13 incredible Surrey towns named among the most desirable places to live in Britain
13 Surrey towns have been named among the top 50 most desirable places to live in Britain. Thirteen made the cut in a new ranking examining everything from health average house prices, Surrey's best entry being rated as the second best place to live in Britain.
Estate agent Savills was commissioned by The Telegraph to compile a list of Britain's 50 most affluent towns. It scored them across a range of different factors including the proportion of residents holding managerial jobs, their level of qualifications, the state of their health and the average house price.
The majority of the locations on the list are in the South East. They include Surrey's Cobham, Esher, Virginia Water, Ashtead, Farnham, Weybridge, Reigate, Haslemere, Guildford, Godalming, Oxted, Epsom and Leatherhead.
Cobham was the highest rated Surrey town, coming second in the list. The average house price is £1.4m and experts pointed to the river that runs through the town and a lively café society for making it a sought-after community within the commuter belt. Esher was ranked seventh for its amenities and "lively and vibrant feel", with the average house price put at £1.37m.
Virginia Water, Ashtead, Farnham and Weybridge were also in the top 20. Savills experts said Farnham is "bustling with thriving boutiques and cafés" and excellent schools while the Telegraph says Weybridge's many private estates make it the “Beverly Hills of Surrey” for estate agents.
Lucian Cook, head of residential research for Savills, told the Telegraph that the towns in the top 50 are all "aspirational, affluent places". He said they also have good schools and "a strong quality of housing stock where residents are economically active".
Britain’s most desirable towns, according to The Telegraph
Harpenden
Cobham
Beaconsfield
Chorleywood
Amersham
Hale
Esher
Gerrards Cross
Berkhamsted
St Albans
Virginia Water
Sevenoaks
West Bridgford
Ashtead
Farnham
Cambridge
Henley-on-Thames
North Ascot
Altrincham
Weybridge
Reigate
Lymm
Wilmslow
Marlow
Wokingham
Cheadle Hulme
Rickmansworth
Kenilworth
Bramhall
Crowthorne
Haslemere
Chigwell
Ilkley
Ponteland
Knutsford
Windsor
Guildford
Godalming
Oxted
Epsom
Maidenhead
Horsforth
Fleet
Bath
Winchester
Poynton
Oxford
Hitchin
Hurstpierpoint
Leatherhead
Read the Telegraph's guide to Britain’s most desirable towns in full HERE.
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