‘The happy memories people make at university can certainly exert a very strong pull,’ Andrew Perratt, head of country at Savills, told Country Life.
‘We’re seeing both young families and older couples returning to these locations, which offer a brilliant quality of life, as well as an attractive price differential with London.’
With that in mind we've picked out a top 10 – and examples of what sort of money you'd need to afford a fine family home in one of these superb spots.
Oxford – £2.35 million
Lathbury Road – six beds, needs a bit of work. £2.35m via Savills.
Cambridge – £1.5m
Chesterton Road – six beds, and a gorgeous family home. Particularly if you like blue kitchens... (you have been warned). £1.5m via Carter Jonas.
Edinburgh – £1.075m
Chester Street - absolutely stunning. £1.075m via DJ Alexander.
Bristol – £1.2m
In the village of Redland, away from the centre - but not too far away. £1.2m via CJ Hole.
York – £1.395m
Just traditional enough, just modern enough. Splendid. £1.395m via Carter Jonas.
Leeds – £1.1m
An Arts-and-Crafts house in Weetwood, north of the city centre. £1.1m via Carter Jonas.
Newcastle – £995,000
Six bedroom home, totally refurbished by someone with a taste for Footballers' Wives chic, next to the cricket club in Jesmond. £995k via Sanderson Young.
St Andrews – £1.5m
A few steps from town, the golf course and probably 90 seconds from the beach. You could get something for under £800k, but this one is a cracker and thus £1.5m via Savills.
Exeter – £800,000
A pretty incredible chance to buy a proper Victorian pile. Work needed, but not as much as you might think. £800,000 via Stags.
Norwich – £825,000
Given the choice we'd be tempted to commute into town from one of the coastal villages, but if you're keen to be in the city this is superb. £825,000 via Websters.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
How Oxford University's buildings evolved, and how its 'chiefest wonder' came into being
'Where is the University?' is the most common tourist's question in Oxford. The answer is rather complicated.
The fascinating story behind the world's most beautiful, blissful avenues of trees
Our fascination with avenues of trees is near-universal to mankind and stretches back four hundred years. Mark Griffiths takes a
-
Uniquely unique? The Yorkshire grain silos transformed into a home that's a symphony in glass, steel and curvesAmid the beautiful countryside of North Yorkshire, on the edge of the Castle Howard Estate, The Silos is a property for which the word 'house' simply doesn't cut it. And that's not the only way in which it's made us throw out the dictionary.
-
Polluting water executives now face up to two years in prison, but will the new laws make much of a difference?The Government has announced that water company executives caught covering up illegal sewage spills could now be imprisoned for two years, under new laws — but many still have their doubts.
-
Uniquely unique? The Yorkshire grain silos transformed into a home that's a symphony in glass, steel and curves
Amid the beautiful countryside of North Yorkshire, on the edge of the Castle Howard Estate, The Silos is a property for which the word 'house' simply doesn't cut it. And that's not the only way in which it's made us throw out the dictionary.
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expectThe four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
-
About time: The fastest and slowest moving housing markets revealedNew research by Zoopla has shown where it's easy to sell and where it will take quite a while to find a buyer.
-
A wisteria clad hall built by one of the founders of the Bank of EnglandCome for the history of Old Hall. Stay for the interesting interiors.
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River TayCarnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producersStormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in KentNorth Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
