Approximately 32 miles north of London lies Roydon – a ‘picturesque’ Essex village known for its community spirit, abundance of local businesses, and charming pubs.
Now, it’s been named the best commuter spot for Londoners looking to leave the city for the countryside. And it’s still only 30 minutes away on the train.
Ranking the best 100 commuter towns and villages that are less than 90 minutes from the Big Smoke, a new study has seen Roydon place first.
It was highlighted for the performance of its schools, the price of a season ticket (£3,604), entertainment options (3.79), and proximity to green space (with a score of 100%). Beats the city concrete, right?
Elsewhere, Epsom in Surrey ranked second, while county neighbour Whyteleafe took third place and Watford, Hertfordshire, fourth, according to The Telegraph’s list.
Tempted to make the move? Here’s everything you need to know about Roydon, from things to do in the local area to house prices and transport options.
Things to do in Roydon
Ready to start your homebuying journey?
You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from:
– Award winning service from the UK’s leading mortgage broker
– Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week
– Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market
Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won’t charge you a fee for their advice.
Find out how much you could borrow online
Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
If you’re looking to support local businesses, Roydon is the place to do that.
There’s Tylers Cross Farm Shop, which sells fresh local produce, including meats and cheeses, while The Craft Boutique offers every single gift you might need, catering for everything from baby showers to wedding presents.
For the green-fingered, Matthews Plants has a vast selection of flora, and if afternoon teais up your street, My Favourite Things is open for vintage-style parties. There are also two pubs – The New Inn and The White Hart – within walking distance from each other and the station.
And as ever, there’s a strong sense of community spirit here, with a local village market taking place on the second Saturday of every month. The sentiment is all about supporting local producers (with fresh food and handmade items on sale), as well as raising funds for Roydon Village Hall.
Looking for a spot of greenery? If you’re into cycling or walking, the Roydon Country Walk is popular with locals – and spans around 5 miles.
It takes around two hours to complete on foot, and stops along the way include St Peter’s Church (which dates back to the Middle Ages), Netherhall (a ruinous manor house built in the 1440s), Glen Faba Lake, the River Stort, and Roydon Marina Village.
Harlow is just around the corner, too (a mere six minutes by car, or four minutes on the train), which houses a variety of family-friendly activities including the Town Park, Harlow Museum and Walled Gardens, The Gibberd Garden, and Parndon Wood Nature Reserve.
House prices in Roydon
Naturally, this Essex bolthole doesn’t come cheap. According to data from Rightmove, over the last year, homes in Roydon sold for an average of £607,595 – considerably more than the typical asking price across the UK, which has now hit a record high of £377,000. Ouch.
In Roydon specifically though, there are glimmers of optimism (if it’s within your budget, that is), as these figures have remained similar to 2024, and are actually down by 18% from the peak of £745,231 in 2021.
What locals are saying about Roydon
Locals are enamoured with Roydon – and over on Reddit, @EI89 praised the Essex village for having a ‘really easy commute to Liverpool Street.’
Elsewhere in the r/Essex Subreddit, Roydon was complimented for having ‘a great primary school, playing fields, canal, farms you can roam around, [and] ye olde pubs.’
Londoners are flocking to this ‘perfect’ commuter village just an hour away
It’s not just Roydon that’s all the rage with London commuters.
Perched right on the River Stour in Essex is the unassuming village of Mistley, famed for its warm community feel, unique history, and its highly efficient train station.
Mistley has one of the highest performing stations across the UK – and it’s just over one hour by train from London Liverpool Street. Just hop on the service to Manningtree for one stop and change for the direct line.
With services run by Greater Anglia, between January 5 and February 1, every single train that was scheduled to stop in Mistley successfully arrived – and there were zero cancellations, making it an idyllic location for London commuters, who have long been flocking to this Essex bolthole in their droves in search of a quieter life.
According to Visit Epping Forest, the village is ‘small’ but ‘picturesque’ – and is even known for having links to Tudor history, as Henry VIII presented his son, Edward VI, to the local people at Roydon Hall back in 1538. The more you know.
Transport links in Roydon
Thinking about how long your commute to the office might be? There’s a direct line from Roydon to London Liverpool Street that takes as little as 29 minutes – AKA, the same amount of time some Londoners might even spend on the Tube in the morning.
Tickets cost in the region of £13.80 for a single journey, and services run roughly twice an hour. Who needs to live in London, anyway?
The top 20 London commuter towns and villages, according to The Telegraph
- Roydon, Essex
- Epsom, Surrey
- Whyteleafe, Surrey
- Watford, Hertfordshire
- Esher, Surrey
- St Albans, Hertfordshire
- Epping, Essex
- Brookwood, Surrey
- Loughton, Essex
- Ewell, Surrey
- Windsor, Berkshire
- Ware, Hertfordshire
- Oxted, Surrey
- Stanstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire
- Reigate, Surrey
- Theydon Bois, Essex
- Potters Bar, Hertfordshire
- Guildford, Surrey
- Shepperton, Surrey
- West Molesey, Surrey.
What’s your home like?
This year Metro is partnering with the Ufurnish.com Home Awards to bring readers the best in UK property.
From jaw-dropping before-and-after renovations to effortlessly stylish spaces on a budget and rental DIY masterpieces, the awards recognise outstanding talent across 20 categories covering interiors, gardens, furniture innovation and home accessories.
As part of our partnership, Metro’s Property channel will be full of inspiring homes, fly-on-the-wall property pictures and tips and tricks from those in the know.
Need some inspo (or some eye candy)? We’ve rounded up nine winners from last year’s awards to get those creative juices flowing.
Head to Ufurnish.com to enter now.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.