WHY?

You know those houses that are just ready to move into, no work needed, not even a lick of paint? Yep, that’s Marlow. The original escape for Londoners thanks to its close proximity to the capital, stunning Victorian architecture and stunning riverside locale, over time it’s cultivated all the mod cons of city life. Live here and you’ll often feel as though you’re in a West London suburb: Marlow has a vibrant social scene that’s great for families, a high street bursting with chichi boutiques, and some of the area’s best places to eat – chef hats off to the unofficial ‘King of Marlow’, Mr Tom Kerridge.

EAT

The COach Marlow Tom Kerridge pub with bar seating — The Coach

You can’t mention food in Marlow without talking about Tom Kerridge’s Michelin-starred The Hand & Flowers (the only pub in the UK to hold two stars), the slightly more wallet-friendly The Coach (a mere one star) and his private dining room The Shed. Other great gastro fare comes from The Chequers (a meaty haven), The Royal Oak at Bovingdon Green on the outskirts, and Vaasu by Atul Kochhar which serves pan-Indian cuisine full of flavour.

We’re also loving the dark, dramatic Lavvin, a contemporary grill with garden on West Street, BRVTVS, a modern Italian with a handy sideline in vinyl and cocktails, and stylish Vietnamese restaurant Suum Kitchen. You want more? OK, well, The Oarsman gastropub on Spittal Street has revamped interiors and an experienced team at the helm, and Piccolino is a new addition on the high street on the old site of the Marlow Bar & Grill. If it’s brunch you’re looking for there’s the The Ivy Marlow Garden (the garden out the back is gorgeous on sunny days), and the cool industrial café Coopers in Marlow’s answer to a business district – shhhhh, it’s a real insider haunt, tourists will never find it.

We’re not done yet (we told you Marlow is a foodie destination). Atul Kochhar’s second modern Indian restaurant Sindhu, in The Compleat Angler Hotel, has stunning views of Marlow weir and Satollo, tucked away in Liston Court, has a great local rep for its Italian food and spill-onto-the-courtyard atmosphere. Speaking of courtyards, the lovely Liston Court Gardens is an enclosed garden behind Liston Court’s many restaurants and bars that lends itself to a lively local event space. Expect a boogie with a variety of street food, the odd pop-up market (including a fab Christmas fair), and community events. Elsewhere in Liston Court, find The Mixing Jug for smoothies by day or cocktails by night plus Megan’s, a great spot for (bottomless) brunch as well as small plates, sharing platters and cocktails.

SHOP

The shopping here is excellent (but not for your credit card). It’s a mix of high-end high-street hits – Mint Velvet, Jigsaw, The White Company, Space NK and Sweaty Betty – and a clutch of independents. Glitzy boutiques Un Dimanche à Paris, Sosandar, and My Best Friend’s Wardrobe vie with menswear stores like Burrows & Hare and Hewetts, and cool-for-kids brands Angel & Rocket and Scamp and Dude. Interiors destinations include OKA and Susie Watson, and Home Barn down the road in Little Marlow is a treasure trove of unique and vintage finds beloved of glossy interiors editors. Arguably Marlow is the best retail destination in Buckinghamshire.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

The Marlow Club women's fitness resistance bands — The Marlow Club

There are also more hairdressers, massage therapists, aesthetic clinics and trendy gyms than you can shake your tailfeather at here. You’ll be hard-pushed to find a greater density of high-end hair salons anywhere in the UK, with Harington’s, Dorata and The Chapel all in the town centre. For fitness fiends, The Marlow Club has everything you could possibly need – twice. Just outside Marlow, The Danesfield House spa experience can rival any in Bucks and beyond. And halfway to High Wycombe you can find advanced LA-style therapies like cryotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy at Soma House.

