A list of the 54 'poshest' villages in the UK, based on factors including house prices, lifestyle amenities, connectivity, and 'chocolate-box appeal', was compiled by the Telegraph using data from Savills Estate Agents, but could you actually live in one of them?
Living in an idyllic country village is a lifestyle and property dream for many people, with the data also revealing that high numbers of people are prepared to spend thousands of pounds on rent in countryside spots, in some cases for years, until a suitable home in their desired village location becomes available.
Around 60% of Savills estate agents reported a rise in demand for rental homes in the most desirable countryside locations during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Additionally, 57% said the demand came from those who could not buy where they wanted.
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Since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, this 'escape to a country village' appeal has only increased, with real estate consultants Knight Frank reporting the highest number of sales in the country market for 15 years, with the number of buyers desperate for a country life registering for property alerts up by 35% in 2021.
Frances Clacy, an analyst at Savills, said: "People want villages that have a bit of everything, from schools to stunning countryside, with accessibility to cities and transport infrastructure. Less well-trumpeted factors count too, such as that the main road through the village should only lead to other villages."
The list of the 'poshest' villages in the UK, as defined by the company's criteria, includes five fabulous Welsh locations but if you want to move to one of these pretty and potentially life enhancing, community-based villages you may need to be patient and have a good sized budget too. The five Welsh locations rarely have more than one or two properties in or within the surrounding countryside available for sale at any one time, and they don't tend to stay on the market for too long.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the national average house price in Wales in June, 2022, was at a record high of £213,000, but the average for each of the five villages on the list is tens of thousands of pounds more and in a couple of cases almost double the nation's average.
So, if you want a slice of one of these famous five 'posh' villages and experience small community life in a unique and beautiful location, you might have to push the boundaries further and find an abode further from the heart of the hamlet or you might have to compromise on space and character, or even get the toolbox out and get stuck into a renovation project. Here are some tasty options on the market at the time this article was written.
Llanarmon-yn-Iâl, Denbighshire
Llanarmon-yn-Iâl's friendly atmosphere as well as its location and pretty properties has landed it a place on the Telegraph's list. The village's community-owned pub called The Raven Inn hosts live music, quizzes, and takeaway curry nights, there's also a choir and a panto season plus, of course, this lovely hamlet has a village green and charming and historic church.
The village is just a mile off the Offa’s Dyke Path, which brings visitors to the village, and for those who don't want to abandon the hustle and bustle of larger towns, the village is just six miles away from Mold. Properties in Llanarmon-yn-Iâl had an overall average price of £390,000 over the last year. Overall, sold prices in Llanarmon-yn-Iâl over the last year were 28% up on the previous year and 15% up on the 2017 peak of £337,861.
Llanarmon-yn-Iâl: £1m
To find a home for sale in the heart of the village will be a challenge, so looking within the outside area might be the most productive hunt, but if you have a hefty budget there are some absolutely amazing properties to tempt you.
Alyn Bank is a Grade II listed historic home in the area, built in 1825, and used as a vicarage up until 1964, and everything about it is impressive. It is approached via a long sweeping drive through woodland and spanning the River Alyn, set in an elevated position within attractive grounds which include a walled garden.
Further exploration of the grounds of over seven acres reveals a detached range of outbuildings that provide storage, a workshop, garaging and a barn, all of which offer potential for a variety of uses, subject to gaining the necessary planning and listed building consents.
Inside, the beautiful home has three floors of charm and character that includes six bedrooms, a study library, a wine cellar and a principal bedroom with a balcony for the best views of sweeping vistas towards the village which is less than a mile away. Alyn Bank is for sale with a guide price of £1m with Savills, call their Chester branch on 01244 323232 to find out more.
Llanarmon-yn-Iâl: £2m
Up the budget and move another mile or two out of the village and the ultimate manor house dream could be yours at Bodidrus Hall, a mesmerising late Elizabethan manor house built by the Lloyds of Bodidris, an important gentry family who rose to prominence under the Tudors.
