The best places to live near London: Surrey

Haslemere

Commute: Haslemere (London Waterloo, 52 minutes). Frequency of trains: 3 per hour (peak). First train in: 5.26am; last train home: 11.45pm. Annual season ticket: £3,900.00. Annual car-park ticket: £1,050.

Tip: There's a good, friendly coffee bar next to the station.

The Country Life verdict: Haslemere station is said to have one of the highest number of first-class season-ticket holders in the country, but parking is notoriously tricky-the waiting list to own one of the coveted parking passes rivals that to join The Hurlingham Club. The market town has a particularly charming centre with a monthly farmer's market and an interesting museum that was started in 1888. The stock of property perhaps weighs a little too heavily in the direction of 1930s semis, but good Victorian villas with walled gardens do come up from time to time.

Best address: Tennyson's Lane. ‘It was Alfred, Lord Tennyson's house and is very beautiful. Properties in this street, from which you can walk to the station, are extremely desirable,' says Russell Grieve of Knight Frank Haslemere.

Alternative: Chiddingfold (which boasts The Mulberry Inn, owned by Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans).

Farnham

Commute: Farnham (London Waterloo, 54 minutes). Frequency of trains: 2 trains per hour (peak). First train in: 5.56am; last train home: 12.05am. Annual season ticket: £3,816. Annual car-park ticket: £1,040.

Tip: From west Farnham, Guildford station is a possibility.

The Country Life verdict: With only two trains an hour, Farnham doesn't automatically qualify, but we've included it for its picture-perfect Georgian Castle Street, on which you could easily imagine characters from a Jane Austen novel gathering to admire a new hat shop. It's got a particularly musical, cultured ambience.

Best addresses: Broomleaf Road, Lynch Road and Waverley Lane. Another very popular area is within walking distance of South Farnham Junior School.

Alternatives: Rowledge. Richard Banes-Walker of Strutt & Parker Farnham says it's ‘a good village, which ticks many boxes: a recently refurbished shop and post office, one of the best butchers in Surrey (Michael Humphries), well-supported coffee mornings and a cricket club. The Cherry Tree pub is a favourite with locals and hosts a fiercely contested village competition night'.

Alternatives: Churt, Dockenfield and Crondall are also popular. Tilford is exceptional, with its quintessential English cricket green.

Chobham

Commute: Woking (London Waterloo, 28 minutes). Drive to station: about 10 minutes. Frequency of trains: 11 per hour (peak). First train in: 5.29am; last train home: 1.05am. Annual season ticket: £3,080. Annual car-park ticket: £1,390.

The Country Life verdict: A pretty village, very much a conservation area, with several pubs and antique shops. The common is the largest National Nature reserve in the South-East and one of the finest remaining examples of lowland heath in the world.

Best addresses: Paul Frost at Prime Purchase recommends: ‘Chobham Place. A fine Georgian house in good grounds in prime Surrey, which is very rare indeed'. Chobham Park is ‘one of very few charming period estate houses left in this area,' says the team from Property Vision.

Alternative: Horsell.

Dunsfold

Commute: Godalming (London Waterloo, 46 minutes). Drive to station: about 12 minutes. Frequency: 4 per hour (peak). First train in: 5.40am; last train home: 11.45pm. Annual season ticket: £3,588. Annual car-park ticket: £1,000.

The Country Life verdict: Dunsfold is a long and narrow village strung along the common. Served only by local roads, the village enjoys a tranquility that's difficult to find in this part of Surrey. Enjoys an active community spirit including the ‘tone and groan' ladies' keep-fit class, an amateur-dramatic society and a cricket team.

Best address: ‘Pickhurst is an immaculate house in lovely grounds. It has enough land for a small shoot or horses,' says Paul Frost of Prime Purchase.

Alternative: Peper Harow.

Windlesham

Commute: Ascot (London Waterloo, 56 minutes). Drive to station: about 10 minutes. Frequency of trains: 3 per hour (peak). First train in: 6.10am; last train home: 11.50pm. Annual season ticket: £3,440. Annual car-park ticket: £1,080.

The Country Life verdict: An active village that obtained lottery money to refurbish the amateur Windlesham Club and Theatre. The fabled Updown Court was hailed as the most expensive country house to hit the market when, in 2005, it launched at £70 million. The Crown Prince of Dubai, the Duchess of York and Brian Blessed are residents.

Best addresses: ‘Upper Ribsden: opulence and land in a great location,' says Paul Frost of Prime Purchase. ‘Windlesham Manor is very, very special indeed,' believes James Grillo of Chesterton Humberts.

Alternative: Sunningdale.

Frensham

Commute: Farnham ((London Waterloo, 54 minutes). Drive to station: about 10 minutes. Frequency of trains: 2 trains per hour (peak). First train in: 5.56am; last train home: 12.05am. Annual season ticket: £3,816. Annual car-park ticket: £1,040.

The Country Life verdict : Has a community-run village shop-cum-post office. Set within the open heathland of Frensham Common, it contains the National Trust-owned Frensham Great and Little Ponds. Originally built to supply fish to the Bishop of Winchester, the ponds and surrounding area are now a wildlife sanctuary.

Best address: Paul Frost at Prime Purchase says: ‘Pitthanger is that rare "square" house in Surrey'.

Alternative: Bentley (Hampshire border).

Shamley Green

Commute: Godalming (London Waterloo, 46 minutes). Drive to station: about 16 minutes. Frequency: 4 per hour (peak). First train in: 5.40am; last train home: 11.45pm. Annual season ticket: £3,588. Annual car-park ticket: £1,000.

The Country Life verdict : Sheltering underneath the Surrey Hills AONB, this semi-rural village with village green and duckpond is on a good route into Guildford and is near the excellent St Catherine's School, Bramley. Known for its cat population, as seen in a recent BBC documentary.

Best address Willinghurst House, former home of Sir Harry Secombe, is one of the most desirable houses there, says Andrew Giller of Savills Guildford. It's got a mile-long private drive, with uninterrupted views to the south coast.

Alternative: Ewhurst.

** Read the full list of our best places to live near London