Moving to The Cotswolds?

[FPITAS]

Hello.
We (myself, my wife and my kid) are considering moving to Stow-on-the-Wold (or someplace in the area) primarily to get out of London but also so I'll have "more of what I want".
Wife is still going to the uni and requires a place where she will have access to a train ride to London once a week while I require a lifestyle that is closer to nature.
I'm what you'd call (though it feels presumptuous to say it) an experienced backpacker.
I travelled a lot (my style is more akin to thru-hiking but not nearly as long) but I've never been in a position where I could regularly practice bush crafting.
I suppose I'm taking a long time to ask whether the area I've mentioned has anywhere decent to do so?
I've seen a few bits of forests maybe 20 minutes away but will I find a place where one could lose himself? Find a secret spot to visit regularly?
How far are decent places that are not, for instance, quite as far as Snowdonia or Dartmoor?
Cheers.

 

[demented dale]

The Rollright Stones stone circle is well worth a visit. So is Cotswold Falconry centre in Batsford which is right next to the Arboretum. There is lots of nice countryside round there and very few people. It is an affluent area and very postcard English. You will find people from this forum roundabout and our bushmoot gathering is just up the road outside coventry. dale x

 

[Pattree]

I got this from my sofa in Shropshire.

It’s a good start. I wouldn’t get a fraction of that around here.

Are you in a hurry? I can’t help feeling that your best way would be to make contacts like this there then go and take good long look.
Edited to add:
Scroll down past the glamping sites to the list of rambler groups.

Like Dale, my impression of Stow on the Wold is very manicured and regulated but my experience is limited to car trips and tourism. It’s also VERY expensive but if you are moving from London it might not seem so.

 

[Tengu]

Im selling up.

Just outside the Cotswolds, south of the Thames, near Swindon but still Rural.

And cheaper than Stow on the Wold.

PM me if you like.

 

[Springchicken]

There is some beautiful, ancient woodland near Chedworth that is worth exploring; it's worth finding out who owns it if you want to practise bushcraft there. Last time I investigated, Mrs Clark was in charge.

Farther afield, the Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains and Mynydd Ddu are all pretty close by. Exmoor is also doable but is a little more limited in its scope.

I live between Stroud and Cirencester and, if I can help, I'd be happy to do so. Just drop me a p.m..

 

[GreyCat]

@FPITAS : I suggest it's not so much as "how far" but "how fast [and affordable] are the [rail] transport links." Ideally a short drive to park then a single train to London. This needs to include things like being able to park at the station......

For example, you could live near Carmarthen and get the Red Dragon up to London once a week. Be a long day and even if booking in advance it's going to be £300 or so a trip, but it IS doable in a day and once west of Swindon the train quietens down and you can work on the train. Or the Swansea hinterland, big car park at Swansea High St station and 2 trains an hour to London Padd. Neath has big car park, 2 tph to London and some interesting places not too far away- includign parts of the western Beacons/Black Mountain. Whereas Cardiff, although closer to london, has a titchy station car-park and if you're not there by 06:30 it'll be full.

Again, depends where in London one needs to go once a week. Train to Padd gets you onto the Elizabeth line..... similarly lots of London offices are walking distance from St Pancras/Kings Cross whereas it's a bit more awkward (= time taking) for onward travel if you land at Marylebone (which I suspect you might from much of the Cotswolds). It's the end-to-end timings that are important, not the fastest train bit.

Or you could move to Scotland and catch the Sleeper down once a week. Or fly- which can be very cost effective and easy enough to do a return trip in a day. Again, depends where in London you are going, I worked in Glasgow for a while and Corporate HQ was near London City, so for big staff events we'd fly down there, typically our trip was faster (and often lower cost) than those coming from much closer by rail..... or if an early start we got the Sleeper.

The further out you go, the more you will get for the money. Also bear in mind that WCML is notoriously costly [and the forthcoming Euston HS2 works will screw things up for the next few years] whereas on ECML the Lumo trains compete with LNER on price.

GC