The Grade II* listed property has been beautifully restored by the present owner, according to the estate agent selling the historic home, and comes with about seven acres of land that includes a lake. There are six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a huge kitchen diner, a cinema room, a posh home office and an abundance of character with highlights including exposed ceiling beams, historic wood wall panelling, stone mullion windows, exposed stone walls and multiple fireplaces. See inside the manor and meet the owner here.
The house that is so impressive that it secured a coveted star listed rating from Cadw is on the market for offers over £2m with Savills, call their Chester branch on 01244 323232 to find out more.
Newgale and Roch, Pembrokeshire
With a two-mile stretch of beach and the chance to regularly enjoy good seafood, Newgale Beach and nearby Roch is perfect for those looking for an idyllic seaside village. Newgale Beach, popular with surfers, kitesurfers, and sea anglers, has caves and coves at one end, with the main village of Roch located just inland.
The Puffin Shuttle coastal bus service runs to St David’s and Haverfordwest, while the village itself has a pub, a shop, a fish and chip shop, and Mo's Dressed Crab & Lobster take-out. Roch's most prominent feature is its castle which, at the time of its construction, served as one of a group of border strongholds that fortified anglicised Wales from the independent Welsh to the North.
But both of these tiny hamlets that hug the coast and maybe one of Wales' most sweeping and windy beaches are so small, finding a home there might be a real challenge. According to Zoopla data, there have been no sales in Newgale in the past 12 months and only eight in the last five years, with the average selling price of £407,500.
Down the coast road, Roch has experienced a little more activity, proportionate to its size, with four sales in the last 12 months, with a £290,250 average and a detached homes average of £350k.
Newgale and Roch: £375,000
In the heart of Roch, between the castle hotel on the rocky outcrop and the huge beach, this detached dormer bungalow is a bit of a find. Called Sunnybank, there's lots to like here, especially if you are a family home hunter, including a large, flat rear garden perfect for football matches and a drive and garage to please the cars.
The ground floor can boast a lounge and kitchen that run front to back that, if any work were to be done here, could become a large kitchen diner and lounge with the removal of the separating wall, subject to planning and building regulations of course.
There's a bonus conservatory that adds more reception space, and the garden is so big that a rear extension could be an option to add more floor space, subject to planning consent and available budget. But, as it currently stands, this is a well-presented, modern family home with two bedrooms and a bathroom on the ground floor and a further two bedrooms and a shower room on the first floor.
Sunnybank offers a sunny life living in Roch and is for sale for offers in excess of £375,000 with West Wales Properties - call the Haverfordwest branch on 01437 762626 to find out more.
Newgale and Roch: £1.5m
Just off the Newgale coast road and with only sweeping country and coast views as a neighbour, there is a complex of buildings that could offer a home as well as an already established income.
The development comprises Trefrane House, Trefrane Lodge, two unconverted barns which could make up multiple properties, two large agricultural sheds, a large courtyard plus about nine acres of land with the beautiful views to always tempt you outside or to linger at a window.
The stunning development offers a substantial income from the day you pick up the keys, whilst the potential for the remainder of the site is almost unlimited according to the estate agent.
The family of properties offers a lifestyle change that gives the option to choose which property to call home, subject to planning consent, or create your own unique abode in one of the unconverted and characterful outbuildings, again subject to planning. The collection of buildings is on the market for offers in the region of £1.5m with JJ Morris, call their Haverfordwest branch on 01437 760440 to find out more about the potential for a home and a business here.
Oxwich, Gower
Located on the picturesque Gower Peninsula, Oxwich is part of the small community of Penrice which extends from the village of Horton to Oxwich Bay but is just 11 miles from Swansea. The village is steeped in history, which is part of its 'posh appeal' according to the Telegraph, that includes its medieval church of St Illtyd.
The church is shrouded in myth, owing to a half-man, half-horse creature that was said to stride among the gravestones. And how many other tiny villages in Wales can boast its own castle - it seems the location has been a popular place to call home for many centuries.
