There’s no shortage of quaint spots where Londoners can head for a relaxing few days out of the Big Smoke. Marlow in Buckinghamshire is one of those places, but be warned - you may end up wanting to move there. It’s a small town sandwiched between Maidenhead and High Wycombe and has is known for its rowing regattas, as it sits on the River Thames.
It’s recently been described as ‘dead posh’ by The Telegraph, which also ranked it within the top 10 poshest towns in the country. It’s a small town with a population of around 15,000 yet it has an average property price of around £702,680, according to Rightmove, not too far off London’s median price of £759,100, so it will cost you a fair few bob if you fancy relocating.
Given that it’s not too far from the capital, it’s not unheard of to find Londoners there, but unlike other places, there is ‘no barrier against Londoners’. Cllr Richard Scott who has served the town for 23 years share his views.
He said: “It’s a very welcoming, all-inclusive community. It’s changed over the years from being a good local town, to somewhere with a lot of new businesses, but they compliment some of the business that remain. We are well known for excellent restaurants, excellent fashion stalls, and it also has a Gail’s. It’s a great place to work, live, and visit, and it’s really attractive.”
Cllr Scott added that Marlow has a strong sense of community and is not ‘snobby’.
“Over the years everyone has kept it attractive and exciting, it’s inclusive and is not a snobby town at all, it includes everybody at every level,” he said.
“There are many organisations in the town - all the ones you’d expect from the big national charities, as well as private clubs. I chair an association which has 30 affiliated clubs in it, and that represents a few thousand of the residents, from old people to young people."
‘We don’t have a barrier against Londoners’
“There is also great education," Cllr Scott adds, "We have two schools one a comprehensive and one is a grammar school but they’re both of very good standing. We [also] have a lot of new people coming in, but everyone is welcome and we don’t have a barrier against Londoners.”
Sarah Alston, Director of Stowhill Estates Buckinghamshire said the high street and Marlow's location are part of what makes it great.
“We did a 12 days of Christmas campaign with 12 local businesses," she remarked, "and they’re all run by self-starting entrepreneurs and there’s such a wonderful sense of sprit and hospitality within the community.
"People are really keen to keep things within Marlow and to serve they’re community, everybody’s got a passion for what they do and for keeping things local.”
She added: “There’s a fantastic bookshop, a fantastic prosecco bar, wonderful homeware shops, a toy store which is a real rarity, people want to do the best for Marlow and for the people within it.”
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