COMMUNITY

The Marlow Regatta is a major event on the British rowing calendar and a big old party for Marlow locals. It takes place at Dorney Lake, the home of Olympic rowing at London 2012, and Marlovians turn out in their droves to support, volunteer, or perhaps slip into a singlet and get on the water themselves. Every year, the privilege is bestowed upon an esteemed local to switch on the town’s Christmas lights (think Mary Berry calibre), and the streets are rammed. All Saints Church has boys’ and girls’ choirs as well as an adult choir, and Marlow Library is very active with community events, particularly for kids.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

In Marlow, there are lovely walks aplenty through Higginson Park and along the river towards Hambleden Lock and Henley. Two of the loveliest National Trust properties in the area – Greys Court and Cliveden (with its gorgeous formal gardens and excellent literary festival) – are just 15 mins away by car, as is privately owned Stonor Park with its Tumblestone Hollow children’s play area, festivals and foodie events.

The nearest posh spa hotel is Danesfield House (the Clooneys held their wedding reception here), five minutes up the road. The Longridge outdoor adventure centre just over Marlow bridge is super-popular with local kids for its watersports and legendary climbing wall. If you’re into wild swimming you’re in luck too – head to Westhorpe Watersports in Little Marlow.

CULTURE

The new Everyman Cinema has been bustling ever since it arrived at the top of the high street in 2023. Pub in the Park in Marlow’s lovely Higginson Park is Tom Kerridge’s annual music and food fest, and it reliably pulls in a major line-up of chefs and big name acts. There’s a professional theatre company in the town called Jam Theatre (local celeb Chris Evans is a patron), or the bigger Wycombe Swan theatre, 15 minutes away in High Wycombe, hosts a roster of touring national theatre, comedy and Panto.

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICES

On average you’ll be forking out £743,427 – less for a terraced house (£620,915) and more for a detached (£1,036,583). Pricey, sure, but the cost of detached properties (of which, unsurprisingly, there are more than any other type of house in Marlow) has dipped over the last year. So, if there was ever going to be a good time to get your foot in the door, this might be it.

HOT PROPERTY

Marlow Best Places to Live — Grade II Listed cottage with wonderful gardens and grounds in Marlow. On the market with Knight Frank for £1.695m.

NURSERIES

Locally you’ll find the small 43-place Victoria House Day Nursery, which features a pirate ship in its large garden, family-run Marlow Day Nursery, Childcare4U in the centre of town, and The House That Jack Built in Marlow Bottom. A new nursery, the Marlow Riley Park, is opening in Jan 2025. There’s also a term-time nursery (age from two years) at Herries Prep School just over the bridge in Cookham Dean.

SCHOOLS

The top state options in Marlow, both Ofsted Outstanding, are primary Danesfield School (inspected in April 2023) and secondary Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School (inspected May 2024). Across in High Wycombe is the high-achieving Royal Grammar School for boys and Wycombe High School for girls, and excellent independent options include all-girls prep school Godstowe, a feeder for the super-academic Wycombe Abbey. You’ll find top prep schools Caldicott in nearby Farnham Royal, High March in Beaconsfield, Herries Preparatory School in Cookham Dean, and the nurturing St Mary’s Prep School and Rupert House in Henley.

BEST-KEPT SECRET

The wild orchids at Bisham Woods (in season May to June). Drive seven minutes out of central Marlow and you’ll reach the Woodland Trust site that inspired The Wind in The Willows. Also look out for primroses, bluebells (stunning when in season in April) and wild strawberries.

COMMUTE

The fastest train from Marlow Station to London (34 miles) has two changes (at Bourne End and Maidenhead) and takes 45 mins. Season tickets from £4,424. Alternatively, drive to High Wycombe (to London Marylebone), or Maidenhead or Taplow (both to Paddington and on Crossrail) for a more direct and speedier route. Driving takes approx 1hr. Want the stylish co-working space without the commute? Hop in the car for 10 mins and you’re at Mill House, Wooburn Green a boutique workspace with chic interiors and free coffee.

View the full Top 300 Places to Live.

Marlow

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