What’s going for it? The Black Prince, eldest son of Edward III, ran the manor in the 14th century, and since then Risborough’s got quite used to lofty visitors. Xi Jinping popped in for a pint last year, and all manner of dignitaries pass through at some point in their lives, thanks to Chequers being just outside town. As a result, Princes Risborough has become something of a museum exhibit, with which prime ministers can demonstrate What Britain Is Like to celebrities whose only exposure to Blighty has hitherto been watching Harry Potter in their private cinemas. I’m not sure how representative a town can be when properties routinely hug £1m, but on the surface Princes Risborough does the job. It supplies all the signifiers of a certain kind of modest Englishness (cricket on the green, warm beer in pubs, half-timber, bit of thatch, gentle wooded hills) a short hop from the capital (and, for those slebs, the private jet at Northolt airfield).
The case against It’s not all that. I mean it’s nice, but is it £1m nice? Nimbys (even newly arrived nimbys) might moan about the 2,500 new homes and bypass planned for the town.
Well connected? Trains: hourly to Aylesbury (18 mins), Bicester (19 mins) and Banbury (40 mins); twice hourly to High Wycombe (10 mins), Beaconsfield (16/18 mins) and London Marylebone (45/50 mins). Driving: 20 mins to Aylesbury, High Wycombe and the M40, half an hour to the M25, an hour to Oxford.
Schools Primaries: Monks Risborough C of E and Longwick C of E are both “good”, says Ofsted, with nearby Great Kimble C of E “outstanding”. Secondaries: Princes Risborough “requires improvement”; Misbourne in Great Missenden is “good” but oversubscribed.
Hang out at… The Plough at Cadsden, waiting for the next head of state. The Three Horseshoes in nearby Radnage to escape the paps.
Where to buy There’s not exactly a dodgy end. The old heart near the church has pleasant cottages, but the prime spots are Monks Risborough, Askett and Whiteleaf. Large detacheds and town houses, £750,000-£1.5m. Detacheds, £450,000-£750,000. Semis, £320,000-£550,000. Terraces and cottages, £300,000-£500,000. Rentals: a one-bedroom flat, £750pcm; a three-bedroom house, £1,200-£1,500pcm.
Bargain of the week A three-bed semi a stroll from Monks Risborough station and a mile from Princes Risborough town centre, for £395,000.
From the streets
Ros Brear “A few too many charity shops, not much for young people to do. But the fabulous Chiltern hills surround the town, there are great walks and there’s a fab pub, the Pink & Lily.”
Susie Kearley “I love the National Trust beauty spot at Pulpit Hill. My pet hate is nearly getting run over on the zebra crossing on the main road.”
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