Good transport links with London, the Midlands and Heathrow Airport have made the M4 and M40 corridors increasingly popular corporate HQ destinations. And while the commercial centres of London satellites like Uxbridge and Slough may not be blessed with overwhelming curb appeal, they offer easy access to some of the most desirable residential areas on London’s western fringe.

The best of Buckinghamshire and Berkshire

With easy access to London, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire are the two so-called ‘home counties’ (a collective name for the English counties that border London) that lie to the west of the capital. Picturesque countryside and ancient woodland, combined with easy commuting routes, make them highly desirable and there are a number of towns and villages that are simply too good to overlook.

We’ve identified some of the most charming, that offer good housing prospects and easy commuting to London’s west end and western commercial corridor. They include:

• Beaconsfield
• Gerrards Cross
• Chalfont St Giles
• Chalfont St Peter
• Farnham Common
• Farnham Royal
• Rickmansworth
• Marlow
• Maidenhead
• Great Missenden

While these areas certainly don’t have the massive Victorian housing stock of the inner London suburbs, there is more diversity of architecture on offer, ranging from detached Edwardian houses to 1930s semis and even a good scattering of modern new builds. Properties out here will tend to be more spacious and have larger gardens than in town and there’s always the chance of a pretty village green or a view across rolling fields and countryside.

Take a closer look at each of our favourites – there’s something for everyone in this collection.

Beaconsfield

This delightful market town lies some 23 miles northwest of central London in the Chiltern Hills, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty. It takes its name from the historic beech woods that used to blanket the area and it was an important coaching stop on the road from London to Oxford; on the high street there are still a number of old coaching inns. Later it rose to fame as the parliamentary constituency of the great Victorian prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli. More recent celebrity inhabitants have included Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, Sir Terry Pratchett and Enid Blyton.

In recent years it has gained a reputation as one of the wealthiest towns in Britain, a fact that is reflected in the property prices. It is on the Chiltern Main Line railway into Marylebone, making access to the West End quick and easy – just 25 minutes on a fast train. It has good road links from Junction 2 on the M40, east towards London and north towards Oxford and the Midlands. It’s also a great place for families. Buckinghamshire operates a selective secondary education system and the town boasts a prestigious girls’ grammar school and a number of good private schools.

Gerrards Cross

Just beyond the western rim of the M25, Gerrards Cross is a large and attractive village that is highly regarded as a place to live. Beautiful period houses fringe a grassy common in the centre of the village, which is well served by shops, restaurants, banks, a library and a cinema. It’s also in an area well known for its independent schools, including Maltmans Green for girls, St Mary’s, Gayhurst and Thorpe House, as well as the two Dr Challoner’s grammar schools and a number of other grammar schools in the vicinity.

Although there is a dearth of Victorian houses, there are plenty of substantial properties built between the 1930s and 1950s, along with a good number of modern executive developments. This reflects the area’s popularity with commuters: Chiltern Line trains run into Marylebone in 25 minutes, there are trains to Birmingham in the other direction, it offers easy access to the M25 and the M40, and Heathrow Airport is a mere 14 miles away.

Average rental values, as might be expected, can be quite high in Gerrards Cross.

The Chalfonts

Immediately north of Gerrards Cross the conjoined villages of Chalfont St Giles and Chalfont St Peter are equally popular, if a fraction cheaper, to live in. Chalfont St Giles in particular is attractive with its picture-book village green and timbered 15th and 16th century buildings and its history dates back to the Doomsday Book in 1086. Chalfont St Peter is one of the UK’s largest villages, characterised originally by rows of elegant Georgian shops, a very few of which still remain; most of the development has taken place since the 1920s, so it does not have such a historic feel as its neighbour. In terms of education, it is in the same catchment for schools as Gerrards Cross – see above.

With easy access to the M40, the M25, the Chiltern Line and Heathrow, rental prices in the Chalfonts remain strong, though undoubtedly cheaper than Gerrards Cross.

Amersham

Amersham lies in the beautiful Chiltern Hills, a highly sought after market town with two distinct areas. Old Amersham dates back to the 13th century, complete with historic church, market hall and coaching inns, while Amersham-on-the-Hill was developed around the arrival of the railway at the start of the 20th century. Available properties are likely to be mainly 1930s to 1960s, but there is some Victorian housing, as well as plenty of more modern apartments and executive homes.

