Market towns are an attractive option for hybrid workers looking to move out of London. They provide access to a more rural lifestyle but they can also offer good transport links, allowing ex-city dwellers to maintain a connection with the capital.
Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire is one such market town. Located on the edge of the Chiltern Hills, 324 square miles of countryside criss-crossed with walking and cycling trails, Beaconsfield offers the outdoors lifestyle many seek. This is complemented by a thriving high street with a mix of independent boutiques, upscale cafes, and popular chains, plus regular markets selling local produce and artisan crafts. For families, Beaconsfield offers a range of well regarded schools at both primary and secondary level.
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Beaconsfield’s charm is deeply rooted in its history. The Old Town boasts elegant Georgian and Tudor architecture, with cobbled streets and historic inns, such as the 17th-century Royal Standard of England (thought to be the oldest pub in England). The New Town developed with the arrival of the railway in the early 20th century and has a more suburban feel.
Beaconsfield is home to the National Film and Television School, which has produced many famous filmmakers including Nick Park, the creator of Wallace and Gromit. The town’s most famous attraction shares the eccentric British charm of Park’s creations. Bekonscot Model Village is the oldest model village in the world, dating back to 1929. Its construction was the brainchild of accountant Roland Callingham. Callingham received an ultimatum from his wife in 1928 that led to his beloved miniature railway being removed from the house into the garden. This incident sparked the construction of the model village, which today covers 1.5 acres. Bekonscot is a vision of 1930s Britain frozen in time, full of captivating and humorous scenes of life.
The popularity of Beaconsfield is further bolstered by its excellent transport links into London. Trains connect the town with London Marylebone in 25 minutes, making Beaconsfield a convenient escape for hybrid workers travelling into London regularly.
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But this convenience comes at a price. The average sale price for a detached house in Beaconsfield is almost £1.5 million. Semi-detached houses come in at an average of £700,000. But these are only averages, and with a wide range of housing styles available across the older and newer areas of Beaconsfield it will be possible to find properties for a wide range of budgets.
The Hattie 