Entry intercoms, electric gates, immaculate lawns and clipped hedges – all of these usually point to a highly desired and wealthy street. But research released today has revealed which ones can claim to top the list of the UK’s most expensive.

The costliest is Wycombe Square (pictured), a ‘new’ square of 19  luxury Georgian townhouses and 48 apartments all snapped up by a raft of bankers and pop musicians back in 2005.

The square, which is set around a central garden, has regularly been in the newspapers as various high profile residents have bought in and out of the postcode, particularly when senior Barclays investment chief Bob Diamond purchased his house there for £10.5 million in 2005, only to sell it for £25 million in 2008. At the time Diamond had been hired by London mayor Boris Johnson to raise money for the capital’s deprived teenagers.

The average price for a home on the square, the research by Halifax reveals,  is a more modest £5.4 million, but that puts it at the top of the UK’s rich-list property pile, closely followed by exclusively London and South East roads. These include:

1. Wycombe Square, Kensington,London W8 – £5.4m

2. Ingram Avenue, Hampstead, London NW11 – £4.8m

3. Cottesmore Gardens, Kensington, London W8 – £4.2m

4. Mallord Street, Kensington, London SW3 – £3.9m

5. Stormont Road, Highgate, London, N64 – £3.37m

6. Brunswick Gardens, London, W8 – £3.08m

7. Bedford Gardens, Kensington, London, W8 – £2.9m

8. Sloane Gardens, Kensington, London, SW1 – £2.7m

9. Parkside, Wimbledon, London, SW19 – £2.68m

10 Paultons Square, Kensington, London, SW3 – £2.66m

Outside of the top ten only roads in Leatherhead, Virginia Water and Sevenoaks were in the next ten most expensive, and the dearest roads in the north and north west of England are still five times cheaper than their counterparts down south – particularly when compared to the London Borough of Kensington Chelsea.

“This borough has long had a global appeal, but the fall in the value of the pound has helped to attract foreign buyers over the past year despite the worldwide recession,” says Nitesh Patel of the Halifax.

By Naomi Buffery, Greene & Co

I’ve recently moved to Highgate and I must say, I do feel like I’m ‘going places’. It’s amazing how you mention you live in a particular area and immediately people think you’re posh.

All of a sudden, I’ve elevated my social standing…life is good; finally I’m getting the respect I deserve. I just love my new-found kudos from being a Highgate resident.

But jesting aside, Highgate really is a lovely place to live – let me tell you why…

1. It’s a peaceful retreat from the clamour and chaos of the City. There is something about the place that makes me feel like I’m not even in London anymore. The quiet, suburban streets are calm and still – a sharp contrast to the congested, noisy streets where I perform the daily graft.

2. On that note, the connections to the rest of the capital are great if you do need to travel a bit further for work or just to do a bit of shopping.

You can pretty much get all over the place. There are buses that run from Barnet to London Bridge; Finchley to Tottenham Court Road; Muswell Hill to Swiss Cottage…or if you take the short trip to Archway you can broaden your horizons even more.

On top of that, you’ve got Highgate tube station on the Northern Line, which can whip you from one end of town to the other.

3. You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to cafes, restaurants, and pubs right on your doorstep. I’m still working my way round all the scrummy places to eat and the pubs with cosy fires and beer gardens.

I love The Angel in the village, with its huge bar stools and board game selections – there’s always a good welcome inside this place.

Or just up the road you have the Prince of Wales, which almost feels like you’re sitting in somebody’s front room; it certainly has that small, good old fashioned charm.

Another great little place is the Wrestlers, on North Road – this pub is so chilled out you could quite easily lose a few hours without realising, and with the roaring, crackling fireplace, the friendly staff and the hearty food, you simply don’t want to move. I once saw Chris Moyles supping a pint in here too.

4. Tucked away behind Highgate Village is Waterlow Park – a hidden gem. This park is calm and serene – a fantastic alternative to any of the larger, more popular parks if you just want some quiet, reflective time on a lazy, sunny afternoon.

Everything you’d need for the perfect day out is here, including clean, free toilets and a quaint café in Lauderdale House serving cold and hot drinks and a small variety of cakes and ice cream.

5. Just round the corner from the park is Highgate Cemetery. When I first moved to Highgate, numerous people told me to visit the cemetery – I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to look at old graves.

