Suburban real estate in England is the same object of "cult" as horse racing, golf or a tea party ceremony - "five o'clock". Anyone who lives in a city apartment in London or in any other major city either already owns a country house or is making plans to acquire it. The British are not at all embarrassed by the venerable age of the buildings - on the contrary, the historical flavor is even welcome. The southeastern part of England and the environs of London are considered the most elite areas. In this article, we will begin to get acquainted with the counties where real estate is most interesting for buying for the purpose of recreation.
Speed is the main trump card
Let's start our review with Buckinghamshire, because our magazine has already written in detail about one of its largest cities, Milton Keynes (Milton Keynes) (No. 1 (2) for 2006). This county is located northeast of London and is connected to the capital by road and rail. That is why real estate in the southern part of Buckinghamshire is popular among those who are used to traveling daily from their country house to work in London.
It takes about an hour to get to London via the M40 highway, and it takes even less time by train from Haddenham or Marylebone. But with such excellent transport accessibility, Buckinghamshire still lacks the beauty and charm that its neighbor, the county of Oakfordshire, is fully endowed with.
Buckingham, located in the north of the county, is a small town with good shops and a university. To the east of it, there are several pretty villages all the way to the outskirts of Milton Keynes, and then the landscape becomes boring and not at all picturesque. The lively town of Aylesbury is worth mentioning, with its hilly surroundings, where houses are quite expensive. When choosing a specific place to buy here, it is necessary to take into account the proximity to a large air base in Whitchurch.
Between the M4 and M40 highways north of Slough, an attentive buyer can discover a small and surprisingly rural area, which is only a few minutes from London. There are few offers here, and prices are high, so a significant part of the houses are sold privately and do not get into the catalogs of agencies. The town of Marlow, through which the picturesque Thames flows, is also worth noting. It is also not difficult to get to the two already mentioned routes from here.
The Land of Contrasts
The county of industrial giants and peaceful villages, quiet canals and "sleepy" hills – all this is Berkshire, a real land of contrasts. This picture is due to the fact that two transport arteries run through the entire county – the River Thames, which has been flowing here since time immemorial, and the newly built M4 highway, which quickly overgrown with numerous enterprises. Many people call this part of Berkshire the "English Silicon Valley", but this definition does not fit the whole county in any way.
In the east of Berkshire, in the immediate vicinity of London, it is not easy to choose a place suitable for a quiet country life. Of course, it is better to avoid areas such as Slough, Bracknell and Staines. But the surroundings of the Great Windsor Park can be quite recommended - for example, the village of Englefield Green, which is a classic example of English life in the bosom of nature. The London suburbs of Ascot, Sunningdale and Sunninghill look even more rural, where old houses built about 100 years ago are being demolished or rebuilt en masse. The problem when choosing a house here may be the noise from the highway or planes landing at Heathrow.
From West Berkshire to London about 75 min. The area is still being considered when buying a house for daily trips to the city. In the north of the county is Lambourn, the second largest equestrian center in England. On the one hand, buying a house in the neighborhood is interesting for horse riding enthusiasts, on the other hand, there are very few villages in the vicinity of Lambourn, so the number of offers is small.
To the east of Newbury, along the A4 highway, many modern residential complexes, new business parks and industrial zones have been built. As a result, in recent years the area has no longer been considered for the purchase of holiday homes, which has had a negative impact on prices.
Finally, to the north are Goring and Pangburn, small rural towns surrounded by many villages. Those who are used to using rail transport to travel to London choose their place of residence here. Beautiful wooded plains prevail among the landscapes, this area has preserved its pristine appearance thanks to the far-sighted policy of the local authorities. The appearance of real estate objects with large plots of land on the market is very rare here.
For all tastes
The County of Surrey is a very diverse region. Here you can also find typically English provincial towns like Farnham, and next to them the cosmopolitan Esher or Cobham. There are many good schools in the county, such as the Danish School in West Byfleet, the American Community School and the boarding school in Charterhouse.
There are four zones in Surrey, each of which has its own characteristics. Within the M25 ring road, private properties are a mix of Edwardian houses and quite modern buildings. Many people choose these places due to their proximity to international schools and airports, high security and numerous golf courses. The best deals can be considered private villages in St. George's Hill and Wentworth.
Beyond the M25, the real province begins. Villages such as Chobham, Ripley and Worplesdon are particularly attractive. On the outskirts of Woking is the village of The Hockering, from where you can walk to the train station - and in 20 minutes. Being at Waterloo Station is one of the best high–speed train lines in the suburbs of London. And again, as well as inside the ring road, there are many good golf courses here, especially Worplesdon Golf Course, where the houses are located at the very edge of the course. However, when choosing real estate, you need to be careful, avoiding the neighborhood of large military installations.
