Let's move to Cirencester, Gloucestershire

What's going for it? I know, I know, we were in Gloucestershire only last week. So sue me. What can I say, I was in the area. And Cirencester is nice. Jolly nice. One of the most formative experiences of Let's Move To…'s childhood was watching Alec Clifton-Taylor fondling ashlar and Flemish bond in the TV series Six English Towns, Six More English Towns, plus (of course) Another Six English Towns. Yes, reader, I was a nerd. While others watched The Sweeney, I had eyes only for Alec, and Alec had eyes only for the tithe barns, guildhalls and vermiculated rustication (look it up) of places such as Cirencester. So I felt I'd been here before. Its creamy Cotswold stone streets, medieval wool merchants' houses and crumbling abbey ruins were utterly familiar. This place is so elegant, even the lido is fed by spring water. It's smartened itself up since, course, joined the Cotswold polo-riding set. It's got delis. With a Nu Green nod to climate change, it's half-powered by electricity generated by chicken poo. But you can still meet trainee shepherds (from its Royal Agricultural College) down the supermarket. St Alec would recognise its ancient streets if he haunted the place a century from now.

The case against Not cheap, but then this is the cusp of the Cotswolds. It's all terribly scrubbed up, every spot "restored" to within an inch of its life.

Well connected? This was the Spaghetti Junction of the Roman world, with Ermin Way and Fosse Way converging. Bit off the beaten track today: an hour's drive to Bristol and Oxford, 30 mins to Swindon, 25 to the M5. Kemble railway station is four miles away: hourly to Swindon (14 mins), London (80 mins), Stroud (15 mins) and Gloucester (40 mins).

Schools Primaries: Powell's CofE and Watermoor CofE "good", Ofsted says; Stratton CofE and secondaries Deer Park and Kingshill all "outstanding".

Hang out at… Made By Bob, a smashing deli-restaurant in the Corn Hall. Chesterton Farm, just outside, is a marvellous farm shop.

Where to buy In the centre, if you can stretch to it, along lanes such as Dollar Street and Black Jack Street, or in the lovely nook of Victorians and oddball detacheds around St Michael's Park. Check out Somerford Road, south, north off Gloucester Road and up the hill to Stratton for modern-ish posh detacheds.

Market values Huge detacheds and town houses, £450,000-£900,000. Large detacheds, £300,000-£450,000. Semis, £160,000-£300,000. Terraces and cottages, £150,000-£275,000.

Bargain of the week Three-bed Georgian town house with courtyard garden, £250,000, with RA Bennett.

From the streets

Norah Kennedy "A mile outside town is the most wonderful organic farm shop, Abbey Home Farm."

Rob Wilson "A lovely town with a great sense of history. Bomford's delicatessen is a great place to eat. But the general scruffiness is appalling."

Richard Holmes "Good choice of shops, greengrocers (Market Garden), butchers (Hart), pubs (Twelve Bells), plus open space: Abbey Grounds, the Amphitheatre, St Michael's Park. Pet hate: Cirencester Park closes at 5pm."

Live in Cirencester? Join the debate below

Do you live in Harlesden and Old Oak Common, north-west London? Got a favourite haunt or pet hate? If so, please email lets.move@theguardian.com by Tuesday 4 September.