Pier-less
Left: Deal pier.
Clockwise
from below:
Brighton beach;
Englefield
Green;
Farnham;
Cookham Lock
year of an Everyman in
Egham, a five-minute drive
away where there is also a
Waitrose, and fast trains
(from 41 minutes) to
London Waterloo.
Houses here offer lashings
of period charm, whether
you’re after a terraced
worker’s cottage or a grander
pile with a gated drive. New
homes have replaced some of
the shops on Victoria Street in
recent years, but they’ve been
more than offset by the
Village Centre, where
children (who can attend the
outstanding primary schools
in the village), can let off
steam in the indoor play area
while parents catch up over
coffee or donate/use the
community fridge. You can
catch rising comedy stars at
the Edge Venue and the
Ruby Wines off-licence
recently offered a
free tasting of the
Berry Bomb — a
sugar-free, vegan,
26 per cent ABV
concoction
created by two
local students.
That’s the kind of
initiative we can all
raise a glass to.
Best place to live if...
You like fresh air and
the freshest locally
sourced ingredients.
Best address Alexandra
Road or Harvest Road in the
centre, or at the top of Tite
Hill and Middle Hill.
£646,000FARNHAM, SURREY E
In 1819 William Cobbett, the
political reformer and
champion of rural England,
described his birthplace of
Farnham as “the neatest
[town] in England, and, I
believe, in the whole world”.
Two centuries on and the
affluent Surrey market town is
one of the smartest addresses
in the home counties. Tudor
and Georgian buildings
dominate the centre, cobbled
courtyards are lined with
pubs, cafés and boutiques,
while Ofsted-rated
outstanding primaries
include South Farnham
ranked 11th in Parent Power.
About 42 miles from
central London, Farnham has
always been a popular spot on
the migration route for young
families moving from the
capital, but the pandemic
means househunters are
turning up here in theirdroves — and driving bidding
wars. The need to commute
just a couple of times a week
(London Waterloo is about 55
minutes) means the expanse
of green space in and around
GU10 has never been so
appealing. There’s 320-acre
Farnham Park, originally a
medieval deer park with paths
that wind among ancient
trees, a golf course,
playgrounds and cricket
pitch. Alice Holt Forest has
cycling and mountain biking
trails, and Forestry England’s
Bourne Wood, now with
planning consent to be a
permanent filming location,
has provided scenic
backdrops to Harry Potter:
Deathly Hallows Part I,
Gladiator and, The Crown.
Best of all — though locals
have tried in vain to keep it a
closely guarded secret — the
area has a golden sandy beach
and bathing spot, at Frensham
Great Pond, surrounded by
1,000 acres of National
Trust-controlled common.
However, change is afoot:
Brightwells Yard is set to
transform the east end of
town with 220-plus homes, a
piazza and multiscreen
cinema later this year.
Admittedly, the swaying HGV
lorries thundering down the
(often clogged and one-way)
streetscapes threaten this
long-held idyll, but locals are
campaigning to have them
banned from the town centre.
Best place to live if... You
need a part-time commute
— and got a lockdown dog.
Best address Castle Street or
the Lower Bourne area, the
main catchment for South
Farnham primary school.
£638,000OLNEY, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE F
Sociable, sporty and with
more than 100 listed buildings
in its historic town centre,
Olney is just 11 miles from
Milton Keynes (where you’ll
also find the nearest train
staion) but could hardly feel
more different to its 1960s
New Town neighbour. Its
Georgian, Victorian and
Edwardian buildings are
stuffed to the timbered beams
with independent shops
(butcher, hardware as well a
new wine merchants and
zero-waste retailer) and cafés,
including the Olney Pancake
Parlour.
The Phonebox magazine
gets delivered to every door,
keeping everyone up to dateApril 10, 2022 9