CITY life certainly has its advantages but many people are becoming disillusioned with urban living - and where better to head for to escape the pollution, congestion and crime but the Stroud valleys. Sue Bradley spoke to a few former city folk who upped sticks for a quieter life.

Breathtaking landscapes, good transport links and a real sense of community - it's no wonder that droves of city dwellers are packing their bags and moving to Stroud.

Of course there's nothing new in the way the Five Valleys appeals to those desperate to leave the frenetic pace of life in London and other urban areas.

The Whiteway Colony near Miserden is just one historic example of the way in which people have headed towards Stroud in search of a simpler and more peaceful life.

Bill and Ben Petyan, owners of the Olympic Varnish Co at Brimscombe, might still be located near Enfield had their parents not been forced to leave their previous premises which were located next to a small arms factory that was under constant threat from German bombs.

"The Stroud area has every advantage," said Bill.

"There's the quality of life here, clean air, easy commuting, less aggression, the scenery and no Ken Livingstone - we much prefer Chas Fellows."

Best-selling novelist Jilly Cooper moved to Bisley with her husband Leo in 1982 after falling in love with their new home and the surrounding countryside.

"Back then London was getting very rough," said Jilly.

"There had been a murder on Putney Common and a rape.

"We had talked about coming to the country for quite a while. We had not meant to come this far - we had been thinking about Berkshire but we fell in love with Bisley which we felt was the loveliest place we had ever seen. It was a real fairy tale village.

"When we went into Stroud we discovered that a train up to London was the same as a cab fare from Putney into the city which made me realise that Stroud wasn't that far away from London.

"The countryside around Stroud is wonderful - there are so many contrasts - and Stroud itself is magnificent now with its markets and shops."

Former BBC director of affairs Johnny Wilkinson found an abundance of community life when he moved to Box in 1987.

After a career in Nigeria and London, Yorkshire-born Mr Wilkinson was keen to return to the kind of village life that he had known in his youth.

"We looked at Chichester, Winchester and Salisbury but they just felt like commuter areas," he said.

"I had been at Corsham at a naval camp so I knew this area.

"I like village life - that's what attracted us to Box."

Over the years Mr Wilkinson has contributed much to his adopted community, although at 80 he is now ready to hand the baton to others.

"I have been fairly involved since we got here with things like the village society, the village hall committee and Minchinhampton Parish Council and haven't regretted a moment of it," he said.

"It's a lovely community here."

Stroud was just one of a number of towns to the west of London that children's writer John Dougherty and his wife Kate had planned to visit in their search for a new home.

But they were so impressed by local estate agents' enthusiasm for the Five Valleys that they scrapped the other options on their list.

Five years on, the couple live in Rodborough, are actively involved in the artistic life in the town and have even recorded a song in support of the campaign to save Stroud's maternity unit.

"With us we wanted to move out of London," said John, 42.

"Stroud was the first of a long list of places we had planned to look at.

"We called into several estate agents and got the sense that they thought Stroud was a nice place to live.

"For example we asked which were the best schools and were told that all the schools were pretty good.

"Then somebody directed us to the Sub Rooms and a woman there clearly sold it to us.

"She was somebody who was clearly proud of her town. She told us about all the artistic and cultural stuff and made Stroud seem a place with a conscience.

"Everywhere we looked we got the feeling this was a lovely place to be - not to mention the scenery.

"Back in the car we turned to each other and said I don't feel the need to look anywhere else.'"

Since moving to Stroud, John has met many people who have lived in the area all their lives and feel a deep sense of privilege to have done so.

"That just doesn't happen in most places," he said.

"Stroud is a wonderful town and we consider ourselves lucky to have found it."

Stunning scenery and Stroud's vibrant atmosphere lured Fran Sinclair to the area in the summer of 2005.

"I fell for the Five Valleys really," said Fran, from Cainscross, who previously lived in Cumbria, Lancaster and Somerset.

"I discovered the area through some friends who lived in France Lynch.

"It's the atmosphere in Stroud in particular that I like. It is arty, vibrant and alternative.

"We have the loveliness of the Cotswolds but with the character and friendliness of a proper community.

"I can see myself staying here."

Sarah Parry, senior negotiator with Hampton's International in Stroud, said the Five Valleys was popular with people looking to move out of cities for a variety of reasons.

"The rail service here means that it is only an hour and a half to London and the M4 and M5 also offer very good transport links," she said.

"A lot of people come here for a life style change and I think that people really like the countryside.

"We also get a lot of comments about the local farmers' markets - people really love the traditional side of things. Stroud has a real village, community feel around the town centre and things like the cinema and Costa Coffee have added to its appeal.

"The canal restoration can only add to the feeling that the town centre area is really up and coming."

Miss Parry added that while house prices in the Stroud area had been on the rise for some time, it was not only people moving from London who had contributed to the trend.

"A lot of people with the Ministry of Defence or companies like Rolls Royce choose to relocate to this area because it is close to centres like Bristol," she said.