Wotton-under-Edge is at the foot of the Cotswold escarpment, which gives it those long views across the Severn Vale that draw people here. The Cotswold Way runs straight through the middle of town, so there's plenty of walking on the doorstep without needing to drive anywhere.

The high street has a good mix. Independent shops, local cafés, three pubs with their own character, and enough everyday essentials that you're not constantly heading elsewhere for basics. There's a swimming pool, small cinema, tennis courts, and a surprisingly active community calendar that suggests the town invests and people get involved.

What's noticeable about Wotton is how it attracts different generations. Young families come for the schools and the fact you can still afford a family home without overstretching. Professionals appreciate the half-hour commute to Bristol. And there's a steady stream of people who've downsized from Bath or left London, drawn by the walking, the community feel, and the fact the town still has energy rather than closing by mid-afternoon.

You're ten minutes from Tetbury's Georgian elegance, fifteen from Dursley for larger shops, and Westonbirt Arboretum is just up the road. Bristol's half an hour, Bath's about 40 minutes, and the M5's accessible for longer journeys without living on top of it.

The property mix is part of the appeal. Georgian and Victorian townhouses along the high street, terraced cottages in the older parts, modern family homes on the edges. Prices are more realistic than the postcard-perfect Cotswold villages, which is exactly why families arrive, settle, and stay.