Most desirable rural location in each of the 54 counties in Britain

2022-08-18

Britain’s poshest villages revealed: Most desirable rural location in each of the 54 counties – based on highest house prices, best amenities, transport links and chocolate-box appeal

60% of estate agents working for Savills noticed a rise in demand for rental properties in countryside
Buyers are renting in high-end country markets while they wait for an available property in their chosen area
From 6th-century churches to footballers’ paradises, these are the 54 most desirable country villages in UK

Britons have been flocking to quaint countryside villages since being plunged into months-long lockdowns during Covid-19 pandemic.

Some 60 per cent of estate agents working for Savills noticed a steep rise in demand for rental properties in desirable countryside locations.

Many prospective buyers are choosing to rent in the high-end country markets while they wait for a property to become available in their chosen area.

And Knight Frank has this week reported the highest number of sales in the country market for 15 years – with the number of wannabe buyers registering up 35 per cent last year, the Telegraph reports.

Now Savills has revealed the 54 most desirable villages in each county in Britain, based on a combination of factors including the highest house prices, best amenities and ‘chocolate-box appeal’

So, where are the hottest rural spots across the country?

Studham, Bedfordshire

Average house price: £700,494

Studham was named as the best place to live in lockdown with a multitude of hiking routes and a village pub, The Bell, which dates back as far as 1502.

Sunningdale, Berkshire

Average house price: £1,101,285

As of 2011 the population of Sunningdale was recorded as 5,347. But this small village still boasts a Waitrose and a train station which offers good transport links to the capital.

Residents have their pick of restaurants from French cuisine at La Cloche or brunch at Eliane.

As of 2011 the population of Sunningdale was recorded as 5,347. But this small village still boasts a Waitrose and a train station which offers good transport links to the capital

Turville, Buckinghamshire

Average house price: £1,463,240

The idyllic village of Turville is so picturesque that it was chosen to feature in Killing Eve and served as the village of Dibley in The Vicar of Dibley.

Set deep in the Chiltern Hills the village is home to 16th-century cottages with a nursery and a church.

And the village’s famous windmill, Cobstone Windmill, even featured in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The idyllic village of Turville is so picturesque that it was chosen to feature in Killing Eve and served as the village of Dibley in The Vicar of Dibley

Hemingford Abbots, Cambridgeshire

Average house price: £829,437

Hemingford Abbots dates back as far as Roman times and its pub, The Axe and Compass, is 500 years olds.

The village boasts a multitude of wildflower meadows and it is located in a conservation area on the banks of the Great Ouse.

Hemingford Abbots dates back as far as Roman times and its pub, The Axe and Compass, is 500 years olds

The Alderleys, Cheshire

Average house price: £1,268,175

Nether Alderley and Alderley Edge feature in what is known as the ‘Cheshire Golden Triangle’, the poshest area of Cheshire where many professional footballers live. It was even home to the Beckhams.

The village boasts numerous boutiques and bars and is also home to the Grade I-listed St Mary’s church.

Rowen, Caernarfonshire

Average house price: £363,214

Rowen is nestled in the Vale of Conwy and is just 25 minutes from Snowdonia and open moors of Mynydd Hiraethog. It boasts a local pub, church, shop and post office.

Rowen is nestled in the Vale of Conwy and is just 25 minutes from Snowdonia and open moors of Mynydd Hiraethog. It boasts a local pub, church, shop and post office

Rock, Cornwall

Average house price: £1,080,534

The seaside village of rock gained worldwide renown in the 90s when Prince William and Prince Harry began holidaying there. Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsay lives there and has added to the village’s reputation for delicious food.

The seaside village of rock gained worldwide renown in the 90s when Prince William and Prince Harry began holidaying there

Brancepeth, County Durham

Average house price: £390,238

This former colliery village features ivy-covered cottages and even a castle that dates back to the 12th century – Brancepeth Castle.

A golf course designed by Wentworth is also available to residents.

This former colliery village features ivy-covered cottages and even a castle that dates back to the 12th century – Brancepeth Castle

Hawkshead, Cumbria

Average house price: £460,001

The stone houses and cobbled squares in Hawkshead are not only picturesque but also offer a window to the past as the village is believed to have connections with William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter.

Llanarmon-yn-Iâl, Denbighshire

Average house price: £290,118

Community is what brings the village together as the residents here all have stakes in the pub, the Raven Inn, which hosts live music and quizzes.

There is also a community-run shop and even a choir and local pantomime.

