G

et out of the city and taste that country air. Before you know it you’ll be shopping for tasty local food in a farmers’ market, or chugging along the Cotswolds canals in a houseboat. Where am I talking about?

Tucked away in the Five Valleys, Stroud radiates English country charm and presents a healthy mix of adventure, great shopping and idyllic countryside all at once. Even better, it’s just a 90-minute train ride from London Paddington on the Stroud Special train service. This is a dedicated tourist-train, making use of the empty seats on high-speed commuter trains.

So where to start? Well, how about Stratford Park. You can stroll through the dappled woodland by the lake and then pay a visit to the ‘Museum in the Park’, a 17th-century wool merchant’s mansion converted into an eye-opening local museum.

Stop for lunch in one of Stroud’s traditional pubs, then delve into the assorted wonders of the Shambles Market, where you’ll find wooden gifts, plants, fresh fruit, vegetables, top notch cheese and plenty more. If you’ve had enough of shopping, you can get out into the countryside with a walk to the top of Rodborough Common, just 20 minutes from the town centre.

Here you can really unwind, as you gaze down across the River Severn and away to the Forest of Dean. You can even take guided walks and see the best places for watching the local wildlife: Frome Banks is a particular favourite, and a haunt for Stroud’s kingfisher population.