Hidden Hertfordshire gems
There are a few hidden gems on the Essex and Hertfordshire border with very good access to London via the A10/ M11 or trains into Kings Cross and Liverpool Street. Villages include Barkway, Buckland, Great Chishill and Clavering – where Jamie Oliver's parents own the Cricketers Arms. These places have access to popular market towns of Buntingford to the west and Saffron Walden to the east.
Sexy Suffolk
There are big changes happening to the medieval market town of Bury St Edmunds. Already established as a picture-perfect country location with historic cobbled streets and boutique shops, the latest development in the town centre is already attracting a new wave of weekend visitors and with that, an influx of homebuyers. Now is the time to buy before property prices start to climb. Bury and its surrounding Suffolk villages offer buyers the perfect mix of modern amenities and proper old-fashioned unspoilt countryside, all within an hour's drive or quick train journey to Cambridge.
Where celebs go, buyers love to follow….
When a big name arrives in an area, people suddenly start talking about it. For example Kintbury, where author Sebastian Faulks lives. He is a well established name in the area and residents like the idea of bumping into him at the corner shop. The village of Kintbury remains amongst the most sought after villages in England and has a well-known local pub, in a picturesque spot overlooking the Kennet & Avon canal, called The Dundas Arms – a Grade II listed Georgian inn winning West Berkshire's Pub of the Year in 2009. George Clooney moving to Sonning is a classic example of a village suddenly becoming on the map.
The 'Shires'
Famous for its antique trail, Hungerford is a charming yet forward thinking market town, steeped in tradition with a delightful and attractive traditional high street at its heart. As a location it has become more and more popular over the last 3 or 4 years, particularly the pretty town houses in the centre which have been an A* destination for many of West Berkshire, Hampshire and Wiltshire's smarter downsizing set. With its train station (serving London in about an hour) and overall convenience being a real pull – you can get to Lords for the cricket, or the West End for the theatre and be back in a day. With Crossrail on its way, this is set to pull even more commuting families further west too.
