Two Buckinghamshire spots on top-ten places to live list
The Sunday Times judges have been impressed with community spirit & countryside
Amersham has been named one of the top-ten places to live in the South East.
Judges for The Sunday Times list were impressed with community kindness shown in the past year, as well as the access to the Chilterns.
Hambleden Valley also features on the list, whilst The Surrey Hills took the top-spot.
Helen Davies, The Times and Sunday Times Property Editor said:
"This guide has never been so important. The pandemic has taught us just how much we rely on our homes, our communities and our surroundings. With working from home now common, it's no surprise that many of us are reassessing our priorities and thinking hard about where we really want to live.
"Our focus for this year has been community, countryside and convenience. It hasn't been a year for big cities or small villages. Instead it is small towns that have shone: big enough to have everything you need within walking distance and small enough for everyone to feel connected."
Amersham was described by judges as:
"Always a superior base for London commuters thanks to its combination of train, Tube and high-achieving schools, Amersham's attractive Chilterns countryside and supportive community have come to the fore during the pandemic."
They were particularly impressed by the kindness shown by locals who posted cheques through the door of a café forced to close during lockdown and the excellent results achieved by the two Dr Challoner's Grammar Schools.
They also noted the range of high-class food and drink on offer, from bottomless brunch at The Beech House to the Pan-Indian cuisine at the Crown.
This is what judges said about Hambleden Valley:
"With its country pubs, rolling fields and rose-covered cottages, this corner of Buckinghamshire is the ultimate example of affluent English village life, all conveniently close to the capital."
They loved the selection of old-fashioned country pubs: the Frog at Skirmett, the Yew Tree at Frieth and the Stag and Huntsman in Hambleden Village, where they also admired the selection of local produce on sale in the village shop.
It's practical, too. Sir William Borlase's in Marlow; the Royal Grammar and John Hampden Grammar in High Wycombe, and Wycombe High School are among the high-achieving state secondaries nearby, and London and Oxford are both under an hour's drive away.
The other winners in our region are:
- Charlbury, Oxfordshire
- Deal, Kent
- Isle of Wight, Hampshire
- Lewes, East Sussex
- Petworth, West Sussex
- Sevenoaks, Kent
- Winchester, Hampshire