Cheltenham is a brilliant university town and has lots to offer. The high street was large with plenty of shops, coffee houses, restaurants, clothes stores and supermarkets. Cheltenham also has a racecourse which was good for student employment. The town is surrounded by countryside which is perfect for those who want to escape urban life.
On 11th February 20
Cheltenham is a brilliant university town and has lots to offer. The high street was large with plenty of shops, coffee houses, restaurants, clothes stores and supermarkets. Cheltenham also has a racecourse which was good for student employment. The town is surrounded by countryside which is perfect for those who want to escape urban life.
On 11th February 20
Living in Cheltenham
The University of Gloucestershire is spread across three campuses in Cheltenham and one in Gloucester itself. Cheltenham is a spa town, also known as 'The Western Gateway to the Cotswolds'.
Cheltenham is a busy middle-sized town in the West Country. It has a reputation for being quite ‘upmarket’ and has been for a long time - by which we mean a couple of centuries. You’ll be able to spot this history in some of the ‘Jane Austen-style’ regency architecture. It’s certainly not the cheapest place to live, however like most places you get what you pay for and there’s definitely a place for students here, with a good nightlife and plenty of pubs and clubs.
Cheltenham has a festival for everything. Its sweet location, easy to reach but not overcrowded by surrounding towns and close to the scenic Cotswolds, makes it a choice spot for some stages and a big top. The Cheltenham Jazz, Literature, Science, and Music festivals all take place in and around the town, and the Greenbelt and Wychwood festivals borrowing Cheltenham Racecourse in the summer. Oh, and there’s a Cricket Festival too. Any students who choose to stick around over the holidays may find there just aren’t enough hours in the day.
Speaking of the racecourse, you’re going to be hearing a lot about that if you study here. It’s a big tourist draw as the home of British steeplechase racing (like a normal track race, but with bizarre jumps in it) and the Gold Cup is held as the climax of the Cheltenham Festival in March. Expect it to get seriously busy.
There’s some decent shopping here. The Promenade is a bit posher, while the high street and the Beechwood and Regent Arcade shopping centres has some more familiar brands. If you go in the Regent Arcade, check out the Wishing Fish clock. It’s 45ft high, moves, and plays tunes as it ticks. There’s also the Brewery retail part which throws a gym, bingo hall, cinema and some restaurants all in together, and a regular farmer’s market for some tasty local produce.
It’s raining! What should I do?
- Catch a show: The Everyman Theatre, Playhouse Theatre, and Town Hall all run a range of plays, talks and music events all through the year. Check their websites for the upcoming schedules.
- Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum: Mainly focussed on the town’s history over the centuries, the museum has an Edwardian nursery and a working Victorian kitchen and laundry that will make you appreciate your washing machine so much more. Fans of the composer Holst, who was born here, can rummage through his personal belongings (well, maybe rummage is a strong word) and piano.
- Grow a pair: Ever heard of a raincoat? You’ve got the Cotswolds to explore or, if you were feeling particularly adventurous, you could make the 50min trip to the Forest of Dean on the other side of Gloucester.
Good to know
- Taxi: Starline or Andycars
- Car: Probably not. None of the campuses are more than 20min walk from the main shopping area and there are regular buses linking all of them to the town centre and each other. Stagecoach is the local service, and do discounts for university students.
- Train: The local station is Cheltenham Spa, on the edge of town. Gloucester is 10mins away, Bristol is 40mins and London Paddington is 2hrs.
Read Cheltenham Reviews
Lovely city, perhaps one of my favourites
Not much to do boring, university life sucks to be honest, shops close early
Nice place to live, nice people. I like livin next to the park at pittville.
Cheltenham is very expensive and offers very little for students on a budget. It has shops and things to do none of them are near pittville campus though. Public transport is shocking, it’s 50/50 whether the bus will show up or not. You wont really have much money to go out that much after paying for the extreme rent.
Cheltenham is a expensive area, so dont expect to be going to nice pubs every week, expect to be in spoons or mcdonalds alot. For food shopping its great as you basically have every supermarket available across the town. Public transport is great with subsidies bus tickets, and frequent buses mean there is no worry about getting from point a to b. Moo Moos, the only club worth going to is great, but more good options would be nice.
Buses are £1.60 to anywhere in gloucestershire which is great. Everything you need shopping wise, good selection of supermarkets for food too. A lot of restaurants and usually you can get good student deals. Housing after first year shouldn’t cost you more than £100 a week inc. bills.
No jobs, everything In chelts ham is so expensive
I really like Cheltenham and the things it has to offer
Cheltenham is a brilliant university town and has lots to offer. The high street was large with plenty of shops, coffee houses, restaurants, clothes stores and supermarkets. Cheltenham also has a racecourse which was good for student employment. The town is surrounded by countryside which is perfect for those who want to escape urban life.
Cheltenham is a lovely area with plenty of shops, clubs and dining establishments.
Cheltenham is such a lovely town with great restaurants and things to do
Good location and transport links, but expensive for buses.
Nice town full of rude ppl and very expensive
Amazing town, smaller than other unis. But I never want to leave kno I’ve lived here. Bristol, Brum and Cdiff just a quick train away
Cost of living is a little pricy and so is eating out but a treat every now and again isnt too bad! Shops are lovely alot of variety. I wish the bus if cheaper for students or even free I know for a fact other unis get free bus passes for atleast their first year so that would honestly make a big difference. But there is enough transport just too pricey x
Cheltenham - Good nightlife for a town, easy trains to Bristol and brum. Overall a beautiful town
Living close to town is great as there is SO much to do. It's big too!
There’s a lot to do in Cheltenham and it’s quite a nice town. There’s lots of shops, restaurants and things to do. There’s a handful of clubs and lots of pubs/bars and the train station is really easy to get to
Expensive rent but range of eating places, cheap and expensive. Nights out are fairly cheap especially when you read the deals beforehand. Student buses cover the whole of Cheltenham and are only £1.60
Living in Cheltenham is very good, the shops are very close by to campus and the whole town is dedicated to helping students get the best for their money with multiple offers and discounts to help students budget. The stagecoach buses are extremely helpful with their bus pass discount and university bus route makes it much easier for people to get around!
Student hub. Amazing places to eat, both chains and small independents. Night life is amazing
The cost of living is reasonable for those with a full loan and grant/ a part time job. However, despite the cheapness of day trips and the like, the night life is lacking. There are no alternative bars and no spaces for LGBTQ people. Overall, Gloucestershire doesnt feel friendly to LGBTQ people. But that's by-the-by. Public transport is infrequent, but reliable.
Transport is a bit slow and you can only get around by bus or car, but since the town itself is not so big it is quite easy to walk everywhere.
smaller than you think, only a couple of clubs and nice places to eat. its nice and clean, but the smell of sewage in hot weather is unavoidable :(
Cheltenham is a great town with lots to do and plenty of places to eat and drink
I can't complain about anything at all
For me Cheltenham is perfect, I don't like to live in a city but there is definitely enough in the town to keep you busy and excited!
Everything's great, but I can't say anything about the nights out since I'm far from a social butterfly
Cheltenham is like home now, it’s a beautiful town with a great social life
Cheltenham is a brilliant town to live in
Cheltenham is a brilliant town to live in
Cheltenham is a reasonably priced place to live with lots of facilities for shopping eating and drinking. The night life does not offer a wide range of clubs but there’s always something to offer every night of the week in Cheltenham. The nightlife is what you make of it.
Cheltenham as a town is great. It’s massive and there are so many things to do and places to eat, club and socialise