The Nicest (and Nastiest) UK Towns You Have Lived In

I've been looking at Stroud, Gloucs, and it really does seem amazingly lovely. Close to several good places (Bristol, Bath, Gloucester, Cheltenham) but far enough away to be its own place, etc. Plus amazing scenery & lots of little villages nearby.

I've been looking at Stroud, Gloucs, and it really does seem amazingly lovely. Close to several good places (Bristol, Bath, Gloucester, Cheltenham) but far enough away to be its own place, etc. Plus amazing scenery & lots of little villages nearby.

Yes, it's a nice sized town.  It has stuff like a cinema and a bowling alley, but still manages to be rural.  It's not as expensive or posh as many places in the Cotswolds and it has more practical shops, not just a load of antique shops and tourist boutiques like say Tetbury.  It has a great farmers market on Saturdays.  It's on the train line to London but is far enough away not to be a commuter town.  It has some good schools.  It's kind of quirky and funky with musicians writers and working class folks mixed together.  It's on the Cotswold Way footpath and is surrounded by the commons (Rodborough, Selsley, Minchinhampton) so there are lots places to enjoy the scenery.

Yes, it's a nice sized town.  It has stuff like a cinema and a bowling alley, but still manages to be rural.  It's not as expensive or posh as many places in the Cotswolds and it has more practical shops, not just a load of antique shops and tourist boutiques like say Tetbury.  It has a great farmers market on Saturdays.  It's on the train line to London but is far enough away not to be a commuter town.  It has some good schools.  It's kind of quirky and funky with musicians writers and working class folks mixed together.  It's on the Cotswold Way footpath and is surrounded by the commons (Rodborough, Selsley, Minchinhampton) so there are lots places to enjoy the scenery.

All of that sounds just ideal.

DH and I are absolutely in love with Newcastle. We're so glad we made the choice to move here.

DH and I are absolutely in love with Newcastle. We're so glad we made the choice to move here.

Wooo! That's what I like to hear.

Wooo! That's what I like to hear.

I'm in Exeter and although I've visited other places, I absolutely love living here. I'm not a big city girl so this is just the right size--as in, small enough I can cycle from end to end, though big enough that it would take me a while. It has both modern shopping and really old buildings like the cathedral and is situated between Dartmoor and the sea, both good "get away" places.

As for Dorking, I spent a week there in a B&B at the Denbie Winery Estate and it was gorgeous. Dorking is fairly small but it was easy enough to get around the area by train when I went closer to the city to visit friends. But yes, everyone had a good laugh that I stayed in a town called Dorking.

I've been looking at Stroud, Gloucs, and it really does seem amazingly lovely. Close to several good places (Bristol, Bath, Gloucester, Cheltenham) but far enough away to be its own place, etc. Plus amazing scenery & lots of little villages nearby.

My fiancee's parents live in Stroud.  I haven't spent enough time in the town to say anything about it, but the area is very pretty, and as you say, close to some bigger cities.

I'm in Exeter and although I've visited other places, I absolutely love living here. I'm not a big city girl so this is just the right size--as in, small enough I can cycle from end to end, though big enough that it would take me a while. It has both modern shopping and really old buildings like the cathedral and is situated between Dartmoor and the sea, both good "get away" places.

I'll vote for Exeter as a nice place to live too - I went to Exeter Uni for my undergrad degree and I really like the city (although I did live there before they built the new shopping centre area and it was just the high street without the new pedestrian area and snazzy shops) . I was close to getting a job in Exeter recently and would have been very happy to move back, but unfortunately I just missed out on the position .

I'm in Exeter and although I've visited other places, I absolutely love living here. I'm not a big city girl so this is just the right size--as in, small enough I can cycle from end to end, though big enough that it would take me a while. It has both modern shopping and really old buildings like the cathedral and is situated between Dartmoor and the sea, both good "get away" places.

I have some very happy memories from my time in Exeter. 

DH and I are absolutely in love with Newcastle. We're so glad we made the choice to move here.

I'm so glad to hear that!  I'll have to make a trip to "toon" to see you in the near future!   

I'm so glad to hear that!  I'll have to make a trip to "toon" to see you in the near future!   

Absolutely!

DH and I are absolutely in love with Newcastle. We're so glad we made the choice to move here.

What do you like about it, if you don't mind my asking? I'm moving to Newcastle in August for school, and am looking to get as much info as possible.

What do you like about it, if you don't mind my asking? I'm moving to Newcastle in August for school, and am looking to get as much info as possible.

I know you didn't ask me, but I'll chime in anyway.

Newcastle is just a generally pretty place---the area around Monument, Grey Street, all the way down to the Quayside, full of beautiful architecture.
Jesmond Dene, especially in the spring and summer.
Sunny weather (at least compared to the West Coast).
It's compact and easy to get around.
The people are friendly---plus, Geordie accents!
Tyneside Cinema and its terrific coffee bar
The Biscuit Factory
You can get to the coast on the Metro in half an hour
Tons of history
Easy to get to Edinburgh
Etc, etc, etc....

I'm sure hjarrett and Jewlz can add more. Newcastle's great though. But windy. Very windy. Buy a birdcage umbrella; a normal umbrella wouldn't last a week (I speak from experience!).

Does Newcastle have any Polish delis?