Commuting to London: picture-perfect Wiltshire villages near Chippenham and Marlborough with good schools, local pubs and direct train routes

The beautiful rural bolt holes of Great Bedwyn, Castle Combe and Ramsbury are worth a commute of just over an hour.
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Ruth Bloomfield3 April 2017

Wiltshire may seem a daunting commute away but choose wisely and your exquisite village home, surrounded by beautiful countryside, can be reached in a little over an hour.

GREAT BEDWYN

Why? The Michelin-star choice

Where is it? Seven miles south-east of Marlborough, in the heart of the North Wessex Downs.

The commute: Great Bedwyn has its own railway station and services to Paddington take from 73 minutes. An annual season ticket costs £5,724.

£895,000: a four-bedroom house at Forest Hill, Great Bedwyn. Through Carter Jonas (01672 647007)

Plus points: This is a big, busy village in gorgeous countryside. Marlborough is a smashing local market town to have on the doorstep, with lovely shops and restaurants. And although the train journey isn’t the fastest, having a station within walking distance helps.

“The community is very active with many clubs and societies,” says buying agent Linda Jeffcoat of Stacks Property Search. “There are two village pubs, a post office, and village shop. There is even a Michelin-star restaurant, The Harrow, five minutes up the road in Little Bedwyn.” To add to the appeal, Great Bedwyn Church of England School is rated “outstanding” by Ofsted.

The downsides? You’ll need a car to ferry kids to senior schools in Marlborough or Hungerford. There is a shortage of properties on the market, particularly family homes, and when they do come up they sell at a premium. Some homes in the village were hit by flooding in 2012.

Property prices: You could pick up a two-bedroom terrace cottage for about £350,000, a four-bedroom detached period family house for about £800,000, and a full-on country manor house with an acre or 10 is about £2 million.

CASTLE COMBE

Why? The ravishingly pretty one

Where is it? Five miles north-west of Chippenham, and within the southern half of the Cotswolds.

The commute: Trains from Chippenham to Paddington take from an hour and 14 minutes, and an annual season ticket costs £10,060.

£650,000: a four-bedroom detached cottage in Castle Combe. Through Hamptons (01225 686084)

Plus points: The quaint streets of Castle Combe are familiar to millions from movies such as War Horse. When the much-delayed electrification of the Great Western Railway reaches Wiltshire, supposedly this year, journey times will be cut to about an hour. Prices are likely to jump as a result. The village has gorgeous houses, a pub, a couple of tea rooms, and is as pretty as they come.

The downsides? High commuting fares. The nearest town, Chippenham, is a bit dreary so head to Bristol or Bath, which are both within 20 miles. There’s no primary school, but one of the nearest is Trinity Primary School, in Acton Turville, rated “good” by Ofsted. Castle Combe is thronged with tourists in summer.

Property prices: Be warned, they’re high. A two-bedroom cottage would set you back in the region of £500,000. You could pay £1 million for a four-bedroom family house and £3 million for a large manor house with an acre or two.

RAMSBURY

Why? For village pubs and riverside walks

Where is it? Another of Marlborough’s satellite villages, Ramsbury is seven miles north-east of the town and again within the North Wessex Downs.

The commute: From Hungerford station, six miles away, services to Paddington take from one hour and eight minutes. An annual season ticket costs £5,580.

£450,000: a three-bedroom semi-detached house in a former school in the heart of Ramsbury, with a spectacular galleried living room. Through Hamptons (01672 647021)

Plus points: Ramsbury is a “stunning village in a very picturesque valley”, says Lucy Winfield, of Private Property Search. There are three village pubs, walks along the River Kennet, and the M4 is handy.

Locals include H&M boss Stefan Persson, one of the world’s richest men, who owns a 10,000-acre estate. The village primary is rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, and seniors can go on to one of Marlborough’s excellent secondaries — St John’s Marlborough is particularly popular, says Lucy Winfield.

The downsides? Fairly punchy property prices, particularly for pretty period houses.

Property prices: A two-bedroom period cottage is about £250,000, with a four-bedroom period house from £750,000 to £900,000. A big country house could cost £1.5 million to £4 million.