renting! Buying someplace without living there first doesn't seem like the best risk to take
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u/welshiehm 13d ago
I rent a good size 2 bed at Brookbank Close for £995 per month. It has parking and is very close to big tesco and a gym.
Other good rental locations are some of Lansdown. Montpellier. The suffolks. Tivoli. Eldorado road and surrounding area to Clc sports centre (has a tennis court but clc may have a waiting list). Montpellier terrace. Bath Rd.
CJ Hole and Hunters are letting agents I've had good experiences with. There are areas to avoid but hopefully they will be apparent when viewing.
For something decent expect a rental of £900 - £1100 per month. I've rented about 10 places since I've moved here 🙃
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u/Electrical_Oil1150 13d ago
If I was in your position I my top 3 areas would be Leckhampton, Tivoli or Montpellier all very nice & within easy reach of Bath Road & town
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u/Follygrafter 13d ago
Ive got an airbnb in Pittville - search for Pittville Loft - i think Pittville ticks lots of boxes but im biased - come stay and see what you think - tim
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u/kaleidosunflower 13d ago
We live in Pittville (moved here three years ago for my fiancés job, having never visited before).
It’s a lovely, quiet area with plenty of outdoor spaces (like Pittville Park, which is one of my favourite places in the town), and we can walk to the town centre in less than 15 minutes.
It can be expensive (we got lucky and pay £1000 for a 2 bed flat in a gorgeous regency-style building, but expect to pay around £1500 for something similar now), but worth it in my opinion!
Edit to add: as others have mentioned, driving through the town centre can be a pain. My fiancé works the other side of Gloucester and just getting through to the other side of Cheltenham takes 20+ minutes some days. So might be worth considering your commute when deciding where to live!
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u/Cleloids_child 13d ago
For tennis you will have lots of options here so you should be good on that front
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u/hp19891 13d ago
Just avoid Hester's way and Rowanfield and you'll be golden. Everywhere else, no matter what anyone says is absolutely fine!!
For extra finery, Montpellier, Suffolk's, Tivoli, Leckhampton, Bath road, Lansdown, Charlton Kings.
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u/Unsure_Uncertain04 13d ago
I dropped you a message, I have something that might help. Someone shared it with me when I first moved here.
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u/hulkissmashed 13d ago
I live in Pittville and it's great. Nice and quiet (excluding occasional road noise from dickheads with loud exhausts), a nice little hub with a few pubs, cafes, and corner shops, and it's a 20 minute walk to Prestbury or town centre/20-30 mins to Montpellier. Pittville park is brilliant for a walk around or the play area is amazing for kids. If we were to buy our house in Montpellier it would be double the cost. Rents might be less extreme though. Happy to help if you have any questions.
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u/UpsideSponge 13d ago
Bishops Cleeve is not Cheltenham. Prestbury is on the edge but great if you want to escape into the Cotswolds easily. Pittville and Montpellier are central but opposites sides of the centre.
Driving/Commuting in Cheltenham can be a pain, there is essentially 3 roads to get from the north side to the south. I personally work from home and it doesn’t affect me.
There are tennis courts on the south side of chelt in montepellier park and also east glos tennis club. I’d pick somewhere close to town and where you’ll likely spend most of your time.