Hot Spot: Andover, Hampshire

Hardly Hampshire's most attractive town, Andover demonstrates the triumph of convenience over pulchritude. "Andover is within the magic one-hour train time to Waterloo, so the area remains as popular as ever," says Simon Walker, the regional director of Stacks. "The town is no great beauty itself, but the surrounding countryside and villages are particularly pretty. St Mary Bourne could be straight out of a Miss Marple episode, and the villages along the Test Valley are highly sought after."

"Don't overlook its excellent private and public schools," adds Margie Coldrey, who replaced her weekday public relations base in a London dining room with a rustic home-office. "We didn't really choose Andover. But we soon found that prices in other Hampshire towns were too high. We wanted a spacious house, and for the price of a cramped cottage in, say, Hartley Wintney, we got a four-bed Georgian cottage with large rooms and a coach house that I converted into an office.

"Andover is not particularly nice but it has everything you want, including wonderful countryside and shops. We live in an extremely pretty village just outside the town." Neighbours include the actor Anthony Andrews, who lives in the Chutes, and Reg Presley of The Troggs.

Situated at a crossing point for the River Anton on long-established routes between London and the southwest, Andover has benefited from its location for nearly a millennium. The largest of the three Test Valley towns (the others are Romsey and Stockbridge) it had a population of only 15,000 in 1951, but soared after accepting London overspill in the 1970s, and now has about 40,000 inhabitants. Local officials anticipate a population of about 50,000 within the decade. And there seems to be no shortage of picturesque thatched cottages in which they can live.

With a strong local economy, many people roll out of bed to work: "The Walworth and Portway industrial estates are home to various businesses, and Andover has one of the lowest levels of unemployment in the country," says Quiller Taylor of Connells. "The MoD's Defence Logistics Organisation is a major local employer, and it accounts for a lot of activity in the housing market."

According to David Smith of Dreweatt Neate, property values are holding their own: "The Test Valley is charming, has delightful villages, and has areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the north, especially around the Chutes. "Recently, a cottage in Longparish with a guide price of £225,000 sold for more than £300,000."

Getting there

Andover to London Waterloo is just over an hour. Southampton (Eastleigh) airport is 28 miles away, and Heathrow is 58.

Shopping

The Chantry Centre is a covered shopping mall in the town centre which has all the usual high-street suspects. There's a twice-weekly street market and a monthly farmers' market. Nearest major shopping is in Winchester, Basingstoke and Southampton.

Art & entertainment

Cricklade Theatre offers drama, music, dance and family entertainment. The town's only cinema is now a nightclub, and so the nearest multiplex cinemas are in Salisbury, Basingstoke and Winchester.

Attractions

Andover Museum and the Museum of the Iron Age have a pottery collection and other artefacts. Summertime outdoor classical- music concerts are held at Broadlands and Thruxton Race Circuit. The Hawk Conservancy is in Weyhill, and Middle Wallop hosts a biannual International Air Show.

Leisure

Andover Leisure Centre offers swimming, squash and badminton courts, and five-a-side football. Charlton Lakeside has pitch-and-putt, a boating lake with pedaloes and crazy golf. Basingstoke and Romsey have swimming pools with flumes and other aquatreats.

Dining

Popular country pub restaurants include the Cricketers in Tangley and Peat Spade near Chilbolton. The Hotel du Vin in Winchester lures Andover diners.

What you'll pay

According to Connells, average prices are £85,000 for one-bed flats, £125,000 for two-bed terraces, £155,000 for three-bed semis, and £220,000 for four-bed detached.

Entry-level thatched

Thatched cottages below £300,000 are scarce. A grade II 2-bed detached cottage in Thruxton is £279,000 at Bradford & Bingley. Hillside is a two-bed thatched-roof cottage with triple garage needing modernisation in Penton Mewsey, £295,000 at Dreweatt Neate.

Advanced thatch

Autumn Cottage, a 3-bed brick semi in Longparish, is £325,000 at Dreweatt, and a 3-bed 2-reception stone detached house with courtyard gardens in Chilbolton is £335,000, at B&B. Pintails has 4-bedrooms on a large plot in Charlton, £385,000 at Dreweatt. The 3-bed detached Bridge Cottage in Stoke needs updating, about £395,000 at Dreweatt.

New

Linden has flats from £99,950; Swan Hill built more than 60 homes, from £217,000; Bryant has two developments near the train station. Two-bed flats start at £133,000: Weyhill Park (01264 336470) and Hanson Fields (01264 335317).

New Queen Anne

Woodway House in Kimpton is a new 10,000 sq ft house with indoor swimming pool, workshop and outhouses on 10.16 acres; 2.8m at Lane Fox (Hungerford), 01488 682726. Upper Mill Farm, on a 25-acre plot in Monxton near the A303, overlooks a trout stream, and has outbuildings and an office, £1.5m at Jackson-Stops, 020-7664 6646.

Estate agents

Bradford & Bingley, 01264 355100; Connells, 01264 352207; Stacks, 01264 731214; Dreweatt Neate, 01264 342342.