Leaving London: everything you need to know about living in Winchester — from house prices and commute times to best schools
The pocket-sized cathedral city of Winchester is an increasingly popular out-of-town choice for London families looking for good schools, affordable property and a do-able commute. It sits on the western edge of the South Downs, an easy distance from the south coast and with lovely countryside all around.
The commute: rush-hour trains to Waterloo take from one hour and three minutes. An annual season ticket costs from £5,208.
Market forces: prices have fallen slightly year on year, according to the latest UK House Price Index. An average home in the Roman city now costs £423,797, down 2.5 per cent.
Nony Kerr-Smiley, sales director of Charters Estate Agents, estimates that pre-Brexit, up to two thirds of her incoming buyers were from London. That flow has slowed — which Kerr-Smiley believes is behind the price fall of the past year. “Londoners have been stuck a little bit because they are not able to sell their houses,” she explains. “That is why we are starting to see some market adjustment.”
The property search: the three names house hunters need to know are St Cross, Fulflood, and Hyde, small enclaves of period houses all within a 10-minute walk of the city centre.
St Cross is quaint and leafy, with homes ranging from two-up two-down cottages for about £450,000, to three- to four-bedroom Victorian terrace houses at about £800,000, up to lovely five-bedroom Georgian townhouses, which come in at about £1.5 million.
Fulflood is a solid Victorian suburb beloved of commuters because the station is only a five-minute walk away. A three-bedroom terrace house would cost around £650,000.
Hyde, another family-orientated neighbourhood, is close to the River Itchen and Winchester Rugby Football Club. A four-bedroom semi here would cost about £800,000.
“In reality St Cross, Fulflood, and Hyde are very similar,” says Kerr-Smiley. “They are within 15 minutes’ walk of each other and the schools are excellent in all three.”
What’s new? There’s little in the way of new-build homes in Winchester city centre, but there are executive houses for sale at Winchester Village, a mile-and-a-half from Winchester station.
Prices start from £839,950 for a four-bedroom house, or you could pick up a six-bedroom detached house for £1,139,950. Visit Bovis Homes.
The other big housebuilder in the city is Cala Homes. Its Kings Barton development on the northern fringes of the city has two-bedroom flats priced from £425,000 and five-bedroom houses for up to £1.15 million.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT
Chocolate-box looks are Winchester’s stock in trade and you can walk everywhere, while a low crime rate and good schools make the city a parent’s dream. The water meadows are tranquil and beautiful and there’s plenty to do, with a comprehensive range of shops, a cute cinema in an old Scout hut, a theatre and a programme of annual festivals, including events devoted to wine, short films and poetry. The highlights are probably the Hat Fair street theatre festival and the all-out Bonfire Night celebrations.
Foodie options range from The Black Rat restaurant with its Michelin star, to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Kitchen and Deli, to Hotel du Vin.
Downsides: despite recent wobbles house prices are high, making Winchester perfect for someone with a London property to sell, but more difficult for first-time buyers with limited resources.
Traffic noise from the M3 affects certain areas, the railway runs through the west of the city and the ancient network of streets doesn’t cope well with 21st-century traffic levels. There isn’t much nightlife for young people and the city may feel a bit twee and affluent for those with edgy tastes: it’s more Southfields than Shoreditch.
Schools: there is, of course, the eponymous public school where old boys include writer Anthony Trollope, actor Tom Sturridge, numerous politicians and TV producer Joss Whedon. But Winchester also has a thriving state sector. St Peter’s Catholic Primary, St Bede CofE Primary and St Faith’s CofE Primary are rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, as are the highly academic King’s School (seniors) and Peter Symonds College, for sixth formers.