West Londoners tend to look to the M4 for inspiration when considering leaving London.
Their first stop is Berkshire, arguably the most diverse of counties, with new towns and ancient settlements, Crossrail hotspots and backwaters, charming country villages and, of course, Britain’s most gorgeous town.
House price growth in Berkshire has been equally mixed over the past decade.
The best performers were affordable pockets such as Reading and Bracknell, which attracted interest from priced buyers from both London and wealthier areas.
If you’re considering moving to the Berkshire Crown, the diversity may seem overwhelming.
To help you choose the perfect place, Homes & Property has compiled a guide to the borough’s highlights, featuring the most up-to-date price data from estate agent Hamptons:
Value for money: Bracknell
In 1949 this quiet market town was declared a new town and expanded to provide desperately needed homes for displaced post-war Londoners.
The legacy of this decision consists of too many roundabouts and underpasses and somewhat dreary-looking, boxy mansions (and many of the new homes available are equally dull).
But Bracknell is also a real regeneration area, with a brand new town centre, a growing cluster of tech companies and plenty of practical plus points.
Affordability is a clear reason to choose Bracknell. Average prices are around £410,000 and you can get a flat for around £232,000. Prices have fallen slightly this year but are still almost 12 percent higher than at the start of the pandemic and have risen 63 percent over the past decade; This is the best performance of today’s towns.
Trains to Paddington take just over 50 minutes and there are also direct services to Waterloo that take just over an hour.
All schools in the town have a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating.
Green space is also a plus point. There are parks in the city centre, of course, but there’s also Swinley Forest just south of the city, offering 2,600 acres of Crown Estate open land perfect for walking and mountain biking.
Most similar to London: Windsor
Located on the banks of the River Thames, steeped in history and brimming with tourists, Londoners will feel right at home in this ancient market town.
Home to royalty since the days of William the Conqueror, Windsor also has great transport links, schools, the Great Park, lovely shops and a lively restaurant and cafe scene.
Average prices in the town are among the most expensive in the county at £605,000. The crisis’ cost of living and rising interest rates have taken their toll, with prices falling 4 percent last year but still being 13 percent above pre-pandemic levels. Over the last decade, they have grown at 42 percent, which is a solid, not stellar, growth rate.
Reasons to live in Windsor include its schools, such as Bracknell, which are all rated good or outstanding by Ofsted. Trains to Waterloo take less than an hour.
Castles aside, properties in central Windsor range from Victorian terraces to riverside townhouses and Georgian villas. The most luxurious spot is the golden triangle bordered by Osbourne Road, Frances Road and Kings Road. The house here will make you popular when a royal event is on the horizon because their home backs onto or faces the Long Walk to the castle. But you’ll find better value west of the city centre.
Windsor has its own theatre, The Firestation, a contemporary arts venue with a program covering everything from film to comedy, and an annual music and literary festival. While Legoland is a big draw for young readers, the Royal Windsor Horse Show was one of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite outings.
For a bite to eat, you can hang out at the open-air restaurant Patch on the Plaza, which offers a creative seasonal menu; Try pink hummus, lamb from Bagshot Park, or beer-battered zucchini flowers.
Or travel two miles to Oakley Green to try The Greene Oak, a gastropub run by two chefs formerly from The Ivy.
For cocktails there’s The Eton Mess just across the river. And in Bray, a village five miles from Windsor, you’ll find arguably the richest concentration of Michelin-starred dining rooms in Britain.
Least similar to London: Kintbury
Situated in the North Wessex Highlands, Kintbury is a quiet and beautiful village next to the Kennet & Avon Canal. Being canalside means taking long walks or bike rides along a path cut by one of the area’s waterside pubs.
Its small size may come as a shock to Londoners, but Kintbury is big enough to have a village pub, The Blue Ball, a shop and a primary school rated ‘good’ by Ofsted. Older students will need to travel to Hungerford (three miles) or Newbury (five miles), where school standards are also high.
One reason Kintbury is particularly popular with people who still need to travel regularly to London is that it has its own railway station and services to Paddington take just over an hour.
Average prices in the RG17 postcode, which includes Hungerford, are £474,000. In Kintbury you can get a two or three-bedroom period cottage in the center of the village for this kind of budget. Lower budget? You can buy a slightly older three-bedroom mansion for less than £350,000.
Average prices are 13 percent higher today than in 2019 and have increased by 41 percent over the past decade.
Best link: Maidenhead
A year ago, Crossrail services to London began, heralding a new era in rail transport for the Domesday Book town of Maidenhead.
The town already had commuter trains to Liverpool Street (just over 50 minutes) and express services to Paddington (20 minutes). What Crossrail brought to the party was a seamless transition to the metro. The journey to the West End takes approximately 50 minutes.
For motorists, the town is just north of the M4 and Heathrow Airport is 13 miles away. There are also bus services to Windsor, Bray, Reading and Henley.
Despite its Thameside setting and long history, Maidenhead was, until recently, a somewhat dreary place, described by the New Economics Foundation as a “clone town” full of chain stores. But things are getting better.
There’s a new leisure centre, work is underway on The Landing, a collection of rental properties and shops in the town centre, and the sixties-era Nicholsons shopping center has been earmarked for redevelopment (although traders are fighting hard to block the plans).
Maidenhead is also blessed with plenty of open space, including Braywick Nature Park, which has an outdoor gym and sports fields, and Kidwells Park, which has a skate park and hosts the Maidenhead Festival every year.
The average property price in the town stands at £605,000, with flat prices just over £300,000. Values fell 5 percent last year, but are 9 percent higher than pre-pandemic prices and up 56 percent since 2013.
Neighborhoods to know include Pinkneys Green, a village outpost three kilometers from the town centre, with some of the area’s largest houses, and Furze Platt, which is hugely popular with parents thanks to its outstanding primary school.
Family friendly: Reading
If Maidenhead is still a work in progress, Reading is a finished article; It is a once-bleak suburban town that has undergone seismic changes in recent years.
Although technically the town of Reading has the feel of a city and is larger than Newcastle or Nottingham, with over 300,000 residents. It is also a truly cosmopolitan city, with 150 languages spoken.
The most obvious reason why Reading appeals to families is the incredible quality of its schools – with ten main state primary schools rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, as well as top-rated grammar and non-selective secondary schools for older students.
Transport links are good, with Crossrail services as well as mainline services to Paddington (from 25 minutes).
There are lots of activities to do for kids of all ages; Walk the Thames Path, see the Bayeux Tapestry at Reading Museum, scale new heights on the Parthian Climb, visit Beale Wildlife Park or attend a match at the Madejski Stadium.
Outdoor swimmers can do it in style on the impeccably restored Thames Lido, and the Reading Festival is the town’s highlight of the year, with Billie Eilish, The Killers and Sam Fender joining the bill last summer.
Meanwhile, Reading’s restaurant scene is thriving, with options including The Reading Room at boutique hotel The Roseate and The Corn Stores, a steakhouse/members club near the station.
Houses in Reading cost an average of £463,000, a figure that managed to rise by just 0.9 per cent during the difficult year. Values have increased by 19 percent since 2019 and an impressive 60 percent since 2013.