In present day, the village also has a post office, the Oxwich Bay Hotel, two restaurants and the Oxwich Natural Nature Reserve. Arguably one of the main aspects of the village that entices people to join its small 454 population are the pretty properties that include thatch cottages, plus the small pockets of properties that surround it along the meandering country lanes.
But surely the top spot that makes this village so sought-after is the stunning, sweeping beach that has an abundance of features to impress including sand dunes and salt marshes, plus endless opportunities for walks and water-based activities.
Properties in Oxwich had an overall average price of £393,333 over the last year and the majority of sales in Oxwich over that time were detached properties, selling for between £505,000 and £585,000. Overall, sold prices in Oxwich over the last year were 32% up on the previous year but 40% down on the 2018 peak of £652,500.
Oxwich: £595,000
Location is key at this modern family home, within easy walking distance to the beach, although if you just can't be bothered the spacious garden can offer multiple, sunny spots to relax and dine.
Plus there's a private front garden with not just space for the cars behind the metal gates, but also for you to find a peaceful spot away from the rear garden party if you want it, overlooking an absorbing countryside view.
But there will be time to explore the Gower peninsula coast, beaches and countryside if this is your new abode as the modern accommodation inside means there's nothing to do to drain your time, except maybe bringing your own interior design taste to each space.
The detached house can offer three bedrooms including a master with an ensuite, two large reception rooms and a kitchen with separate utility room. The house by the beach is on the market for £595,000 with David Morris Properties. Call them on 01792 439221 to find out more.
Oxwich: £750,000
The Gables is a charming detached five-bedroom home situated in the heart of the village and offers oodles of space for a family to work, rest and play across three floors.
There's a sociable kitchen diner that spans the width of the rear of the house that opens out into a well-landscaped garden that includes a summer house, raised deck area and sunny spot perfect for lounging on a lounger.
Back inside, there's also a large, interconnected lounge that can be part of the party at the back of the house that can also be closed off to create a quieter, separate space.
The ground floor also has a separate study that could also be bedroom five depending on what a new owner requires, or the handy storage room attached to the back of the detached garage could be converted, subject to planning consent, into a separate home office.
There's a master with an ensuite, a family bathroom and two double bedrooms on the first floor and an extra set of stairs that take you to a room in the loft labelled as bedroom four or another lounge space by the estate agent. The house is for sale for £750,000 with Dawsons, call them on 01792 367301 for more details.
Rowen, Conwy
Just 25 minutes from Snowdonia, the pretty village of Rowen on the western slopes of Conwy valley is nestled between the mountains. While still only being five miles away from the larger Conwy, Rowen has all the amenities of village life, with a pub, shop, church, and post office.
The Telegraph calls it 'one of the prettiest [villages] in Wales', listing Rowen's riverbanks, farmland, and hillsides among the 'posh appeal' criteria that secured the village's place on the list.
Properties in Rowen had an overall average price of £309,670 over the last year. Overall, sold prices in Rowen over the last year were 5% up on the previous year and 27% down on the 2009 peak of £426,167. The majority of sales in Rowen during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £263,750. Detached properties sold for an average of £401,510.
Rowen: £695,000
Just down the country lane from Rowen, on a road that is actually called Rowen Road, you will find this three-bed detached bungalow that prides itself not only on offering light and spacious rooms but also incredible rural views out towards the village and the mountains.
The house sits on a large plot that can impress you with large front and back gardens that can easily accommodate a greenhouse and veggie patch, as well as the views.
Inside, there is a hub of the home centred around the kitchen diner and adjacent lounge that protrude out into the garden as well as directly connect with it via French doors and sliding doors. There are three bedrooms, the master with an ensuite, a bathroom, large utility room and an L-shaped roof room that could make the best den ever - for adult or child.
In addition, there's an adjoining garage that could be converted into another bedroom, media room or home office, depending on an owner's requirements and planning permission. The house is for sale for £695,000 with Fletcher & Poole, Conwy, call them on 01492 583100 to find out more.