The town has good road links to Slough, Beaconsfield, High Wycombe, Harrow and Uxbridge as well as motorway access. It also benefits from a Metropolitan Line station, giving access to the London Underground system, as well as a rail link into Marylebone. In addition, good schools including Dr Challoner’s Grammar for Boys, Amersham School and two private prep schools, with plenty more in the surrounding area, make it attractive to families.

Farnham Royal and Farnham Common

Farnham Royal and its smaller neighbour of Farnham Common lie 22 miles west of central London and three miles north of Slough. The villages are small but perfectly located: there are four railway stations within a ten minute drive and it has easy road access to the M4, the M40 and the M25. Nearby Burnham Beeches is one of Britain’s most ancient and venerated forests and, once again, the area is well-served by schools – including Caldicott Preparatory School, alma mater of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

Rickmansworth

This small town at the northern end of the Colne Valley sits beside the Grand Union Canal, with easy access to the Chiltern Hills – giving it a picturesque setting that has no doubt contributed to its position as one of the top 10 places in the UK for quality of life. Historically famous for the watercress trade, Rickmansworth is now more of a commuter town, with good schools and sporting facilities, including the Aquadrome Nature Reserve which has a number of lakes used for water sports.

With both a Metropolitan Line underground station and fast over ground rail links to Marylebone, as well as easy access to the M25, Rickmansworth is well located for central London, Heathrow, Watford and Luton.

Marlow

Some 33 miles west of central London, on the Thames, Marlow is an attractive market town that can trace its history back to the Doomsday Book - and which is characterised by some fine Georgian architecture in the centre of town. Known for its charming river frontage and annual regatta, it is popular with celebrities and sportsmen, including Olympic rower Sir Steve Redgrave, chef Heston Blumenthal and pop singer Robbie Williams.

The town boasts several excellent schools and good transport links onto the M4 and M40. With regard to rail travel, Marlow is on a branch line out of Maidenhead, where passengers can change onto Great Western trains to London Paddington in one direction and Oxford or Bristol in the other direction.

Maidenhead

Another historic market town on the banks of the Thames, Maidenhead is quite a bit larger than Marlow and therefore offers more in the way of facilities and a direct rail link into London Paddington. With regards to roads, the town lies on the A4 and is close to junction 8/9 of the M4, making it easy to reach Windsor, Slough, Reading, London and its airports.

Dating back to Saxon times, the town really began to expand with the arrival of the railway in the mid-19th century and much of its Victorian red brick architecture was erected at this time. It is part of the Royal Borough of Windsor and due to its popularity with celebrities and city high fliers, it boast some of the country’s most expensive property. It is served by some good high street shopping, a multi-screen cinema, a leisure centre with swimming pool and a bowling alley, and it has a good selection of restaurants, cafes and pubs. There is also a first class rowing club and a good selection of schools in the surrounding area.

Great Missenden

The home of Roald Dahl for 36 years, the village of Great Missenden hosts the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre – a must-visit for any Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fans. But this pretty medieval village was famous long before the great children’s writer arrived: it was an important coaching stop on the road between London and Birmingham, though its fortunes declined when the main railway line was sited somewhat to the east of it. Now, however, transport links are good with an over ground rail link running every 20 minutes into Marylebone Station.

Rental values in Buckinghamshire and Berkshire

Relocating to the western Home Counties with Saunders 1865

If you’re bringing transferees to the UK to work on the western fringes of London – to places like Slough, Uxbridge, Reading, Windsor, High Wycombe or in the Heathrow area, these picturesque market towns and historic villages in wonderful country settings will have just the right appeal for a quintessentially English experience. But if you’re not familiar with the area yourself, you might find it hard to give your transferees the best advice; there are a lot of factors to take into consideration when looking for a rental property, and a wide variation in the rents being asked. Not to mention the considerations of convenience for work, access to suitable schools, easy transport links for trips back home... This is when employing the services of a relocation agent can really help.

At Saunders 1865, our teams of experts combine local knowledge with first-hand experience to put people in a home that will be right for them. We know what works and what doesn’t and our dedicated approach to your property search will leave no stone unturned. We can advise you on how much you should expect to pay and the advantages and disadvantages of choosing different areas. We can bring expertise to all these factors and help to arrange smooth, efficient and stress-free relocations – all over the UK. Our services include home finding assistance, school finding, lease negotiations, temporary accommodation, move management and immigration assistance. Don’t hesitate to contact us to find out how we can help you.

Click here to download a pdf version of this report.

For information about our Full Rental Finding and Schooling Programs or any of our other programs, please enquire using this Contact Form .

Read a schedule of UK Corporate Relocation Services typically provided to our clients.