Roydon

ROYDON is quite a commuter haven, being handsome enough to have a conservation booklet written about it, but not chocolate boxy. Some of the houses are genuinely Georgian; others have false Georgian fronts. The village revolves around the church, the green and the High Street, which has many listed buildings. The school still thrives and, though the butcher has gone, there is a bakery, chemist, part-time doctor’s surgery, an Italian restaurant and hairdresser. Roydon has a flower festival every other year; the tennis court is well-used, the Roydon Players can be relied upon for local drama and there are three conservation societies ready to see off the Government’s plans for thousands of new homes. There are some five-bedroom houses with large gardens that sell for £550,000 but they can top £1m; a period house will cost £950,000 at the very least.

Good for: village spirit, good links to the A1 and M11.
Local knowledge: historical relics include village stocks and lock-up.
County:Hertfordshire
London terminal: Liverpool St
Journey time: 30 mins
Season ticket: £2284
Peak trains: 2 per hour
Off-peak trains: 1 per hour