Gloucestershire people - advice needed!

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daisycrazy

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My husband has been offered a job in Bristol and we are going to have to relocate from our equestrian smallholding in Derbyshire. Rather than risk paying stamp duty twice in a short space of time, we are ideally trying to find somewhere to rent for a while (poss up to 2 to 3 years) in the Cheltenham/Gloucester area, although anywhere in Gloucestershire or Wiltshire which is readily commutable to Bristol would be fine. We have a fairly limited (albeit two income) budget and somehow need to house us, 2 cats and my eventer, with enough room for me to work from home. So either need somewhere with its own land, stables and preferably an arena, or alternatively a rental property very close indeed to a good livery yard/equestrian centre.

So advice needed as follows:
- which estate agents are most likely to have this sort of property available?
- which are the best areas to be from a travel point of view (commuting and horsebox)?
- where is the best hacking?
- are there any particularly good equestrian centres or livery yards which we could focus our search around? If so, any idea what the approximate livery costs might be?
- are there any particular local newspapers or websites where people might advertise rental property privately?
- would be useful to be within striking distance of a competition centre so which are the best ones?
- other info re good farriers, vets, etc., would also be very useful.

All advice and info very gratefully received!! Other half starts his new job first week of November so we don't exactly have much time to get sorted!
 
The main equestrian centre in the area is the Hand. You're within easy reach of Hartpury, West Wilts, Badgeworth, Pontispool and Stockland Lovell.
I'd pick south of bristol- North Somerset has some great areas including on the Medips where you'll have fab hacking, hunting, be within easy distance of Bristol, the M5 and lots of horsey places.

rightmove.co.uk is pretty good as a first port of call for rental properties. There are lots of yards around so once you've narrowed it down a bit post again and I'm sure lots of us will recommend a good place.
 
I'd totally focus on the area around The Hand - the commute from Cheltenham to Bristol is a long one and yes you do get Hartpury, but its more expensive. My boss used to do Bristol to Cirencester everyday, and it was a miserable way to live, unless you enjoy up to 4 hours a day in your car!

I also think you will get more for your money around the Hand, although if you are eventing I guess you may want to pick an area with X-country courses.
 
I would get as close to Bristol as you can. The commute is horrible into Bris, the roads are extremely bad - 2nd only to London interms of volme of traffic (apparently), it's worth making a decision in terms of which side of Bristol OH is working, do you know yet?.
Having been based in the Midlands and South Wales though, I can say you will love the horsey scene here - there is a vast amount of stuff to do within a 50 mile radius of the city.
 
Well I am based between Bristol and Bath and used to commute to Gloucester for college...ony used to take about an hour so not too bad at all. Land prices are quite expensive round here...never looked into the rental market though so not sure what that would be like. Very horsey area though as easy access to pretty much anywhere being close to the motorways.

What do you do with your horse/horses??
 
Thanks all. I event, plus BSJA in between. Broken horse at moment though.
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The reason we were looking to the north of Bristol is that I work in partnership with my mum, and she wants to be closer to Warwick where my grandparents live. My husband needs to get to Bristol, I need to get to my mum for work, my mum needs to get to my grandparents... Not easy!! We had been working on the basis that my mum would keep my horse for the next couple of years, but now think it makes more sense to have him near/with me if possible. I can work mainly from home so could conceivably locate south of Bristol. My husband hates commuting so I had better not put us too far away. He will be working at Bristol University, which is right in the centre, but may only have to go in 2 or 3 days a week.

Isn't there a good equestrian centre at J12 of the M5? An alternative would be to locate near Chepstow - would we be too far away from everything? It is tempting to be further south (the prospect of good hacking is so tempting...) but makes things more tricky logistically.

oofadoofa - may take you up on that if we get stuck!
 
J12 of the M5 has Summerhouse right by it. The yard I am on is super with good facilities and not stupidly priced, it is a pain in the neck to get to from Bristol though - but if you're working from home that doesn't matter.

Where will your OH be working in Bristol, because that makes a difference in terms of where I'd want to live - if he's anywhere other than North Bristol then living north of Bristol will give him a hell on earth commute in - on the flip side living south of Bristol will mean he has a hell on earth commute home in the summer on a Friday if he needs to use the M5, which is basically a car park. Bristol traffic is mind bogglingly awful, until you've lived there you cannot appreciate how horrid it is, though hopefully now Cabot Circus is finished it will be marginally better! I live in central Bristol and have commuted north - it's way nicer if your working hours are flexible like mine were so you can miss the traffic.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about the Equestrian Centres, there are so many round Bristol, you can't fail to be less than 45 mins from one pretty much whichever side of Bristol you are.
Your husband's commute to the Uni will be horrid, but at least he can use a variety of shortcuts & ratruns to get to the Uni, he'll learn his way around.
Best property website is www.thisisbristol.co.uk, although it is focussed on the city rather than surroundings, there are lots of links to letting agents.
 
Thanks SC. OH is working central Bristol - at the university. It is always difficult to tell before you start a job, but it seems there will be some flexibility about when he goes in and he may only have to go in 2 to 3 days a week. He will be able to do some work from home and will also be travelling to other parts of the country at other times, so generally needs reasonable communication links. East of Bristol would be more convenient but is a touch expensive...
 
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Thanks SC. OH is working central Bristol - at the university. It is always difficult to tell before you start a job, but it seems there will be some flexibility about when he goes in and he may only have to go in 2 to 3 days a week. He will be able to do some work from home and will also be travelling to other parts of the country at other times, so generally needs reasonable communication links. East of Bristol would be more convenient but is a touch expensive...

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I live east Bristol
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so if you need any pointers for locations and routes to get places etc then I would be more than happy to help..feel free to PM
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Just for info...there are LOADS of yards in east Bristol which each average around £22 a week for DIY stabling and grazing then supply hay,straw shavings etc at cost...just a thought if you wanted to maybe look for houses only and keep your horse at livery?!?
 
There are loads of good livery yards around here and may be a cheaper option than renting a house with land, I am based North Bristol only 15 mins from badminton and 15 mins from M4 and M5. 45 mins from both west Wilts and the Hand, 30 mins from summerhouse and an hour to Hartpury, we really have loads of options here!
 
Thanks everyone. I've got much more idea what I'm aiming for now. Will research some of the options and see where we end up. I think a trip to Glos/Wilts is in order to have a look round!
 

Hi have pmd you,I have a cottage with use of paddock and stable to rent,no traffic,large floodlit school and lunge pen available and 10 mins from m5 tewkesbury

ta molly x
 
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