ALTRINCHAM and Hale has been named Britain’s second most sought after suburb.

Analysts from Hamptons International has compared price growth in the suburbs and satellite villages around cities across England, Scotland and Wales, excluding London, to compile a list of the best performers.

Cambourne and Hardwick, in Cambridge, topped the table, with 18.6 per cent year-on-year growth, bringing the average house price to £373,090.

And coming in at second place is Altrincham and Hale, dubbed “the home hunting ground for any self-respecting local footballer or entrepreneur” by the Telegraph, which commissioned the research.

House prices in the WA15 postcode are up by more than 17 per cent year-on-year, to an average of £439,629. This is 21.5 per cent higher than in 2007.

The research revealed that 69 per cent of properties are close to independent shops, 56 per cent are within a one mile radius of an outstanding school and 63 per cent are family homes – making it a top choice for suburban living.

Altrincham and Hale beat the likes of Portobello, also known as ‘Edinburgh’s seaside’; Kidlington in Oxford, which hit headlines last year after it became a Chinese tourist hotspot for its quintessentially English appearance; and fellow Manchester suburb Cheadle, which came in at seventh place.

David Fell, research analyst Hamptons International, said: “Suburbs usually sit somewhere near the middle of a housing journey and are where people spend most of their time as a homeowner. The average suburban home is sold only once every 19 years, half as often as a city centre flat. And because people stay for such a long time, they’re willing to pay big premiums to live in desirable suburbs.

"While first time buyers are more willing to take a punt on an area improving, suburban house hunters generally go for places that tick most of their boxes from day one.

“The British love affair with the suburb took off in the 1920s as housebuilders tapped into the desire to escape increasingly grimy cities. The middle classes in particular bought into leafy housing estates on the edge of town in big numbers.

"Space between homes alongside generous front gardens gave estates their semi-rural air. Over eighty years on and what buyers look for hasn’t changed much.

"Well-built spacious homes are just as sought after as ever.”