London has rich history, cultural excellence and a Michelin-starred restaurant for every week of the year. It also has a population close to 10 million, house prices that, in the centre, average over £1.4 million and all the noise, clutter and lack of privacy that inevitably comes with high density urban living. The huge numbers of Londoners who relocated in the Covid era might have tailed off somewhat but there’s no doubt about it: for many of us, the allure of a calmer lifestyle within a friendly community and close to verdant countryside is undeniable.
Does leaving the capital mean saying farewell to the best life opportunities? Not in these top ten locations.
House prices all taken from Rightmove and correct as of 7th May 2025. Train times are the fastest according to thetrainline.com. Average times are slower.
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
With the ever-desirable Cotswolds countryside on the doorstep, a thriving food scene and a festival-focused year-round calendar, the Regency spa town of Cheltenham offers an appealing combination of rural splendour and urban elegance. It’s certainly green: Pittville Park with its boating lake and adventure playground, and Montpellier and Imperial Gardens are just three of the best spaces, while tree-lined promenades add to the outstanding architectural beauty on show. Families come for the excellent education options and strong sense of community, meeting up in warmer months at Sandford Parks Lido, one of the UK’s largest open-air pools. Annual festivals covering Jazz, Science and Music are headlined by October’s Literature Festival, the oldest in the world, a firm favourite now in its 76th year, and no review of the town would be complete without mention of the Cheltenham Festival. The four day event held every March and reaching a crescendo with the Gold Cup, is one reason why Cheltenham is regarded as the home of National Hunt racing.
Average property price: £402,810
Trains to London: Cheltenham to Paddington in 1 hour and 54 minutes
Topsham, Devon
It can’t claim the best property prices in the area (average house prices of £568,000 compared with £350,000 ten minutes down the road in Exeter) but what Topsham does have is a wonderful waterfront lifestyle coupled with an exceptionally special friendly community vibe. For confirmation, check out Love Topsham, a volunteer-run website ‘celebrating all that makes Topsham unique”. That includes over 50 independent businesses, a Saturday market, clubs for sports, arts, gardening and singing and annual events including a Christmas market and superb seasonal light display. There’s an open-air swimming pool, good restaurants and pubs and a charming small boat marina, not bad for a population of just over 4,000. It adds up to a Devon town that deserves its ‘top’ reputation.
Average property price: £568,871
Trains to London: Exeter (5 miles away) to London Paddington in 2 hours 4 minutes
Chichester, West Sussex
For an enchanting Swallows and Amazons lifestyle, head to the sheltered waters of Chichester Harbour, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for 60 years, where you’ll find a choice of 14 sailing clubs. Close enough to London for a regular burst of capital life (80 miles away) yet far enough to leave the crowds behind, chi-chi-Chichester is a piece of perfection for anyone who likes messing about on the water. For landlubbers, Chichester has good arts venues including theatre and cinema, and puts you next door to the South Downs, five miles from pretty Bosham, three miles from Goodwood and eight miles from Blue Flag West Wittering beach.
Average property price: £441,662
Trains to London: Chichester to London Victoria in 1 hour and 35 minutes
Bath, Somerset
Honey-stoned Bath has proved a favourite London escape route for some time, thanks to its enticing mix of cosmopolitan verve and rural peace. Yes, it’s grand – the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site headlined by the ever-impressive Royal Crescent, perhaps Europe’s most famous sweep of Georgian architecture - but it’s also local and community focused. Start the weekend with a Boot Camp fitness class in Victoria Park, shop at the UK’s oldest farmer’s market and take in lunch at any number of independent restaurants and cafes. The city unites over its fervent following of Bath Rugby Club, and there’s culture from the Theatre Royal to art galleries with a packed calendar of annual events.
Average property price: £583,007
Trains to London: Bath Spa to London Paddington in 1 hour 16 minutes.
