Living in Canterbury: new houses in Kent city that's increasingly popular with commuters with one-hour trains to London St Pancras

Parts of Kent stand out as good value at a time when rail and road upgrades have slashed journey times to London.

Savvy commuters are moving from costly west Kent hotspots such as Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks to the east of the county, where homes are typically 20 per cent cheaper.

The pretty cathedral city of Canterbury, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is swinging into favour now it has one-hour trains into St Pancras.

Property developers are snapping up sites within the ancient walls and along the River Stour and building family houses on the city's leafy fringe.

The Observatory is a scheme of 52 homes in a leafy pocket just a short walk from Canterbury West train station.

The properties include large detached houses with an open-plan ground floor opening on to a garden. They also have a light well through the centre of the house, plus a separate double garage.

Prices start at £385,000 and rise to £775,000. Call Pentland Homes on 07525 234019.

The location and price bracket appealed to geologist Andy Upton and recruitment consultant Alex Agerholm. They commute daily to St Pancras and then head to work at Paddington and Bank.

Cheaper homes are for sale at Royal Parade, part of a redevelopment of former Howe Barracks on the outskirts of Canterbury.

Prices from £268,500. Call Taylor Wimpey on 01227 809153.