We had an opportunity recently to spend some time in the Forest of Dean and Gloucestershire. House prices in the Forest are lower in general than many parts of the south of England. There is a selection of 2- and 3-bedroom semi-detached houses available for under 150k – some in town, some rural or semi-rural – and this includes better and more convenient locations such as the town of Lydney and its surrounds.

A cheaper (and slightly more run down) Forest town is Cinderford. Terraced houses are on offer here for 120 or 130k.

Some houses in this price bracket offer decent sized gardens, so there is food growing potential. Older properties are available with chimneys and fireplaces if you want to heat or cook with wood burners or ranges. Some semis have driveways for parking, better drive-in access and a bit of outside working space.

Almost a tiny house project: it’s compact, only 1 bed, and doesn’t have a lot of garden space, but it’s detached. With fireplace and chimney. Near Coleford in the Forest of Dean. £115k. http://www.stevegooch.co.uk/propertyDetails.php?pid=497701

Prices seem to be kept low by perceptions that the area is cut off from main roads and that the Forest in general is not very ‘happening’, and insular.

Is it cut off? Some roads are better than others – the area is hilly and some roads twist and turn, so average speeds are lower than might appear from looking at a map. On the eastern and northern edges of the Forest you might be able to break out quite quickly towards main roads to take you to Gloucester or Ross or Hereford, or on to the M5. The A road that runs through Lydney from Gloucester to Chepstow is single carriageway and has some slow twisty sections east of Lydney. The run west from Lydney to Chepstow is pretty good and takes about 15 minutes or so. Weather is mild and winter conditions are OK.

There is a rail station at Lydney with regular services west to Newport and Cardiff and east to Gloucester and Cheltenham, with longer distance cross-country services also to Nottingham.

Lydney is an interesting town for its size, with some independent shops (as well as a Tesco, a large Co-op, and a large Nisa store), a very active private steam railway, an old harbour, a yacht club with slipway on the Severn shore, a large craft centre, and a lido for the summertime. Nightlife and restaurants are limited. But there are some good pubs a little out of town. A village like Parkend (at the other end of the steam railway) are near enough Lydney to easily access services and have some decent quality and decent-sized houses.

Cinderford is less attractive looking, incomes here are lower, and it is a little rundown in appearance and in feel. There are less services here (although there is a Lidl). Cinderford, however, and nearby Mitcheldean, are closer to Gloucester and Ross-on-Wye, and to the M50.

Coleford, on the west side of the Forest, is more tucked away, but closer to Monmouth and to the dual carriageway (and quite fast) section of the A40, that runs northeast to Ross and the M50, and west to Abergavenny.

Living costs are quite low in the Forest, with independent businesses offering services at reasonable rates, and active small ads with all kinds of furniture, washing machines, fridges etc at cheap prices. This is a down to earth area and there is downshifting potential here.