An affluent Buckinghamshire town known for its lively culinary and retail scene and attractiveness to filmmakers has been named one of the most desirable places to live in Britain by The Daily Telegraph.
The newspaper commissioned real estate agent Savills to compile a list of the top towns across the country based on recent census data and factors including employment levels, qualifications, health and wellbeing and – of course – property prices.
And Beaconsfield, home to celebrities including Vernon Kay and Russell Howard, cracked the top three of the listing thanks to its commuter links, green surroundings and retail and hospitality offerings.
The town, which has an eyewatering average house price of £1.17 million, came highly commended by Savills real estate pro Hugh Maconochie, who touted the benefits to shopper footfall of a rise in flexible working in the area.
The combination of diverse high street brands with "access to well-regarded schools, London and Heathrow" was a sure-fire reason why its popularity has increased, he added.
Amersham was not far behind in the rankings, clocking in at fifth most desirable in the country for its blend of transport links and "open countryside" at around £717,1000 a pop.
And Gerrards Cross – which has a property price tag of £1.28 million – also made the top ten for, according to Simon Roberts of Strutt & Parker, its appeal to those who want to "live pretty (while) working in the city".
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Nowhere in Bucks could compete with Harpenden in Hertfordshire, however – a close neighbour which managed to nab the number one spot for its average house costs of £913,000, easy access to London, "well-educated" population and its cultural and hospitality draws.
It's no real surprise that Beaconsfield led the charge for the towns in Buckinghamshire with the highest desirability factor.
One of its restaurants was recently crowned the best in England and Netflix's adaptation of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club was shot on a particularly pretty residential road this summer.
It was also named one of the UK's best luxury shopping destinations by Newmark Retail back in May, something Vitality Rankings leader Andy Metherell credited to its well-to-do residents "being more likely to undertake hybrid work and shop in their local towns more often than before the pandemic".
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