Online House Hunter: England’s most romantic places

Love in the air: A pair of swans swim together at Abbotsbury Swannery

THERE’S a touch of romance in the air – but for any of the non-romantics out there, February 14 is Valentine’s Day and, if you’re lucky, there may still be a garage open on the way home selling cards and flowers.

For those who are head over heels in love and looking for somewhere romantic to set up home, I’ve put together some of the more romantic spots in the south of England.

Let’s start with Thomas Hardy country – and the delightful Abbotsbury in Dorset. Here you’ll find the Abbotsbury Swannery with its colony of mute swans. From the middle of May to late June you’ll also be able to see close-up hundreds of fluffy cygnets. The historic town of Dorchester – or Casterbridge as Hardy called it – offers good road links to other parts of the south.

Travel east and you’ll come to the beautiful New Forest – ideal for those romantic walks. The town of Lymington offers easy access to the New Forest but is also a coastal town with views across to the Isle of Wight. Ferries take you to Yarmouth but if you love sailing, you can always make the trip yourself.

Berkshire has no shortage of romantic villages but Cookham would be my choice. This delightful village is on the River Thames and was home to artist Sir Stanley Spencer and some of his works can be seen at the Stanley Spencer Gallery in the village. It’s surprisingly unspoilt for a location that’s just a short trip on the railway to London.

The neighbouring county of Buckinghamshire has its share of delightful villages, not least West Wycombe. The National Trust village is home to the Dashwood family and the notorious Hellfire Club met down the road at Medmenham Abbey. Take the road up into the Chiltern hills and you’ll find no shortage of wooded villages to melt the heart of your loved one.

If it’s the romance of steam trains you’re after then look for a home in the Sheffield Green area of Sussex where you’ll find the famous Bluebell railway. And it runs through some of the south’s most beautiful countryside too.

My final vote would go to Canterbury, in Kent. It’s mixture of history, the ‘garden of England’ countryside and focus of religious devotion makes it a city that combines the best of peaceful tranquility and cultural stimulation.

USEFUL LINKS

• Independent property search
• Properties for sale in Dorchester
• Properties for sale in Lymington
• Properties for sale in Cookham
• Properties for sale in West Wycombe
• Properties for sale in Sheffield Green
• Properties for sale in Canterbury

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