With more and more of us commuting two or three days a week, taking on a one or two-hour commute is no longer the blocker that it used to be — and that's opened up a wealth of new areas for those who want to live in the country but work in the metropolis. Many of those are charming villages and coastal areas to the south of London; Arabella Youens selects some of the best.

Sea change: embark on a Swallows & Amazons lifestyle in the picturesque harbour village of Bosham near Chichester in West Sussex.
With more and more of us commuting two or three days a week, taking on a one or two-hour commute is no longer the blocker that it used to be — and that's opened up a wealth of new areas for those who want to live in the country but work in the metropolis. Many of those are charming villages and coastal areas to the south of London; Arabella Youens selects some of the best.