A village with a green is a magical place. Rather than a ribbon of properties along an old coaching road, it welcomes you straight into the heart of village life, like a great big hug. Broadwell, just to the north of the Cotswolds golden triangle, is centred around its green, with honey-coloured stone cottages facing inwards. A stream runs through the middle, a tributary of the Evenlode, and the much-loved pub – The Fox – is on the green too. There's a real sense of heritage and history with the Grade I listed Norman church and he intriguing Broadwell Manor. It's a classic Cotswolds village with property prices sitting higher than the regional average but slightly lower than the diamond-encrusted and celebrity-strewn epicentre of the Cotswolds. The community spans a wide age range, from young families to those downsizing into the village or within the village. Once people buy here, they tend to stay. There is a true sense of community with plenty of activities at the village hall, including a coffee morning every Wednesday. Of course, the village is on the doorstep of all the rural glamour that the Cotswolds has to offer too: Daylesford Organics farm shop and The Fox at Oddington (one of the Daylesford pubs). Broadwell is a six-minute drive to Stow-on-the-Wolds. 

Simon Merton, Director Moreton-in-Marsh

Baschurch is the largest village on the outskirts of Shrewsbury. While the proximity to the historic county town is a big selling point, people resize here for its buzzing community. Shropshire as a county is heavily reliant on its agricultural industry and on the whole, the villages in the north are remote and not over-endowed with pubs and shops. Baschurch is an exception to this though. There's a gastro pub (The New Inn), a convenience store, doctors surgery, and hairdressers - as well as a farm shop with a cafe on the outskirts (Moor Farm Shop). The village has its own fish and chip shop and an Indian restaurant (Admiral Spice, based in the old Admiral Nelson pub). The heart of the community is found at the village hall, with plenty of courses and classes for all - from yoga to musical theatre. Buyers who are resizing in these parts are often selling farms or estates or larger rural homes and moving into the village to be near grandchildren, or to reduce the size of their land and footprint. Being so close to the North Wales coast, some go on to buy a second home there too. The range of properties provides something for everyone ensuring that all ages and stages can move into or stay in the village. There’s everything from four-bedroom homes for £550,000 and a bungalows for around £400,000, to new build executive homes on the outskirts of Baschurch. Grooms Cottage – pictured – sits on the northern edge of the village, within the 250-acre Boreatton Hall Estate.

James Sibley, Senior Associate Director

Nestled on the edge of Gerrard's Cross (one mile away to be precise) is the village of Chalfont St Peter. Often described as part of a trio: Chalfont St Peter, Little Chalfont and Chalfont St Giles. Little Chalfont is further north, attached to Amersham, Chalfont St Giles is more rock 'n' roll (home to the Osbornes and Cheryl Tweedy). Chalfont St Peter is the largest of the three and one of the largest villages in Buckinghamshire. It is also the most convenient with plenty of amenities within walking distance and a direct train service running from Gerrard's Cross to Marylebone in 19 minutes. The central point is the parish church, there's an M&S foodhall, a doctor's surgery, a leisure centre, The Three Oaks and Farah's Kitchen – south Asian cuisine. Despite its size, this is a community-orientated place. The Christmas fair – or Fun Night - takes over the area in early December [Friday 6^th 2024] when the lights are switched on and the village really comes alive. It attracts local buyers who move in from the rural surrounds and bigger Buckinghamshire towns to resize their property and to be near grandchildren, as well as attracting a steady stream of families moving out of London to tap into the grammar school system. Interestingly, there’s plenty of new parents who return here to raise their children as they themselves were brought up in the village or surrounding area. This all helps to make it a wonderful multi-generational village.

Simon Roberts, Senior Director

Cross the nineteenth century bridge into Otterton and you’ll find a picture postcard village that is nestled in the folds of the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Otterton's beauty is more than skin deep, beyond the green and thatched cottages, there is a bustling scene and a real sense of community. Otterton Primary School has a 'good' Ofsted rating and there's a youth club, which keeps the village ringing with the sound of children. Otterton football club plays in the Devon & Exeter football league and there's a popular gardening club. Otterton Mill is home to a range of amenities from a bakery, cafe and restaurant, to also hosting live music. Not to forget the village pub with rooms, the Kings Arms. Other local treats are the Bicton Park Botanical Gardens and Woodsys Cider farm. It is a fairly level village so easy to walk around and residents and visitors enjoy the amble along the River Otter footpath and down to Budleigh Salterton beach. £350,000 can buy a small three-bedroom semi-detached home and £795,000 possibly something detached. 

Isabel Clifton, Associate Director

On the border of Herefordshire and Shropshire, with Wales on the doorstep, and the historic market town of Ludlow just 20 minutes away, is Leintwardine. This village has its own history and significance. It is where the River Clun joins the River Teme and is accessible via its Grade II listed Georgian Forge road bridge and weir, a well-known wild swimming spot. The picturesque village is comprised of a string of cottages, all set around the 12th century St. Mary Magdalene Church. There are also detached homes with bigger gardens in the centre too. Then on the edge of the village are new homes, ready to move into, in the 18-house Florence Fields development, which prioritises local buyers and would suit those who want to resize from a larger family home but don't want to leave the village. And why would you? It is well stocked for day-to-day life: there's a medical centre, a petrol station, local shop, primary school and two pubs, including the much-loved pub The Lion. This village is surrounded by greenery; it’s just to the south of the Shropshire Hills National Landscape and north of the ancient Mortimer Forest, with walking trails, park runs and picnic spots. 

Joe Martin, Senior Associate Director

Four miles south of the Cambridge city centre, is the highly desirable village of Great Shelford. There is a train station which runs into the heart of Cambridge in just six minutes and a bus which runs almost every 20 minutes but also goes the other way too, out into the countryside and the Gog Magog Hills beauty spot – steeped in dark Cambridgeshire legend. Back in Great Shelford, there are plenty of amenities on the doorstep to save a trip into the city: a deli, a bakery, a library, a health centre, a dentist, several small supermarkets, a hairdresser's and two pubs – The Plough and the Square & Compasses. Scotsdales is a wonderful garden centre with a café and a popular local haunt, while there are art classes, WI meetings and history lectures at the village hall. The housing stock can range from modest bungalows to £2m+ for a grand family house on Coppice Avenue, a prime location. There are thatched cottages but also apartments near the train station. Demand is high as the city spreads to meet the village and buyers realise they can find a 'best-of-both-worlds' lifestyle here. 

Mark Davies, Director