A SENSE OF HISTORY

STAMFORD, LINCOLNSHIRE Av. £298,245 +29pc searches

Dating back over 1,000 years, the centre of Stamford still showcases provincial English architecture. The 1950s historian WG Hoskins wrote: “If there is a more beautiful town in the whole of England then I am yet to see it.”

Fashionista-turned-entrepreneur Sara Teeman, and her husband Andrew had lived in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Canary Wharf but chose Stamford to raise their three children. “Stamford is a remarkable place to live. We love how pretty it is and the great things that happen here such as Burghley horse trials,” Teeman says.

“There is always something going on, from Fizzy Fridays to a women’s book club. Rutland Water is on the doorstep.” Other independent brands include Shekleton Wines, which opened at the end of last year, and the interiors shop Margo and Plum. The Stamford Arts Centre puts on theatre, cinema, music events and painting classes in normal times.

PERSHORE, WORCESTERSHIRE Av. £232,428 +37pc searches

Set in Evesham Vale and on the banks of the River Avon, Pershore is famed for its Georgian architecture and medieval abbey and is bordered by Tyddesley Woods which date back to the Ice Age.

“The typical buyers are Cotswoldians looking to downsize or upsize, and Birmingham and London commuters,” says Harry Gladwin. He cites independent brands in the centre of town such as cafe Koffee & Cake and the family-run contemporary, vintage and antique homeware store Persora, which also sells designer gifts. A three-bedroom townhouse will cost between £500,000 and £600,000, he adds.

LUDLOW, SHROPSHIRE Av. £245,974 +50pc searches

Ludlow was a Norman town that began with the castle built in 1086 to defend the Welsh border. The town is still based around the market square, church and castle with Georgian townhouses lining the wide medieval streets.

Cabinetry, precision engineering and agriculture are important industries with fledgling businesses springing up such as the new rum maker Lost Years.

McCartneys is selling a Grade II listed double-fronted three-bedroom Georgian townhouse with a two-bedroom cottage attached for £625,000.

i Shops on the high street in Pershore, an historic market town in Worcestershire

Ludlow Castle sits above the River Teme in Shropshire