Rowen: £850,000
This impressive detached, period property comes with a surprise - a detached bungalow in the grounds that would be ideal for another layer of the family to make the move to this special village. Finding a house for sale in the village can be hard so this house is showing off by offering you two.
Gwynant was built in the 1930s and has been cleverly extended by the present owners to provide a spacious home ideal for a growing family, with an opportunity for additional income or somewhere for granny in the neighbouring 'Gwynant Bach', which was built in 2012.
The main house can offer a family home with the heart definitely beating the loudest in the large, L-shaped kitchen diner that opens out into the garden terrace via a bank of bi-fold doors.
There are two reception rooms, a utility room and cloakroom as additional accommodation on the ground floor, and four bedrooms (two with ensuite) and a family bathroom on the first floor. Gwynant Bach has two double bedrooms, kitchen, lounge, bathroom and additional toilet within an L-shaped layout. The two homes are on the market for £850,000 with Fletcher & Poole, Conwy - call them on 01492 583100 to find out more.
Shirenewton, Monmouthshire
This Monmouthshire village has views over the Severn Estuary, a famous Christingle service, as well as a local primary school, pubs, and yoga classes - all of which have contributed to it landing a spot on the Telegraph's list.
Shirenewton is the biggest of three villages inbetween the Usk and Wye valleys in the Monmouthshire hills, the others being Mynyddbach and Earlswood, and is located three miles due west of Chepstow, and stands around 500 feet (154 m) above sea level. The population of the village and the conjoined village of Mynyddbach was 657 in 2011.
Properties in Shirenewton had an overall average price of £598,119 over the last year. Overall, sold prices in Shirenewton over the last year were 10% up on the previous year and 16% up on the 2010 peak of £517,045.
The majority of sales in Shirenewton during the last year were detached properties, selling for an average price of £589,990. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £772,500, with terraced properties fetching £290,000.
Shirenewton: £640,000
Attractive on the outside and gorgeous on the inside, this is a three-bed semi-detached home with a difference. It is a slice of Home Farm Court, a prestigious conversion of an early nineteenth century model farm into ten luxury properties, sitting in around six acres of beautifully landscaped communal parkland and is located in the heart of the glorious Monmouthshire countryside and just south of the village.
The exclusive, gated development is approached along a sweeping, tree-lined driveway which skirts the boundaries of Shirenewton Hall park. The model farm was originally built for the hall's owner, Charles Oswald Liddell, who served as Sheriff of Monmouthshire in 1918.
The agent states that this home, number eight, occupies a south facing corner plot that is the best situated property converted from the farm's attractive stone buildings, which form a quadrangle around a central courtyard with a feature fountain.
Inside, the tasteful and classy, yet comfortable interior design floods this house with welcoming spaces where you just want to linger on a squishy sofa or at the table in the kitchen diner and chat, relax and enjoy the views of the glorious grounds that surround the home.
Arguably, the stand-out space is the kitchen diner and snug area that runs almost the whole depth of the house, although the master bedroom with ensuite including a roll-top bath under the window could persuade you otherwise. This special abode is on the market with a guide price of £640,000 with Fine & Country - contact the Chepstow branch on 01291 629799 to find out more.
Shirenewton: £375,000
At last, a renovation project house that a new owner can add value to, and it's located less than a quarter of a mile down the lane from Shirenewton in the village of Mynyddbach. With panoramic views over open countryside, Sunnyside Cottage, whilst requiring modernisation and upgrading, offers huge potential for a new owner and a way to get to put down roots in and around a 'posh' village on a relatively smaller buying budget.
Dating to the 1740s and still retaining some original features, the current accommodation comprises living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a family bathroom. The home currently has gas central heating and double glazing with solar panel off grid water heating.
Stroll to Shirenewton in minutes or stay put to make use of this village's amenities which include a primary school, hotel and a pub. The cottage waiting for a new lease of life is on the market with a guide price of £375,000 with Archer & Co - call their Chepstow office on 01291 626262 for more details.
See the whole list of 54 UK 'posh' villages here, and don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, renovation stories, and interiors - join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent to your inbox twice a week.
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