Winchester, Hampshire
Catch the 06.47 train from Winchester station and one hour later you arrive on London’s Southbank, an easy commute that’s one reason for both the popularity of this Hampshire cathedral city and its relative high property prices. Excellent schools, low crime, and a long-held reputation as one of the happiest places in the UK (helped no doubt by its buzzy food scene) make Winchester a firm family favourite. It has great architectural beauty and history, good sports facilities and a theatre while for rural pleasures, the South Downs National Park are immediately on hand with the New Forest and sailing at Chichester both easy day trips.
Average property price: £598,542
Trains to London: Winchester to Waterloo in 56 minutes
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
An ancient seat of academic excellence and a cutting-edge hub for the tech and research industries gives Cambridge a compelling dual aspect appeal. The beauty of the university colleges seen from the banks of the River Cam seem little changed in centuries while ‘Silicon Fen’, the name given to the Cambridge Cluster, the largest technology cluster in Europe employing over 230,000 people, has its eyes firmly fixed on the future. This is a walkable, compact and well-connected city, filled with museums, good quality restaurants and gastropubs and an admirable programme of arts and musical events. Add in abundant green spaces, a wide choice of public and private schools and swift escape routes to surrounding countryside, including 80 miles of Fenland, all within one hour of the capital and Cambridge looks a prizewinning choice.
Average property price: £570,304
Trains to London: Cambridge to London King’s Cross in 48 minutes
Bridport, Dorset
The wide streets and charming lanes of the West Dorset market town of Bridport are in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that comes with true farming heritage, something reflected in the twice weekly market and monthly Farmers’ Market. The harbour at West Bay is a thirty minute walk away, sandy East Beach is within seven miles and the dramatic cliffs of the Jurassic Coast are on hand. Quirky, bohemian and arty? Certainly. There’s Bridport Electric Palace, an Art Deco cinema first opened in 1926, Bridport Arts Centre housed in a 19th Century former chapel and annual literary and film festivals.
Average property price: £367,691
Trains to London: Dorchester (14 miles away) to Waterloo in 2 hours and 33 minutes
Edinburgh
If the measure of a good city includes architectural splendour and the ease of reaching rural beauty, then Edinburgh is a highflyer. The compact Scottish capital is cultured and elegant, one of Europe’s largest financial sectors and second only to London as the UK city with the most FTSE 100 companies. Yet within 15 minutes you have the seaside and rural greenery and within one hour, you find the gateway to the Highlands. Superb schools, good rail and air connections and 11 annual festivals, not to mention the legendary Hogmanay celebrations means you’ll never be bored. Stockbridge, Morningside, Bruntsfield and the glorious Georgian New Town are among popular residential locations.
Average property price: £338,307
Trains to London: Edinburgh Waverley to King’s Cross in 4 hours
Kendal, Cumbria
Ahh the gateway to the Lake District, a watery walking-hiking wonderland on your doorstep. ‘Auld Grey’ as the riverside market town of Kendal is known, is perfectly placed for not one but two National Parks, the Lake District to the northwest and the Yorkshire Dales to the southeast. Don’t forget to pack your waterproofs along with your walking boots though because Cumbria is one of the wettest parts of the UK. For robust outdoor types, that seems a minor inconvenience because despite the annual rainfall, Kendal also scores highly for residents’ happiness quotas. One cause of that happiness is the town’s on-going and well-funded regeneration that aims to invigorate the centre, already home to many independent shops and a thriving Farmer’s Market.
Average property price: £281,259
Trains to London: Kendal to London Euston in 2 hours and 58 minutes
Stamford, Lincolnshire
“The finest stone town in England,” said historian Sir Walter Scott. “England’s best town,” agreed poet John Betjeman. Limestone-covered Stamford was the UK’s first urban conservation area (created in 1967) and has over 600 listed buildings. Beauty aside, there’s much else to enjoy: a vibrant High Street packed with independent shops, weekly markets and a monthly Farmers’ Market, the Stamford Arts Centre and good schools. This is an historic part of England with several stately homes to tour including Burghley House and Belvoir Castle, or if activity is more your thing, head to Rutland Water, six miles away, the largest man-made lake in England, for walks, cycle trails, fishing, nature reserves and on-water action.
Average property price: £387,758
Trains to London: Stamford to London King’s Cross changing at Peterborough in 1 hour 11 minutes