Community is what brings the village together as the residents here all have stakes in the pub, the Raven Inn, which hosts live music and quizzes

Edensor, Derbyshire

Average house price: £670,644

The village of Edensor was commissioned by the sixth Duke of Devonshire for the workers of Chatsworth House in 1839. It boasts idyllic-looking homes and features Grade I-listed St Peter’s church.

And Kathleen Kennedy, sister of JFK, is buried in the church grounds as she married heir to Chatsworth, William Cavendish.

The village of Edensor was commissioned by the sixth Duke of Devonshire for the workers of Chatsworth House in 1839. It boasts idyllic-looking homes and features Grade I-listed St Peter’s church

South Pool, Devon

Average house price: £999,000

South Pool sits on the Kingsbridge Estuary and features a church that goes back as far as the 1100s – St Nicholas and St Cyriac church.

The residents here are famed for their community spirit and host an annual charity duck race.

South Pool sits on the Kingsbridge Estuary and features a church that goes back as far as the 1100s – St Nicholas and St Cyriac church

Studland, Dorset

Average house price, £972,831

Seaside village Studland boasts some of the most pristine sandy beaches in the country and offers fine dining at Pig on the Beach restaurant.

It’s just a 45-minute drive from Poole but also offers transport links for those looking for a quick getaway.

Seaside village Studland boasts some of the most pristine sandy beaches in the country and offers fine dining at Pig on the Beach restaurant

Gullane, East Lothian

Average house price: £356,615

Gullane is home to a whopping three golf courses and even has an art gallery and Myreton Motor Museum.

Gullane is home to a whopping three golf courses and even has an art gallery and Myreton Motor Museum

Sutton upon Derwent, East Riding of Yorkshire

Average house price: £409,071

This scenic village is a top pick for sports enthusiasts as it is home to Woodhouse Grange Cricket Club and a tennis club.

There is a primary school on site and a popular pub called the St Vincent Arms.

This scenic village is a top pick for sports enthusiasts as it is home to Woodhouse Grange Cricket Club and a tennis club

Kingston-near-Lewes, East Sussex

Average house price: £782,339

For the environment-conscious customer, Kingston-near-Lewes is the right village. It boasts a community energy project and a pavilion with a living roof.

And to stay active the village hosts yoga classes, bridge nights and whisky tastings at country pub The Juggs.

For the environment-conscious customer, Kingston-near-Lewes is the right village. It boasts a community energy project and a pavilion with a living roof

Ramsden Bellhouse, Essex

Average house price: £1,017,722

House prices in this Essex village can shoot up as high as £2million because it’s so close to London and offers transport links.

House prices in this Essex village can shoot up as high as £2million because it’s so close to London and offers transport links

Elie, Fife

Average house price: £349,951

Elie began as a harbour village in the 16th century but has come a long way and now is home to five beaches, a tennis club, an art gallery and even a farm shop and Michelin-starred restaurant Peat Inn.

Bourton-on-the-hill, Gloucestershire

Average house price: £799,348

This village is chock full of small cottages and large detached houses, with prices ranging from £325,000 to £2million and more. It’s close to celebrity hangouts Dormy House Hotel and Soho Farmhouse.

Haigh, Greater Manchester

Average house price: £257,020

Haigh is hidden behind Wigan town centre and is home to country mansion Haigh Hall, built between 1827 and 1840.

Haigh is hidden behind Wigan town centre and is home to country mansion Haigh Hall, built between 1827 and 1840

Beaulieu, Hampshire

Average house price: £1,524,287

Beaulieu is the most expensive village in England, Wales and Scotland, according to Savills. The high street dates back to the 16th century and features artisan stores. It has a wide choice of schools and is right on the doorstep of the New Forest.

Bosbury, Herefordshire

Average house price: £1,524,287

Bosbury is home to the church of the Holy Trinity which features a 13th century bell tower. Being close to the Welsh order, it served as a refuge for parishioners in times of trouble.

The village hosts a monthly farmers’ market and has facilities for bowls, tennis and cricket.

Bosbury is home to the church of the Holy Trinity which features a 13th century bell tower. Being close to the Welsh order, it served as a refuge for parishioners in times of trouble

Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire

Average house price: £1,333,501

Little Gaddesden is known for its ties with the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate. Due to its being so close to Berkhamsted house prices are increasingly high.

Fishbourne, Isle of Wight

Average house price: £509,356

Fishbourne is home to idyllic beaches and provides easy access to Portsmouth. It caters for those who love to sail with the Victoria Yacht Club.

Little Gaddesden is known for its ties with the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate. Due to its being so close to Berkhamsted house prices are increasingly high

Ightham, Kent

Average house price: £836,260

Ightham is home to a National Trust medieval house called Ightham Mote. The village features traditional listed cottages which are surrounded by detached modern mansions. It has a Waitrose and is close to Sevenoaks.

