Sherborne

In so far as you can call Sherborne a town setting, it offers the best of both worlds, being within a charming market town – Sherborne Abbey plays a big part in school life – with good train links with London.

It also has close ties and the pooling of some A-level subjects with its opposite-number girls’ establishment down the road. There’s a civilised aura and pride in the school’s heritage, which dates from the 12th century.

Distinguished Shirburnians include mathematician Alan Turing – there’s a code-breaking society – novelist John le Carré (then David Cornwell), poet Cecil Day-Lewis, broadcaster Tom Bradby and actors John le Mesurier, Jeremy Irons and Hugh Bonneville.

• 540+ boys aged 13–18, mostly boarding
• £10,125–£12,500