Gloucestershire, Gwent/Monmouthshire or Hereford... Anyone live there?

I'm just asking as I am hoping to move to the area next to the Forest of Dean and the River of Severn very soon and I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what the area is like or what your experience has been?

I know almost nothing about the area. I have only been there for one day in my entire life. I have 0 friends or family there.
I am currently living in Sussex but have also lived in Leeds.

*even if you live a few cities away your insight would be helpful

(edited 8 years ago)

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I live in Cheltenham and have some friends from the Forest of Dean area.
It's really pretty, and if you like being outdoors, there's plenty to do and see - lots of wildlife, walking trails, cycling tracks etc. as well as (I think!) some places to kayak/canoe.
However, from what I've seen of it, it's a very white, middle class place to live with a few working class areas that the younger generation can't afford to buy/rent their own homes in so have to move away or stay with parents forever. The people seem to be pretty nice, but like a lot of villages, there can be quite a strong outsider feeling in places I went to, where people who've lived there 10 years or more are considered "new", and POC are such a rarity that everyone stares (not because they're all racist, but there's genuinely so few POC around that it's like, OMG what are they doing here).
It's also pretty remote, so you'll have long drives to the nearest town or city for shopping or socialising other than at the local pub, and the roads get pretty bad in winter (and any time there is a lot of rain)!

If you're OK with living in a "white class bubble" and struggling to get to a big shop in bad weather, then it's a really beautiful place to live.