Cheltenham is my adopted home town, it’s not where I was born and brought up.
I came here aged 19, to start my college education — a degree in Geography, at what was then called Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Higher Education, (or College of Higher Entertainment as my mother dryly referred to it). I had, like most of the friends I went on to make, failed to achieve the A-Levels grades required for my chosen university and had instead ended up here. Other institutions might have offered us places but they were in problematic parts of London or grim sounding towns. Cheltenham was roughly an hour from home, the sun was shining the day I came to look around and the senior lecturer who met us was engaging. It was perhaps not the great adventure that some of my friends embarked on, going to places like Brighton (the raves! the drugs!) or Manchester (the indie music scene! the clubs!) but I liked it.
And, 35 years on, I’m still here.
It was the beginning of the Nineties, and there we were armed with rubbish A-Levels, cheap stereos, Athena posters, a single recipe for tuna pasta, and — having all grown up watching The Young Ones — harbouring a vague notion that students were supposed to endure some level of squalor and privation while also having a bloody good time.
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Thus, Cheltenham became the backdrop for our coming-of-age, for the lifelong friendships forged, for days spent in the park, nights camped out on an unofficial roof terrace, RAG week antics, police cautions for being drunk in charge of a bicycle/shopping trolley, house parties and all-nighter assignment writing. Because incredibly, all this was achieved alongside some actual studying which along the way, we came to see the value of and enjoy. (I am struck by how privileged, frivolous and complacent that sounds now, particularly when my own children seem to take their degrees a lot more seriously, but back then, it seemed normal to experience all this).
But the point is, what kept me here?
Or, more accurately, what brought me and my now husband back, a year after we’d left — and after most of our friends had moved on?
We both thought we’d be happier living here than anywhere else we knew of.
And I think we were right. Cheltenham was named the Best Place to Live in the South West by The Sunday Times in 2020.
Why?
Probably for some of the following reasons:
Beautiful architecture
Perhaps the most obvious attribute but one which I was initially only vaguely conscious of — a Regency town founded on the patronage of the King (George III) after he came to take the spa waters in 1788. The spas, parks, accommodation and places of entertainment were subsequently designed to cater to the demands of fashionable people who followed suit. We’re talking terraces of elegant four storey town houses with stucco facades, sash windows, iron railings, as well as detached “villas” with generous proportions, in neoclassical styles.
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The Georgians really had an eye for beautiful design and pleasing proportions which has endured and there is certainly something uplifting about the aesthetics of the place.
You can get a flavour for what it was like in the days of Bridgerton (set in that era) by strolling along The Prom, a tree-lined boulevard in the town centre — built specifically for the wealthy visitors and residents to parade up and down. (They still do, especially since the arrival of No.131 on the Prom which is currently considered the place to be seen by some).
Trees and greenery
This practically all you can see, in the summer, even in parts of the town centre. It’s like a jungle out there. In a good way.
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There are several attractive town centre parks which make the urban environment feel leafy and spacious, places to picnic or have a drink, play areas for kids, ice cream/coffee kiosks, and yes, somewhere for teens to hang out, to the chagrin of some residents. (My son (16) and his mates were told off by a resident recently — for singing songs from Les Mis late at night in the park. I mean, fair enough I suppose).
Cotswolds countryside
Proximity to the countryside and other Cotswolds towns and villages makes it a good place to base yourself if touring the area. Exploring new walks or going to places like Stroud Farmer’s Market or Cotswold Farm Park are popular outings but there are loads of others.
Smart places to eat and shop
Personally, I don’t have the budget to frequent all the upmarket bars, boutique shops and restaurants in the town centre — I tend to head to the secondhand shops (The Suffolks, Bath Road) and pubs/bars in my neighbourhood.
But arguably, shops being occupied, their buildings preserved, businesses being supported, cultural festivals being viable and public spaces being maintained makes it a pleasant environment for all. There is, for example, generally very little graffiti or litter compared with other towns of a similar size.
In good health
You get the impression of a relatively healthy population. I was once told Cheltenham has one of the lowest rates of obesity in the country. On any weekend morning, you will see scores of people cycling, running, dog walking, swimming in the Lido or walking in the hills around the town.
Schools
Often mentioned as a reason people move here: the town has several exclusive private schools (though these also attract significant proportion of overseas students, particularly the famous Cheltenham Ladies College), but it also has the benefit of state schools at the top of the national league tables for exam results — Pates Grammar School (selective) and Balcarras (non-selective but in reality you need to live in the catchment area) which was named South West State Secondary School of the Decade by The Sunday Times Schools Guide (2021).
Horse Racing & Culture
Cheltenham has several art galleries, a beautiful Grade II Listed main theatre The Everyman plus three smaller ones which are well supported and have excellent programmes. It is perhaps most famous in the UK and Ireland for The Gold Cup which takes place here — the highlight of the Jump Racing calendar and a huge draw for the Irish (the townsfolk have mixed feelings). It also hosts the world’s longest running literature festival and festivals for science, classical music and jazz, alongside others such as food & drink, comedy, cricket etc. The festivals attract some of biggest names in their fields, presenting their latest work, discussing new theories or findings, the sort of cultural events you’d normally have to travel to London for and which often attract media attention. In this sense it makes the town seem more connected, part of the discourse.
So that’s just a brief overview of why I’m still here. I’ll produce a guide, sign posting specific places, in a future post.