Hampstead perhaps London’s most famous village manages to combine some of the most expensive properties

Hampstead, perhaps London’s most famous village, manages to combine some of the most expensive properties in town with a strong local feel. “Families are also an important component.”The popularity of the established London villages continues unabated. A variety of properties and a mix of tenure as much as mixed use is what is needed,” says Ms Barnes. Shops and restaurants should be within walking distance.”As the Government’s Urban Taskforce has reported, people want a focus to their community “Their choice is not swathes of identical properties. “Within a city that includes hard landscaping with a distinctive layout and a certain character.

This is creating distinct market hot spots.Yolande Barnes, director of research at FPDSavills, says that if you probe people on the village theme, what they mean is quality of environment – trees, greenery and open space. Some 60 per cent of households would like to live in or on the edge of a village, with only 4 per cent choosing the city as their ideal location. But from the evidence of FPDSavills Research, we have not given up on the blueprint.The increasing popularity of a “village” environment will, as they see it, be a key issue during the first 10 years of the next century. It may be trendier and more cosmopolitan, with open space being the river rather than a green, but its mix of architecture, shops, restaurants and businesses is a winning formula.And as this and other new vibrant communities evolve in cities, so the old rural models are in decline, according to a report from the Women’s Institute. As strenuous efforts were made to calm neighbours, a guest was heard to say: “So this is village life.

How glad I am I live in a city.”
The irony of that comment is that since the city is London, he could also claim to live in a village.Shad Thames – a stone’s throw from Tower Bridge – conforms to peoples’ idea of a village. Before long, though, storm clouds had begun to build, not in the sky but from over the wall and beyond. Christie & Co, which specialises in selling pubs, as going concerns and for conversion, can advise purchasers on these issues.Humberts, Lewes (01273 478828); Humberts, Taunton (01823 332034); Strutt & Parker, Lewes (01273 475411); Strutt & Parker, Exeter (01392 215631); Knight Frank, Exeter (01392 493101); Christie & Co (0171-227 0700). A few weekends ago I found myself in a Sussex village at a friends’ annual party. It was a beautiful evening and the garden and adjoining field were filled with children and their parents. Many pubs are not in a suitable position to be a home – they stand on too noisy a road or are in the centre of town – but the more rural ones could be turned into unusual accommodation.If the pub has not been de-licensed, you will have to look into both this and the possibility of obtaining planning permission for a change of use. It is in 1.25-acre grounds and has four miles of fishing on the river Torridge.