SURREY’S HIDDEN GEMS

Cheryl Markosky explores the unknown of this popular county 4

H ike enjoying an off-the-beaten-path town feelsleafier than Redhill and is north of LOBSWOOD HOUSE, FARNHAM F holiday,itcan be worthhunting forhomes Gatwick, so you’renot affected by theflight path.” £1,350,000 Tw L in less obvious Surrey towns and villages, Once the summer retreat of JM Barrie, creator of ‘Peter Pan’, on the edge of Bourne Wood with ra andinoff-lying rural spaces. Reigate Grammar School has anew library, six bedrooms, four bathrooms and 1.4 acres. Lo thereare good tennis and rugby clubs, and www.struttandparker.com w Andrea Hewitt of Garrington Property Finders hipsters will like Maison du Velo –acoffee/ suggests that even though it’snot thesort bike shop “wheremen hang around in Lycra of place you easily stumble upon, the village drinking cappuccino and getting massages”, of Chiddingfold is pretty,with ahuge village Mark adds. green, little rowofshops, church and pond. Youcan catch atrain on the spur line, which Andrea says Chiddingfold offers “that warm, takes40minutes to get to London Bridge, fuzzy English feeling”. However,you’renot far or drive to Redhill, a30-minute run to Victoria. from the capital –it’sonly 48 minutes by train to Waterloo from nearby Haslemere. Savills’ Ian Compton tips RanmoreCommon in the Surrey Hills –the property equivalent of The historic town of Farnham has retained atucked away vacation site –wherecyclists, its charm, with Georgian houses, character equestrian aficionados and golfers flock. cottages, two- to four-bedroom terraces, wide open spaces and an absence of large It’snot avillage as such, with no shops or a housing schemes, says Strutt &Parker’s High Street, so most people don’tknow about RichardBanes-Walker. this secret sector.Another plus is nearby 4 Denbies Wine Estate whereyou can sample Thereare excellent boutique shops, and purchase fine English wines. B Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, leisurecentre, and F state and private schools, such as St Nicholas, “Families come out of London for the lifestyle,” O Frensham Heights, Edgeborough Prep, notes Ian, who’sselling aportion of converted w Charterhouse, South Farnham, and Lord RanmoreManor for just under £1.5 million. SUNHAVEN MANOR, RANMORE COMMON Wandsworth and Wellington Colleges. Ranmorehomes range from £1.25-£7.5 million, £1,495,000 depending on size and condition. Major portion of the wing of agrand Victorian house, with four bedrooms, orangery, balconyand views Connections arefirst-rate, with access to of the North Downs Way. the A31/A3, M3/M25 and the south coast. Foxtons’ Greg Nickson recommends veering www.savills.com Heathrow,Gatwick and Southampton airports away from the Surrey Hill villages and heading areless than an hour away; as aretrains to north-west of Guildford, whereyou’d be hard Waterloo costing £24 return. pressed to beat part of aconverted Georgian mansion in the grounds of Edward III’sformer Youcan also watch films, hear talks and enjoy deer hunting park. theatreproductions at The Maltings, and explore Alice Holt Forest on theedgeofFarnham. “Driving up Cobbett Hill Road in Normandy, most people have no idea what lies behind “Houseprices stay solid, as there’salack of the ornate gates –over 40 acres of communal supply and plenty of demand –somany people grounds opening up to reveal the glorious want to move hereand not many people 18th-century mansion of Henley Park.” leave,” adds Richard. 4 Greg’smarketing athree-bedroom home over Ifyou’removing out of London, you might four floorswithviews of Surrey countryside for want to consider the frontiers of Reigate, £835,000 –asum Londoners can only dream whichismoreaffordable than Godalming or of when thinking of upsizing to alarger place. Cranleigh, according to Mark Crampton of Middleton Advisers. Older homes and conversions aren’tthe only NURSERY GARDENS, TONGHAM properties to be found in daring places. New FROM £385,000 Upsizing is less painful, as families wanting homes can also be discovered in out-of-the- Three- and four-bed houses on apeaceful road close to independent shops in awell-connected to move to abigger house only have to pay way locations, points out Brett Reeves, sales villagewithits own cricket club. between £750,000 and £2 million. “Also, the manager of Bewley Homes. www.bewley.co.uk 04 |moveto.co.uk | September 12 2018 COBBETT HILL ROAD, GUILDFORD £835,000 Become the lord of your own manor –orpart of it, with athree-bed home in aformermanor house set in communal parkland. 4 www.foxtons.co.uk

“Our hidden gem is Nursery Gardens, situated down atree-lined road in Tongham, where there’samini-mart with post office, village bakery,curry house, and fish and chip shop.”

Tonghamisalso home to the Hogs Back Brewery–anaward-winning producer of fine English ales and lagers. In addition, there’sa 19th-century church –the only one in Surrey with aseparatebelfry –and paths and bridleways for the adventurous. 4 4

Theaverage price paid for ahome in Tongham is £502,387, compared to the equivalent in Guildfordat£864,702 and Farnham at £791,577, according to Zoopla. HIGHFIELD, LINGFIELD LONGHURST PARK, CRANLEIGH FROM £725,000 FROM £474,950 “You get just as good access to road and rail Twenty Arts-and-Crafts homes on the edge of avillage known for horse Pick up athree-bed semi for the price of asmall London flat in a links, but Tonghamoffers morehouse for your racing, Tudorbuildings and astation taking commuters to Victoria and thriving village in the Surrey Hills that’sonly 32 minutes to Waterloo moneythantrendier Farnham or Guildford,” London Bridge. from nearby Guildford. Brettremarks. www.millgatehomes.co.uk www.crestnicholson.com Tongham also benefits from being located only 1.8 miles from Aldershot, which offers adirect service into London Waterloo that takes only 46 minutes. There’sadirect run from Farnham, too, but it takes 52 minutes.

Discovering these entirely new Surrey neighbourhoods can be equally exciting for the venturesome buyer.Itmight take some vision, but if you’re an early adopter it could reap benefits,asyou’retherebeforeprices start to rise. 4 Octagon Developments has just been given the green light by Woking Council to construct anew flagship development called Broadoaks Park at West Byfleet.

BROADOAKS, WEST BYFLEET It consists of 125 private properties –115 are FROM £480,000 new and 10 refurbished from listed buildings. Octagon Developments starts building a new community in January with homes for all – and fast 30-minute trains to London Waterloo. Broadoaks will also have 54 affordable homes, www.broadoakspark.co.uk 75 assisted living apartments for over-60s, an 80-bed carehome and an office block. ws Octagon CEO Tim Banks explains: “The ex-Ministry of Defence site was derelict for the past 11years. It’s taken nearly five years to getplanningpermission, and it’svery significant to create anew community.”

Tim adds that there’s“something for everyone” on site in this aspirational place with reasonable prices –atwo-bed lodge starts at £480,000. “People aremoving less and staying longer,sotheywant acommunity.”

Broadoaks Park isn’tgated and has plenty of open space –including aplaypark for children and playing fields. Tim envisages young people and downsizers living here.

“Downsizers can eventually move to the care home, while their children live in nearby homes. SUTTON POINT, SUTTON This frees up homes for others,” he adds. FROM £280,000 Family-friendly apartments in CNM Estate’sfirst And like every bold outing, finding ahomefar phase, with fast trains to Victoria in 25 minutes from the madding crowd could pay offinterms 4 and Blackfriars in 33 minutes. of finance and lifestyle. Ahidden gem is likely www.suttonpoint.co.uk to be the jewel in Surrey’scrown. September 12 2018 |moveto.co.uk | 05