Stroud residents have responded to the news that the town has been named one of the best places to live in the UK for 2026 – saying: “I couldn’t think of anywhere else in the UK that I would rather live.”
The ‘quirky’ Cotswolds town was given the accolade by The Sunday Times, which has just revealed it’s Best Places To Live guide for this year. Malmesbury in Wiltshire topped the list overall, but Stroud was one of eight south-west locations featured in the guide, and the only spot in Gloucestershire.
It is not the first time Stroud has been recognised in The Sunday Times guide: in 2021 it topped the list, winning out over 77 other UK destinations as the best place to live overall.
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As well as offering a vibrant, award-winning weekly farmers’ market on a Saturday, and a revamped shopping centre now full of popular food stalls, Stroud is also nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, surrounded by beautiful countryside.
Even walking down the high street, a quick glance down a quaint side street affords expansive views over Rodborough Common, at the end of a road lined with traditional Cotswolds stone buildings and adorned with old-style street lanterns.
But despite being very much a Cotswolds town, locals say that one of the things that really makes Stroud stand out is its vibrancy and its ‘gritty edge’, making you feel like you’re separate from the traditionally ‘posh’ Cotswolds.
Clare Honeyfield, who founded the Stroud Farmers’ Market in 1999 before opening the independent artisanal gift shop, Made In Stroud, the following year, said: “I couldn’t think of anywhere else in the UK that I would rather live.
“It’s a really cool place because it’s not up itself, it’s not the Cotswolds. It’s got that gritty edge to it. It’s friendly and welcoming.
“There’s so much to do here that you can never be bored. It’s such a vibrant, revolutionary, happening town, a place where anything can and does happen. It’s such a good place to live and to work, so I just think it’s brilliant it is getting this recognition. It’s amazing.”
Another striking thing about Stroud is the number of independent shops that can be found in the town centre. I’ve always thought of Stroud as one of the main ‘hubs’ in Gloucestershire, like Gloucester and Cheltenham.
But visit those main destinations, and you’ll find the high streets mostly lined with barbers, takeaways, betting shops and vape shops.
Of course, Stroud also has places like Costa Coffee and Greggs on the high street.
But what catches my eye is places like Made In Stroud, Intrigue of Stroud (selling an eclectic mix of bohemian clothes and gifts), and even Fortune Faeries, a whimsical shop selling handmade ceramic sculptures, with a sign above the door saying: “Welcome to the Faery Grotto”. (As a child I definitely would have spent all day in this particular store).
One local who runs one of the town’s independent retailers is Richard Grosvenor, of the Celtic Jewellery gift shop on Union Street – the aforementioned street which overlooks Rodborough Common.
Richard, who moved his jewellery store from Wales to Stroud in 2013, said: “You can see that Stroud still has quite a lot of independent retailers, so we get a lot of positive feedback from visitors in that respect.
“It’s still quite a vibrant town in that respect, which is a positive. Quirky, is the word that most people use to describe Stroud. You’ve got a big arty, crafty element, it’s a bit alternative.
“From my point of view, running a business here, that was one of my key reasons for coming to Stroud, because it’s quite hard to find towns that have got premises that are suitable for independent retailers, because of rental rates.
“With this business in particular, our busiest day is Saturday market day. That is a big boost for us, and to be honest I don’t know how well I would survive without that.”
However, Richard went on to state that Stroud can feel ‘very quiet’ during the week – and that the town could be doing more to promote tourism.
He added: “I don’t think Stroud does itself any favours in terms of promoting tourism here. When I first came there was a tourist information office in the Sub Rooms, but that disappeared some years ago.
“In summer I do get quite a few people coming in and asking, ‘What’s there to do around here, where can we go?’. People still want to use somewhere like a tourist information centre to get some suggestions.
“So I think they could do more to promote it, because it is nice here. There’s super places round here, but it’s not really promoted.
“I think it would help the town a lot more if they could bring more tourism. That would help grow local businesses, too. But outside of that, it’s a very pleasant place to live. We just need more footfall in the town, it just needs promoting a bit more.”
Down at the other end of town, you can find the Five Valleys Shopping Centre, formerly the Merrywalks shopping centre, which underwent a revamp starting back in 2019 as part of a £17 million investment project in the town.
Now, as well as being home to popular clothing brands such as Peacocks, Sports Direct, and Sanderson’s Boutique, at the heart of the shopping mall is the bustling food court, with a line-up of artisan traders and food-to-go outlets from every cuisine.
This is certainly the busier end of town, where the majority of people seem to be doing their shopping. And at lunchtime, the food hall seems to be where everybody is grabbing a bite to eat.
One food vendor in the market hall is Jack Spooner, who runs The Burger Bar. When asked his opinion on Stroud being named among the best places to live, Jack said: “I can see why. It makes sense, everyone here is so friendly.
“It’s a nice sense of community, everybody gets on. I’ve worked in various restaurants across the country, and it’s nice here. You’d think somewhere like this, you might not necessarily get along with other vendors working here, but everyone is so friendly.
“The people here are great. I worked in Cheltenham for a long time, and on a daily basis you would encounter people who were rude to you. But here that’s so rare, people are just happier and they’re nice to everyone.”
Another local, Will Fox, 58, who grew up in Stroud, agreed with Jack, saying: “I think you don’t appreciate a place until you’ve been to other places. I’ve lived in London and Bristol and Ireland and various other places, and I would say Stroud is about as good as it gets.
“It’s certainly a beautiful place to live, it’s very tolerant. I know the area very well, I’ve probably spent half my life working around here, but there are still many beautiful corners that surprise me that I haven’t bumped into before. So on that front it’s amazing.”
However, Will was concerned that The Sunday Times recognition would drive a certain, middle-class demographic into Stroud – and make it less affordable to live there.
He said: “I just hope it doesn’t get too carried away with itself. I would say, unfortunately, there has absolutely been an influx of a certain kind of middle-class people. I now sense a certain entitlement here, and I think there’s a danger of Stroud becoming a bit up itself.
“I would like to buy a property locally, but that’s right out the window. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would buy a nice pile here, too. But I’ve bought a big vintage horsebox instead which I plan to convert and live in. It’s a damn sight cheaper.”
The average house price in Stroud, as of December 2025, is £333,000. This is down slightly (1.2%) from December 2024, and well below the average Cotswolds house price of £416,000.
Meanwhile, Stroud rental prices are up by 7.1% compared to December 2024, now costing £1,026 a month. In the wider Cotswolds area, average rental prices are £1,260 a month – up by 9.4% compared to December 2024.
Now, thanks to the new Sunday Times guide, Stroud is surely going to become an even more desirable area. But the town is well worth at least a visit, being an ideal hub from which to explore the Cotswolds, enjoy a nice countryside walk, and pick up some unique, handmade gifts to take home with you or give to loved ones.