Farnham – the perfect market town
- London leavers look for the good life in market towns
- Farnham boasts two crowd pulling markets every month
- Market towns are the happiest place to live (ONS)
According to the Office for National Statistics market towns are the happiest places to live. A recent population survey identified “large rural or market towns” as the places where people are most satisfied with life.
There is certainly something about the expression “market town” that makes a place sound so very appealing. The description conjures up cobbled streets, quaint shops, a pretty church, perhaps an old castle set on a hill side and beautiful rolling hills in all directions.
Farnham in Surrey is the very epitome of a market town and this is the reason that London leavers seek property here. No Londoner wants to jump off the mother ship into a tired and gloomy suburban nightmare – they want some country glamour, interesting shops selling interesting products, good country pubs and the chance to still eat great food when they are dining out, which Farnham boasts in abundance!
This picturesque English Georgian town holds two markets a month. For those after collectibles there is one of the oldest and largest quality markets in Surrey and Hampshire. It is held on the first Saturday of every month, for over 40 years the market has drawn stall holders from all over the world. There are around 200 stalls to browse from crafts to collectables, from vintage finds to local food – an excellent way to spend a Saturday!
And if it is locally produced food that you are after then the fourth Sunday of every month is the much loved farmers market. Here you can buy goods direct from the producers from surrounding farms which are usually always organic and very tasty. A charming way of bumping into your neighbours and getting involved in the local lifestyle.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons that market towns tend to weather house-price storms much better than the rest of the country. Even during the recession, property values climbed in many such towns, while all around suffered.
Last year Millgate, the award winning luxury homes developer, built three country homes in the area of Farnham known as Lower Bourne. These beautiful homes were nestled into the edge of a beech wood, with large gardens and a great deal of privacy. The homes were snapped up by three families who had all had their eye on purchasing a substantial detached home in the favoured southern part of Farnham for sometime.
2014 sees the construction of a further three country homes by Millgate who are delighted to be back in town. The development which was won on appeal is conveniently close to the mainline station again on the southern side of Farnham which is so popular with families. The exclusive small development is found on Tilford Road which runs from the heart the town, south towards the delightful village of Tilford.
Jonathan Cranley, Sales and Marketing Director for Millgate comments:
“We had such great success with our development in Lower Bourne that is seemed sensible to keep our eyes open for further spots in the area. These three houses are likely to be bought by people seeking a move to the country from London. Farnham is a buzzing market town; it is blessed with great schools and a commute back to London Waterloo in just under an hour. For those looking for the good life these houses will be perfect!”
White Croft is a development of three luxury homes with excellent sized gardens. The houses will have large open plan kitchen/breakfast areas and 5 en-suite bedrooms. Guide price £2,250,000 for more details on this development coming to historic Farnham contact Millgate on 0118 934 3344 or visit www.millgatehomes.co.uk
For information on Farnham:
- House prices have risen 11.71% in the last year according to Zoopla
- Annual season ticket from Farnham to London is £4,472.00
- Schools :
There are good options for both state and private. South Farnham primary school is a top choice for many. Two good secondary schools in the area – Weydon School and All Hallows. Also popular is Farnham Sixth Form College.
Private schools include Barfield School, Edgeborough and Frensham Heights. The private schools in Guildford are extremely popular with parents or high achieving public schools such as Cranleigh, Charterhouse and Wellington.