London's posh neighbour named 'ideal place to live' with market towns and rolling hills

Londoners have had their say on which neighbouring county would be their ideal place to live.

With so many people moving out of London in recent years, places within commuting distance have become a lot more attractive. Transport links, property prices and general quality of life are some of the reasons why people escape the capital for pastures anew.

In a poll on the MyLondon website, readers had the choice of the six home counties and placed their vote on which one they would want to live in most. There is one clear winner taking in almost 30 per cent of the votes. Below, MyLondon has listed the results.

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6. Essex

Essex came in sixth with almost 10 per cent of the vote. It is probably the most famous of the home counties because of a certain reality TV show but there is so much more to the area than that. There's beautiful countryside, and a lovely coastline but also urban centres that feel like living in bigger cities. Having said all that, it seems MyLondon readers prefer other areas instead based on the votes.

5. Berkshire

To the east of London is Berkshire. It has some beautiful landscapes and excellent rail connections to London. Reading is the biggest city in the county and since the Elizabeth Line has been established, it makes travelling to and from there easier. Windsor is in Berkshire too and is obviously the site of Windsor Castle so if Berkshire is good enough for royalty, it's probably good enough for all of us. However, only 12 per cent of readers voted Berkshire as the county they would want to live in, putting it at number five.

4. Hertfordshire

An article last year by The Standard called Hertfordshire 'one of the largest and most varied of the home counties'. The county is mostly in the Green Belt meaning that it has miles on miles of unspoilt countryside to walk, hike, run and cycle in. There are also many great city hubs like St Albans which is regularly called one of the best places to live in the country. But in MyLondon readers' view, the county was only good enough for fourth place with almost 14 per cent of the vote.

3. Kent

Kent came in third on the list with just under 17 per cent of the vote. The county has so much historical charm with cities like Canterbury but also has artist and modern flair in places like Margate. It, as all the counties do, has great travel links to London but also has a bustling job market for itself meaning that people can truly escape London by moving to Kent.

2. Buckinghamshire

Second on the list is Buckinghamshire. There are loads of lovely places to live in 'Bucks' like Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross, Stoke Poges, Farnham Common, Fulmer, Amersham, and the list could go on. The slower paced, more rural way of life that Buckinghamshire offers really appeals to many whilst it is so very close to London. with the Metropolitan Line going directly to Amersham. The charming country has loads to offer as well as outstanding schools nationwide. It got just over 19 per cent of all votes.

1. Surrey

The winner, with almost 29 per cent of the votes in Surrey. It has many thriving market towns as well as idyllic countryside making it so attractive to live in for many. Farnham in Surrey made The Times' list of best places to live in the country this year with other places like Cobham being a popular destination for footballers to settle down. It is popular with MyLondon readers hence it came in at number one on the list.

What do you think? You can vote below on your favourite and join the debate in our comments section too.

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