landmark
Painswick
The 'Queen of the Cotswolds', a steep wool town whose churchyard holds 99 clipped yew trees and a Rococo garden nearby.
4 km · about 5 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Stroud
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Stroud
Stroud works well as a base: 5 minutes from Brimscombe, 19km from Cotswold Water Park.
Stroud is in England, United Kingdom, with about 60,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Brimscombe, about 4 km away.
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District. The town's population was 13,500 in 2021.
Sited below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets. The Cotswold Area ofRead more
Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounds the town, and the Cotswold Way path passes by it to the west. It lies 10 miles (16 km) south of the city of Gloucester, 14 miles (23 km) south-southwest of Cheltenham, 13 miles (21 km) west-northwest of Cirencester and 26 miles (42 km) north-east of the city of Bristol. London is 91 miles (146 km) east-southeast of Stroud and the Welsh border at Whitebrook, Monmouthshire, is 19 miles (31 km) to the west. Though officially not part of the town itself, the contiguous civil parishes of Rodborough and Cainscross form part of Stroud's urban area and are generally recognised as suburbs.
Stroud acts as a commercial centre for surrounding villages and market towns including Amberley, Bisley, Bussage, Chalford, Dursley, Eastcombe, Eastington, King's Stanley, Leonard Stanley, Minchinhampton, Nailsworth, Oakridge, Painswick, Randwick, Selsley, Sheepscombe, Slad, Stonehouse, Brimscombe & Thrupp, Whiteshill and Woodchester.
In March 2021 The Sunday Times named Stroud the best place to live in the UK, citing the town's abundance of green spaces, independent spirit, and high quality of schools.
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Explore the Area
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Stroud?
Within an hour or so of Stroud: Painswick (4 km), Gloucester Cathedral Cloisters (Hogwarts corridors) (13 km), Cotswold Water Park (19 km), Cleeve Hill (24 km).
Are there any good drives near Stroud?
The nearest famous roads are A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth), Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135) and Gospel Pass.
Where is Stroud?
Stroud is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Brimscombe.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 60,155
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 51.7500, -2.2000
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Stroud
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
film location
Gloucester Cathedral Cloisters (Hogwarts corridors)
The fan-vaulted cloisters played Hogwarts corridors in the first two films - including the wall bearing 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened'.
13 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
Cotswold Water Park
A 40-square-mile network of 180 lakes formed by gravel extraction, now used for watersports and wildlife.
19 km · about 20 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Cleeve Hill
The highest point of the Cotswolds at 330 m, an open common above Cheltenham with views to the Malverns and Wales.
24 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Bibury
Charming Cotswolds village famously described by William Morris as the most beautiful village in England, home to the iconic Arlington Row.
25 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
The Classic Motor Hub
A curated classic car showroom and events space set in the idyllic Cotswolds village of Bibury.
25 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Arlington Row
A terrace of 17th-century weavers' cottages beside the Coln in Bibury, once a wool store and among the most photographed buildings in England.
25 km · about 30 min drive
racetrack
Prescott Speed Hill Climb
Famous Cotswolds hill climb owned by the Bugatti Owners' Club since 1937, twisting up through the grounds of Prescott House. Home of the celebrated La Vie en Bleu vintage festival.
27 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Stroud
- 24 kmCleeve HillThe highest point of the Cotswolds at 330 m, an open common above Cheltenham with views to the Malverns and Wales.
- 32 kmSymonds Yat RockA famous viewpoint 504 feet above the River Wye, where peregrine falcons nest and the river performs a dramatic horseshoe bend.
- 33 kmDevil's PulpitA narrow limestone pinnacle perched above the Wye Valley near Tintern Abbey, offering a dizzying view down through the forest canopy.
- 33 kmA466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth)A wooded riverside road through a designated AONB past Tintern Abbey, gentle and beautiful rather than challenging.
- 44 kmClifton Suspension BridgeIsambard Kingdom Brunel's iconic 1864 suspension bridge soaring 75m above the Avon Gorge at Bristol, still carrying traffic and glowing with lights after dark.
- 54 kmSkirrid Fawr (Ysgyryd Fawr)A landslipped 486m ridge above Abergavenny whose split profile gave rise to the legend it cracked at the Crucifixion.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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