It’s brilliant for those working in the capital who want to escape the hustle and bustle
Londoners are spoilt for choice when it comes to commuter towns and villages we may move to. Take Petersfield in Hampshire, a ‘very special’ town of around 15,500 people, which has made its way onto The Telegraph’s Top 100 commuter towns list.
It’s brilliant for those working in the capital who want to escape the hustle and bustle. South Western Railway runs trains to Waterloo every 30 minutes, and they take an hour. A home in the historic market town sets you back around £493,127, according to Rightmove, a hefty £161,838 less than London’s £654,965.
But it’s not just high rankings and cheaper homes that make Petersfield the place to be. It retains a traditional market square with two markets per week, as well as having been home to famous faces.
Comedian Miranda Hart was raised in the area, and actor Hugh Bonneville lives locally. It also has a load of natural wonders too, with Londoners describing it as a ‘convenient gateway to the nature trails of the South Downs National Park,’ we were told. The town has also seen a ‘popularity boom’ for the hugely sought-after Seven Sisters Cliffs Walking Trail.
MyLondon spoke to two Councillors to gauge public opinion on life in the commuter town. Cllr John Lees has represented the town for nine years, having lived there for 30 years, so he has a very strong understanding of what it is that makes Petersfield the place to be.
The lifelong Petersfield resident told MyLondon that the sense of community and ‘excellent schools’ are just two of a plethora of things that make it great. He said: “There are excellent schools around here, both private as well as state schools.” Cllr Lees added the people are ‘very friendly’ and ‘family orientated’.
Londoners are ‘very well received’
“I live on a small estate here and it’s a mix of houses,” Cllr Lees said. “You get some houses which regularly change hands and others where people move in and live there for years. A lot of the ones that change hands tend to be people who come in from London and sort of buy the property, or rent, sometimes to give them more time to see what is available in the area. Londoners are very well received. We accept anyone, we’re not fussy.”
He added that he’s more than chuffed to have settled down in the town. He said: “Having lived here for many years, I really couldn’t choose a better place to live. I found lots of friends here, lots of things to do, and it’s a lovely community to actually live.”
Cllr Lees also told us local nature makes Petersfield greatly appealing. He said: “Because of the limits of the building area within the town, within 10 minutes you can be walking in the countryside on well recognised footpaths. We’ve got the South Downs just on our doorstep.”
MyLondon also spoke to Cllr Thomas Figgins, 21, who has lived in the area pretty much all his life, and has been a councillor for ‘over three years.’ He, too, said there is so much that entices people to move there, such as the regular markets, which create a ‘sense of community’.
“(It’s) a historic market town, we still maintain a lot of pride in that. I’d say our market square. We have two markets every week, and they’re a real point of pride and heritage for the town, as well as a sense of community coming together. That’s a very special thing that we have going for us. But also, we have so many great shops, particularly so many small independent businesses which are able to thrive. “Being such a commutable distance to London as well (makes it appealing). It’s a direct hour train from London.”
The nature is an ‘increasingly popular sector’
He said Petersfield is also a portal for local popular walks. “I think there’s an increasing number of people who see Petersfield as the gateway to the South Downs that it is. It’s one of the newer national parks”
“It’s an increasingly popular sector. I think over the last year we’ve seen a massive popularity boom for particular walks like the Seven Sisters. And I think Petersfield is a very easy place to stop off if you were going to make a weekend trip out of visiting South Downs and things like that.”
‘Amazing characters and also a great sense of community and friendliness’
The councillor also spoke highly of locals and the strong sense of cohesion in the town, where people are more than ‘happy’ to help one another.
He said: “Petersfield has a number of amazing characters, but also I think a great sense of community and friendliness. If you’re ever in trouble or uncertain about something, you can very easily just stop someone on the street and ask them for help, and they’ll be more than happy to.”
Cllr Figgins gave examples of locals coming together to ‘boost biodiversity’ and plant greenery around the town, which ‘really brings the community’ together. “I think more things like that will also help the community spirit in future.”
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