Was the headline for an article in The Saturday Telegraph Property supplement sub titled ‘The commuter hotspots on London’s compass points’. Without even reading the article I was confident that Hampshire would feature which of course it did along with other obvious contenders, Berkshire, accessible parts of Essex and Kent and Hertfordshire to the north east of London. Each ‘home county’ has the benefit of beautiful countryside with accessibility to London but that also comes with a price tag for the property in it. As the article states ‘There is always a catch, the better value home may come with a longer commute’. Hampshire has its expensive hotspots and prices certainly went up when the the Hindhead tunnel opened making the journey into London under an hour by road or rail from Haslemere. However there are other beautiful spots south of Haslemere, close to Petersfield, or within the Meon Valley or the South Downs where property has the benefit of being within a commutable distance of London without the exceptional premium.
‘Woodside’ is a fine country house offering 5 bedrooms, 3 reception rooms, 4 bath shower rooms, 2 bedroom annex with conservatory, double garage with games room/workshop and office and gardens of approximately 2 acres. Perfect for family life, it has beautiful countryside close at hand and Bohunt School, winner of the TES Secondary School of the Year, is within walking distance. Situated in a peaceful country lane it is only 1.5 miles from Liphook which has a mainline station and is close to the A3 giving direct access to London by road or rail.
‘Forest Gate’ is another beautiful country home with access to the South Downs, yet is just 12 miles from Petersfield where the mainline station and the A3 provide a direct link to London in just over an hour. Situated just outside the village of Hambledon it is a Grade ll listed handsome Georgian house dating from the 18th century with later additions. It offers 5 bedrooms, 4 reception rooms, gardens and grounds of approximately 1.5 acres with tennis court, double garage and outbuildings.
So, no catch to property in this area just beautiful countryside, excellent schools, historic cities, wonderful market towns and all within easy access of London.
Marishelle Gibson