A ten-minute drive from the M25 takes you to Guildford, a major shopping and cultural centre. Good houses in nearby villages, where the proximity of London is not felt at all, are usually in high demand. The most popular places are Shamley Green, Bramley and Shalford, all located very close to Guildford, and Waterloo Station is only 30-40 minutes away. the ride.
In the cities east of Guildford, property prices are noticeably lower, although you can get to London just as quickly. This is not for nothing – the influence of Gatwick Airport affects. Cheaper at home and to the south-west, that is, further from London, where the area looks very provincial.
Untouchable
This county has a rich history. It was here that the first settlement in the British Isles was founded, whose name has survived to the present day. When Julius Caesar captured Kent, in 55 BC, it was already the most civilized place in Britain. Kent's motto is Invicta, which means "not conquered" or "untamed". Kent residents are convinced that the borders of the county have remained inviolable since the time of the Romans, although this is not entirely true – in the XIX-XX centuries, some parts of it became the territory of London.
The county's economy is based on agriculture, there are many beautiful towns and villages, among which we note Benendon, Cranbrook, Goudhurst, Matfield and Penshurst. It is dominated by old wooden-framed houses, most of which were once barns. Curiously, one of the symbols of Kent is considered to be a house, which is a rebuilt hop dryer - by the way, its cost is very high. At the same time, the houses of the Georgian period, with their beautifully planned rooms, are clearly insufficiently represented here, as a result of which their cost is very high.
According to the Kentish tradition, estates were not passed on to the eldest son, but after the death of the father were divided in equal shares between his male children. As a result, there is now a rich selection of houses with small plots of land on the real estate market.
It is better to get to London from Kent by train. From cities such as Tunbridge Wells or Maidstone, the journey takes no more than an hour. The road network in Kent is relatively poorly developed, as there are no expressways leading to central London. However, thanks to the construction of the tunnel under the English Channel, Kent has become a real gateway to Europe, as a result of which manyEuropean companies are opening their representative offices in the county. There is also a project to build a high-speed railway line from Ashford to London, so that the eastern districts of Kent should soon become attractive to those who work in London.
Tales of Ashwood Forest
Like many counties in the south of England, East Sussex cannot be described in general terms. Its northern areas are very convenient for those who constantly commute to London, while the south is much more provincial, with the exception of coastal cities such as Eastbourne, Hastings and Bexhill.
For a country house buyer, there are many differences between East and West Sussex. While in the more open area of West Sussex, large estates with spacious family homes were traditionally built, in East Sussex, among forests and hills, large villages and towns with small plots and houses were built every few miles.
In the north-east of the county, we note the villages of Hartfield and Forest Row, from where London is only 50 minutes away. by rail. Ashwood Forest will be a big plus for hiking enthusiasts. Forests in East Sussex are not uncommon at all - to the south of Tonbridge Wales, in the central part of the county, there is the Weald, a forest-rich area famous for its landscapes and small cozy towns and villages such as Rosefield and Wadhurst. The old oak houses lined with brick are still preserved here.
Although houses in East Sussex are very attractive, the price level here is lower than in neighboring Surrey and West Sussex. First of all, this is due to the poorly developed road infrastructure - one-way traffic prevails on the main roads.
The kingdom of small villages
West Sussex is a very diverse county. The modern city of Crawley in the northeast, "growing" around Gatwick Airport, is completely different from the hilly South Downs, not to mention the paradise of yachtsmen - Chichester Harbor.
The population of West Sussex is only 750,000 people. This is surprising, considering the proximity of the capital, but there are a number of reasons for this. For the most part, the county consists of small and medium-sized towns, the development of which is controlled by district councils. More than half of the county is occupied by protected natural areas and large estates, on the lands of which construction has not been carried out. Convenient transport arteries connecting the county with London and a lack of supply are driving up prices. Houses in the towns of Milland Valley, Marley Common, and Black Down are especially popular, where exceptionally beautiful views open from the windows.
The north-eastern part of the county is popular with those who travel to London every day, thanks to the M23 expressway. But it's not easy to find a place to relax here – noisy highways and Gatwick planes play a role. Therefore, those who are looking for a second home, already having a London apartment, most often pay attention to the coastal plains, mainly between Midhurst and Petworth. Houses with sea views are especially expensive.