Stroud

Stroud is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District. The town's population was 13,500 in 2021.

Sited below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets. The Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounds the town, and the Cotswold Way path passes by it to the west. It lies south of the city of Gloucester, south-southwest of Cheltenham, west-northwest of Cirencester and north-east of the city of Bristol. London is east-southeast of Stroud and the Welsh border at Whitebrook, Monmouthshire, is to the west. Not part of the town itself, the civil parishes of Rodborough and Cainscross form part of Stroud's urban area.

Stroud acts as a commercial centre for surrounding villages and market towns including Amberley, Bisley, Bussage, Chalford, Dursley, Eastcombe, Eastington, King's Stanley, Leonard Stanley, Minchinhampton, Nailsworth, Oakridge, Painswick, Randwick, Selsley, Sheepscombe, Slad, Stonehouse, Brimscombe & Thrupp, Whiteshill and Woodchester.

In March 2021 ''The Sunday Times'' named Stroud the best place to live in the UK, citing the town's abundance of green spaces, independent spirit, and high quality of schools. Provided by Wikipedia