More For Your Money: Highams Park

Highams Park doesn't trip off the tongue with the same ring as other leafy London areas - Hampstead, Highgate or Harrow. But venture 20-odd minutes on the train from Liverpool Street, and then stroll to the boating lake, and you will be surprised by the attractive combination of convenience and greenery.

Here are well-maintained Edwardian terraces and semis clustered around the western edge of Epping Forest. Miles of rural walks take you away from the hubbub of suburbia. And along the way, you can get used to the idea that there are still areas of London where starter flats cost £125,000.

The drawback with Highams Park is that it lacks action. Whether you're after a movie or a meal - or just a decent cup of coffee - you're better off heading a mile up the road to Chingford. The areas bordering Highams Park - Hale End to the south, Friday Hill to the north - are equally quiet.

"The forest and the transport have great appeal. We attract first-time buyers who can't afford Walthamstow," says David Karrass of agents Douglas Allen. "We also get young families who need more space. Although Highams Park has a London postcode, it's really Essex. There are good schools, a low crime rate and lots of green space."

Bay-fronted Victorian terraces - houses and flat conversions - are abundant, and thanks to table tennis, Highams Park has a wide range of newer homes, from Edwardian houses to new-build flats: a plastics factory made enough ping-pong balls to become a major local employer, and a blue plaque on Jubilee Avenue marks the spot: "Plastics Historical Society. On this site, from 1897-1971, stood the Halex factory of the British Xylonite Company."

Growing families aspire to Loughton, Chigwell and Epping, but many remain, buying one of the many large homes. Last year, a four-bedroom detached house on a large plot sold for £700,000. A similar property in North Chingford might cost twice that.

How much do flats cost?

One-bedroom flats start at £125,000. If you don't mind living above a shop, Douglas Allen has a three-bedroom flat for £175,000, at least £5,000 less than purpose-built flats. Two-bedroom conversions near the station can sell for £225,000.

What about houses?

Three-bedroom semis and terraces start at £250,000, rising to £500,000 for four- and five-bedroom detached houses on large plots. Immediately north, in South Chingford and Friday Hill, prices dip a bit, then rise in North Chingford, where large houses can cost £1.5m

And the transport links?

The main-line service to Liverpool Street is frequent and takes under half an hour. Buses link Highams Park with Tube stations in Walthamstow, Loughton, Leyton and Woodford. The nearby North Circular A406 provides access to the motorway network, particularly the M11 and M1.

What about shopping?

Chingford Mount has Sainsbury's and Morrisons superstores and many smaller shops, and South Woodford and Buckhurst Hill both have a Waitrose.

How green is the greenery?

Highams Park has a boating and angling lake, and borders a golf course. The 5,000-acre Epping Forest extends south to Manor Park and north to Epping and beyond. There are also numerous smaller recreation grounds and woods.

Do schools try hard enough?

Local primary schools achieve above average results in English, maths and science, led by St Mary's Catholic Primary, which consistently scores between 90 and 100 per cent. Chingford Church of England Junior, and Whitehall Primary also get good results. Normanhurst School, independent and mixed, is one point above average.

And one for the pub quiz...

Two local lads done good: an aircraft designer and a footballer. Who are they?

Sir George Edwards (1908-2003) designed Concorde and the Vickers Viscount; and Teddy Sheringham played for England and Manchester United, and now plays for West Ham

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