Super Nature: Britain’s Most Beautiful Places to Live, Part 3

The length and breadth of Britain offers some spectacular scenery, from coastlines to mountains, heathland to forest, and it plays a major part in many house-hunters' priority list.

Over decades, Britain has been giving protected status to many areas of land, large and small, in order to retain their character and heritage, and these National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are perfect for many pastimes which are huge benefits to both physical and mental health, an escape from work and urban life and a reminder as to why this country’s magnificent landscape is admired by people from all over the world.

In this part of our look at Parks and AONBs and the new homes available to buy on their doorstep, we head to towns and villages within the Home Counties.

Chilterns

The Chiltern Hills stretch 45 miles from Oxfordshire to Bedfordshire, a mix of farmland, commons and woodland, peppered with historic estates and monuments. There’s distinctive architecture in this AONB’s villages and hamlets, linked by some 1,200 of miles of footpaths and bridleways, and it is well connected to London by road, rail and even the Tube network. It is now renowned as a home for the red kite, an elegant and one-threatened species of bird of prey.

The award-winning Kingsbrook development in Aylesbury is just five miles from the north-west border of the Chilterns, and right now has three- and four-bedroom houses available. A couple of miles closer to the protected countryside are detached and semi-detached homes at Harborne Manor.

Take a look at Kingsbrook:

North Wessex Downs

There’s a wealth of different landscapes in the North Wessex Downs including lowlands, vales, river valleys and woodland, making it very appealing to hikers. On its north-eastern corner it borders the Chilterns on the other side of the River Thames, combining to make a huge area to explore. One of its best-known landmarks is Watership Down.

The development named Living at Newbury Racecourse is ideal for fans of that sport while also being just ten minutes from the edge of this AONB. Right in the heart of the North Wessex Downs is the characterful market town of Marlborough, where Marleberg Grange is taking shape, providing three-, four- and five-bedroom homes.

Kent Downs

This AONB stretches north-west across the ‘Garden of England’ from the White Cliffs of Dover along the North Downs Way, which passes through its country border across the Surrey Hills, another popular AONB. The varied landscape offers opportunities for hiking, cycling, horse riding, canoeing and many others.

On the northern fringes of the Kent Downs is the village of Ospringe, where a housebuilder partnership at Perry Court offers brand new three-, four- and five-bedroom homes in many styles. At Chilmington Green, four miles south of this AONB and just a couple of miles from well-connected Ashford, a second phase of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes has just been released.

High Weald

These 560 square miles across East Sussex, Kent, West Sussex and Surrey make the High Weald Britain’s fourth-largest AONB. Dotted among its woodland and open countryside are many historic homes and gardens, plus a few heritage railways. Rock-climbing, boating, alpaca walking and exploring vineyards are all there to try in addition to more mainstream activities.

In Staplehurst, just north of the High Weald, there are three-, four- and five-bedroom detached and semi-detached houses offered at Dickens Gate. Just outside Royal Tunbridge Wells, in Southborough, Crest Nicholson is building one- and two-bedroom apartments at Spectrum.

South Downs

England’s newest National Park, the South Downs runs from Eastbourne to Winchester, combining woodland, farmland and open countryside with heritage and varied wildlife. The 100-mile South Downs way is only one of several major walking routes, with countless others networking towns, villages and hamlets across three counties.

Just three miles north of the northern border of this protected area, and just south of the South Downs on the southern edge of Haywards Heath, Wychwood Park has a wide array of two- to four-bedroom homes available. In the heart of the South Downs in the town of Petersfield, Causeway Park has everything from one-bedroom coach houses to four-bedroom detached homes.

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