However, curiosity got the better of me: I swallowed down the fear and trepidation and took a little venture down on Halloween afternoon. It’s actually a really beautiful, fascinating place and I highly recommend it. It’s quite gothic and spooky with its big ornate tombstones and crypts, but it’s also quite sad to see the derelict tombs from over a hundred years ago, no longer cared for, as nature takes over and engulfs them in vines and branches until they are completely hidden from sight.

6. Just up the road you have Hampstead Heath, with its picturesque surroundings – an ideal place for long walks, whether it’s crisp and frosty or bright, beaming sunshine. Then you can pop along to Hampstead with its old fashioned boozers, independent cafes and funky boutiques.

7. The architecture in Highgate is grand and striking, huge period properties are scattered about on the tree-lined avenues that hark back to a proud and affluent era, where you can imagine horses and carts, ladies with parasols and gentry with top hats promenading in the last rays of the evening sun.

8. Highgate feels like it’s steeped in history, I’ve heard lots of interesting stories about its history, which makes it a fascinating place. Among the many legends that surround Old Highgate, there is an old belief that if Whittington’s Stone is ever removed (from the original spot where Dick Whittington “turned once more” toward London) or if any harm should befall it, great change and disaster will fall upon the neighbouring area. A much “blacker” part of Highgate’s history were the events of 1665, when it was used as a mass burial ground for the victims of the plague. They were brought by the cart-load from London and buried in deep lime-filled pits in the place which is now Queens Wood.

I still feel like there is so much more to learn, see and discover about Highgate. I’m really excited about embracing my new home and making the most of everything this gorgeous little, historical village has to offer.

Ten stand-out properties to share with you this week, one of which is Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett’s former home in Brighton.

1. Historic country mansion

2. Architect Robert Adam

3. Grain mill

4. Cate Blanchett’s former home

5. Architect designed home

6. Contemporary house

7. Funky house in Shoreditch

8. Former school house

9. Water mill

10. Luxury house

A South African colleague of mine recently commented that one of the things that struck her most when she moved to the UK was the abundance of chimneys dominating the skyline. Not being something that hot and sunny South Africa has much need for, it was something she wasn’t used to seeing – but something so familiar to us here that we barely notice them.

Apparently the first chimneys appeared some time in the 13th century, following on from the rather rudimentary hole-in-the-ceiling method used previously. But of course, it is the Victorian age and the Industrial Revolution that we really have to thank for the quantity and variety of chimneys we have today.

We’ve decided it’s about time we celebrate our distinctive skylines – not least because it’s almost Christmas, and without chimneys how would jolly old St Nick make his grand entrance year after year?

So here’s a round-up of houses on the market with some of the most impressive chimneys we can find. Enjoy!

Buckinghamshire £2,000,000
Believed to be the only remaining example of a Christopher Wren house to have been built outside London, Winslow Hall was constructed using over one million bricks and was built around a central spine of four chimneys.

Middlesex £1,190,000
This Edwardian thatched home looks to be all about the chimney. On the inside, it leads to an open fire with log burner and oak beamed chimney breast. There’s also a secret door on the first floor, leading to a ‘captain’s cabin’, reclaimed from a ship dating from the 17th century.

Cambridgeshire £1,500,000
Red-brick manor house Toseland Hall is Grade II* listed and dates from the early 17th Century. The design of the house is dominated by the massive, ornate, shafted chimneys.

 Newcastle £1,995,000
The chimney stacks of this 19th-century former school tower above the neighbouring properties. Over the last three years the house has been restored to its former glory as a private family home.

London £1,250,000
This converted fish-smoking warehouse comes with this original smokehouse chimney – and chimneys don’t come much bigger than this! Father Christmas should have no trouble squeezing down there, no matter how many mince pies he’s had.

Despite snow-flurried scenes on Christmas cards being a staple part of the festive season in the UK, how often do we actually get to enjoy a white Christmas? I spend every Christmas at my family home in Scotland, and I reckon I could count on one hand how often I’ve seen a sprinkling of the white stuff on the day itself.

Although it seems that most of the UK is to be seeing a snow storm or two over the next few days, of course some parts of the UK have more chance than others of seeing snow each year. And when it comes to Christmas Day this year, Aberdeen looks like the favourite according to William Hill, coming in with odds of eleven to four.

But if you’re really dreaming of a white Christmas, you’ve got to aim high. Mountain high if possible. