Coaley is in Gloucestershire 3 miles from Dursley, and 5 miles from Stroud. The village extends from the edge of the Cotswold Hills at Coaley Peak viewpoint, to the A38 road in the north west. The picture above was taken from Cam Long Down and shows Coaley viewed from the south with the Cotswold edge on the right and the River Severn on the left.  Coaley has a population of around 800.

Coaley has many amenities, including a 300-year-old pub, The Old Fox, the Coaley C of E Primary Academy, St Bartholomew's church, a village hall, and a community shop. Cam and Dursley railway station (near the former Coaley Junction station that closed in 1965) was opened in 1994 and is situated on the south-western border of the village.

Coaley is a very active village with many clubs and societies. Coaley also holds an annual produce show, which has been held since 1942 on the first Saturday in September.

In 2003, Coaley was crowned Gloucestershire village of the year in a Calor-sponsored competition organised by Gloucestershire Rural Community Council, and went on to pick up a runner-up prize in the national competition, in recognition of local residents' efforts to develop community organisations and enterprise s.