Great Eccleston, Lancashire

Average house price: £430,630

Great Ecclestone is perfect for those who like walking from place to place as it is mainly flat and features many pubs. It’s famed for its annual agricultural show and tractor-pulling event.

Great Ecclestone is perfect for those who like walking from place to place as it is mainly flat and features many pubs

Newtown Linford, Leicestershire

Average house price: £692,157

Newtown Linford boasts a private members club called the Lindford, originally attached to the British Legion. The village has one of the only surviving police boxes in Britain.

Newtown Linford boasts a private members club called the Lindford, originally attached to the British Legion. The village has one of the only surviving police boxes in Britain

Uffington, Lincolnshire

Average house price: £467,548

This quiet village is home to a thatched roof pub from the 17th century, the Bertie Arms, and hosts an annual scarecrow festival in May.

This quiet village is home to a thatched roof pub from the 17th century, the Bertie Arms, and hosts an annual scarecrow festival in May

Hightown, Merseyside

Average house price: £299,304

Just 10 miles from Liverpool, Hightown is a quaint coastal village which features sandy beaches and a popular pub called the Pheasant Inn.

Shirenewton, Monmouthshire

Average house price: £474,775

Shirenewton hosts a famous Christingle service which features real donkeys. There is a primary school, pubs and yoga and boasts Severn Estuary views.

Burnham Market, Norfolk

Average house price: £826,770

This quaint village is so posh it has been nicknamed Chelsea-on-Sea. It is a traditional Georgian village just two miles from Brancaster Beach.

Around the village green are boutique stores, antique shops and restaurants such as No Twenty9 and Socius, plus fashionable hotel the Hoste.

This quaint village is so posh it has been nicknamed Chelsea-on-Sea. It is a traditional Georgian village just two miles from Brancaster Beach

Kirkby Overblow, North Yorkshire

Average house price: £698,656

A beautiful village which has many good pubs and family restaurants alongside large family homes.

A beautiful village which has many good pubs and family restaurants alongside large family homes

Church with Chapel Brampton, Northamptonshire

Average house price: £681,450

Dubbed the ‘millionaire’s village’, Church with Chapel Brampton features the Smiths Farm Shop which sells sustainably farmed produce and riding schools.

Warkworth, Northumberland

Average house price: £289,459

A medieval village that is almost completely surrounded by a loop in the River Coquet and has Warkworth Castle on top of the hill.

There are three pubs including the Sun and the Hermitage Inn.

A medieval village that is almost completely surrounded by a loop in the River Coquet and has Warkworth Castle on top of the hill

Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire

Average house price: £786,955

The home of Colston Bassett Stilton cheese, this foodie village is also home to England cricketer Stuart Broad’s pub – Tap & Run.

The home of Colston Bassett Stilton cheese, this foodie village is also home to England cricketer Stuart Broad’s pub – Tap & Run

Harpsen, Oxfordshire

Average house price: £1,307,182

Being close to London and Reading, this village’s house prices are high because of its travel connections. It is next to Henley golf club and demand has spiked during Covid lockdowns.

Newgale and Roch, Pembrokeshire

Average house price: £219,555

Featuring a two-mile stretch of sandy beaches with caves, Newgale and Roch is popular with surfers and anglers. The Puffin Shuttle coastal bus service runs to St David’s and Haverfordwest, while the village itself has a pub, a shop, a fish and chip shop, and Mo’s Dressed Crab & Lobster take-out.

Featuring a two-mile stretch of sandy beaches with caves, Newgale and Roch is popular with surfers and anglers

Strathtay, Perthshire

Average house price: £287,476

Featuring Victorian architecture, Strathtay remains largely unchanged but there is a large golf course that was opened in 1909.

Burley, Rutland

Average house price: £737,762

The 17th century mansion at Burley on the Hill inspired many poets before the west wing burned down in a fire in 1908 at a party Winston Churchill attended.

It was then briefly owned by businessman Asil Nadir in the 1990s but has since been renovated into a collection of grand apartments.

The 17th century mansion at Burley on the Hill inspired many poets before the west wing burned down in a fire in 1908 at a party Winston Churchill attended

Cound, Shropshire

Average house price: £454,587

This close-knit community village features 68 listed buildings including Cound Hall. It is now a commuter village for residents working in Shrewsbury and Telford.

