WHY MOVE TO HASLEMERE?

Haslemere is attracting Londoners who might once have moved to pricier Guildford or Godalming.

Its excellent schools — including Ofsted "outstanding" Grayswood Church of England Primary — plus the good commute and proximity to the South Downs mean it is far from a second-rate option.

Haslemere's star has been on the rise since the Hindhead Tunnel opened in 2011, reducing gridlock on the A3.

Its high street is the very model of an affluent market town, with a Waitrose and plenty of independent and chain coffee shops and boutiques.

Nightlife is supplied by some lovely country pubs in nearby villages, including the Duke of Cumberland Arms between Fernhurst and Easebourne.

Desmond Parker, sales manager of Warren Powell-Richards estate agents, believes the secret of Haslemere's success is in its traditional feel.

Boxed in by the South Downs and National Trust owned land, there is little chance of urban sprawl or major new developments, and independent shops mean "it is not just a standard high street".

Homes range from very grand country manors to old red-brick cottages and Edwardian and interwar detached houses.

A two-bedroom period cottage would be £350,000 to £400,000, with a four-bedroom Twenties detached house at about £700,000.

A roomy Edwardian four-bedroom detached home would be about £1 million. Homes within a mile of the station carry a 15-20 per cent premium.