From bucolic bliss to the buzz of Soho within an hour: the best countryside commuter towns near London

When they got married, Amanda and Hugo Snell were keen to get out of the rental trap and buy a house of their own. The couple were paying £1,800 a month for a one-bedroom flat in Putney and it didn’t take much research for them to realise that if they wanted more space — and a garden — they weren’t going to be able to stay local.

They wanted to replicate many of the things they enjoyed about south-west London life —a buzzy town centre, easy access to the city and plentiful open space — and they found it in Windsor , where they were able to buy a three-bedroom house for the same price as a modest SW15 apartment.

“It was the perfect move for us,” says Hugo, 32. “There is nothing we miss about London because we are so close we don’t have to miss out on anything.”

New research by estate agent Savills highlights the best towns and villages which have their own train stations and are an easy commute from London — Soho within an hour, plus no train changes to navigate after a night out — and also offer access to beautiful open countryside. Although not exactly budget options , these sweet-spot locations could be the perfect solution for buyers who love London but are struggling with affordability and a yearning for more open space:

Encircled by the 324 square miles of the Chilterns National Landscape, and with the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate on the doorstep, the market town of Tring offers as much open space as you could wish for.

Take a walk around beautiful Tring Park, follow the Ridgeway National Trail, or stroll along the Grand Union Canal. The College Lake Nature Reserve is a tranquil wildlife haven, and if you are feeling more active you can tackle the 173-mile Chilterns Cycleway.

Back in town, the high street is filled with independent shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. There is a good regular farmers’ market, where you can sample apple juice from local orchards, or local honey. And there is also the Natural History Museum at Tring showcasing the private collections of Walter Rothschild, of the banking family, an eccentric collector of the weird and wonderful.

The Grand Union Canal near Tring Andy Sears - stock.adobe.com Before the pandemic around a quarter of those looking for a home to buy who came to Paul Swindlehurst, a partner at Michael Anthony estate agents, were moving out of London. During the race for space this accelerated to 95 per cent. “That has settled down now but still 60 to 65 per cent of buyers are moving out of London,” he says.

These buyers are mostly young couples and families drawn by value for money and great schools — there is a choice of primary schools and a local senior school, all rated “good” by Ofsted.

The good thing about Tring, says Swindlehurst, is how compact it is.