New commuter village: Crowhurst, East Sussex

Crowhurst, a village deva-stated by the Normans before the Battle of Hastings, is sweet and highly sought after, even though it doesn t quite tick all the boxes in the quest for the perfect village . It has a primary school and one pub The Plough and there was a post office, but this has just been closed down under the Government s post-office reorganisation scheme. Crowhurst is basically not much more than a road with houses either side of it, says Matthew Alexander of local agents Rush, Witt and Wilson. But it s easy to commute to and from, and people who don t want to live in Battle come here. The village is surrounded by playing fields and recreation grounds, and the houses are a mixture of period properties, mostly Victorian with a few modern ones, but its blessing is that is hasn t been blighted by rows of red brick. Crowhurst offers good value for money if you re looking for a nice detached four-bedroom house a stone s throw from the station. And it s far quieter than Catsfield and Ninfield, which have main roads going through the villages, explains Mr Alexander. The property market is stable, but people have to be a lot more realistic with their pricing. If something comes to the market that s overpriced, it ll just sit there. There s a lot of interest at the moment for houses at about the £750,000 to £1 million mark. It s the ones at about £450,000 to £500,000 that re struggling. There are deals to be done, but you have to go that extra mile. Near Crowhurst, the average price for a two-bedroom semi-detached cottage is about £220,000, but large, family houses with land start at £500,000. * Travelling time: There s an hourly service from Crowhurst station to London Charing Cross which takes one hour 35 minutes * Schools: Battle Abbey is a good private junior and senior co-educational school; Claverham Community College in Battle is a very good State secondary school; Claremont in St Leonards-on-Sea is a private nursery and preparatory school; Vinehall in Robertsbridge is a private boarding school for boys and girls up to the age of 13; and there s the Church of England primary school in Crowhurst * Shopping: At Battle, which is a seven- or eight-minute drive away, you ll find a good selection of smaller boutique-style outlets, such as tea shops, antique shops, bakeries, butchers and smart clothes shops. For a wider selection, Hastings has all the main chains you d expect, with a shopping mall and two large supermarkets * Eating and drinking: Not a particularly good selection in the area, but The Queen s Head in Icklesham has good food and real ale, plus fantastic views and a nice garden; The George at Rye is a new hotel with a good reputation; and there s Siam 2, a newly opened Thai in Battle. But don t forget that decent French meals (if you can negotiate the hit-and-miss quality of the cuisine in the Pas de Calais) are only a tunnel ride away * Attractions: Battle Abbey, which William the Conqueror built to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Hastings, is worth a visit; Bodiam Castle, near Robertsbridge, is a magical late-medieval moated fortification; Scotney Castle at Lamberhurst is a romantic ruined lakeside castle; and the gardens at Pashley Manor in Ticehurst are glorious. Plus anyone into steam trains would love a trip on the Bluebell Line * Pros: Lovely rural position, very quiet, pretty views and a doddle to commute from * Cons: Lack of facilities, including the absence of decent country pubs and convenience stores: You can t even get a pint of milk without driving into town, adds Mr Alexander