This close-knit community village features 68 listed buildings including Cound Hall. It is now a commuter village for residents working in Shrewsbury and Telford

Wellow, Somerset

Average house price: £954,993

Wellow is on the edge of the Cotswolds and only three miles from idyllic Bath. It has a community-run village shop, church, primary school and even publishes a monthly newsletter.

Wellow is on the edge of the Cotswolds and only three miles from idyllic Bath. It has a community-run village shop, church, primary school and even publishes a monthly newsletter

Cawthorne, South Yorkshire

Average house price: £512,288

Once a mining village, Cawthorne now houses people who work in nearby Barnsley. It was the home to the aristocratic Spencer-Stanhope family which boasts 70 acres of parkland and a Victorian kitchen.

Once a mining village, Cawthorne now houses people who work in nearby Barnsley. It was the home to the aristocratic Spencer-Stanhope family which boasts 70 acres of parkland and a Victorian kitchen

Shenstone, Staffordshire

Average house price: £575,613

A commuter village for Birmingham and London with famous former residents including Helen Baxendal, Shenstone has a direct rail link into Birmingham.

A commuter village for Birmingham and London with famous former residents including Helen Baxendal, Shenstone has a direct rail link into Birmingham

Killearn, Stirling and Falkirk

Average house price: £315,927

Killearn is just 17 miles from Glasgow and is near Glengoyne, the most southerly Highland malt whisky distillery.

Killearn is just 17 miles from Glasgow and is near Glengoyne, the most southerly Highland malt whisky distillery

Walberswick, Suffolk

Average house price: £832,131

This Georgian village has a sandy beach with dunes and an annual crabbing contest draws in tourists. Artists favour Walberswick going back as far as Philip Wilson Steer and other English impressionists.

Shackleford, Surrey

Average house price: £1,161,183

Dating back to the 14th century, Shackleford used to be the location for the marital home of Ashley Cole and Cheryl Tweedy. The village is seven miles southwest of Guildford in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and dates back to the 14th century, with a shop, a primary school and a pub, the Cyder House Inn.

Dating back to the 14th century, Shackleford used to be the location for the marital home of Ashley Cole and Cheryl Tweedy

Dinnington, Tyne and Wear

Average house price: £210,671

A medieval settlement that dates back to the 1200s, Dinnington is now just a stones’ throw from Darras Hall – a celebrity hub.

Whichford, Warwickshire

Average house price: £901,115

Whichford is on the Costwold commuter belt and has an artistic feel to it with a pottery cafe.

Whichford is on the Costwold commuter belt and has an artistic feel to it with a pottery cafe

Oxwich, West Glamorgan

Average house price: £309,519

This idyllic residence is home to the medieval church of St Illtyd which has origins in the 6th century. Mountain goats roam the Oxwich National Nature Reserve.

This idyllic residence is home to the medieval church of St Illtyd which has origins in the 6th century. Mountain goats roam the Oxwich National Nature Reserve

Barston, West Midlands

Average house price: £571,202

With a border along the River Blythe, Barston feels incredibly rural but is just a five-minute drive to the M42. And an HS2 interchange station is being built in the north of the village.

With a border along the River Blythe, Barston feels incredibly rural but is just a five-minute drive to the M42. And an HS2 interchange station is being built in the north of the village

The Lurgashall, Lodsworth and Lickfold Triangle, West Sussex

Average house price: £1,055,250

This area is located inside the South Downs National Park and features many different pubs and restaurants for locals to choose from, including 16th-century Noah’s Ark Inn.

This area is located inside the South Downs National Park and features many different pubs and restaurants for locals to choose from, including 16th-century Noah’s Ark Inn

Scarcroft, West Yorkshire

Average house price: £630,325

This village has a golf club, primary school and a pub, the Inn at Scarcroft which dates back to 1852, and backs onto Hetchell Wood Nature Reserve.

This village has a golf club, primary school and a pub, the Inn at Scarcroft which dates back to 1852, and backs onto Hetchell Wood Nature Reserve

Avebury, Wiltshire

Average house price: £422,413

Featuring thatched cottages and Georgian townhouses, Avebury is maintained by the National Trust and features plentiful wildflower meadows. The village has a community-owned shop, a pub (the Red Lion) and a National Trust shop.

Featuring thatched cottages and Georgian townhouses, Avebury is maintained by the National Trust and features plentiful wildflower meadows

Ombersley, Worcestershire

Average house price: £435,943

Rated as one of the top five most beautiful places to live in the UK, Ombersley features black and white timber properties. There is also a cosy pub, The Kings Arms, with deep inglenook fireplaces.

Rated as one of the top five most beautiful places to live in the UK, Ombersley features black and white timber properties

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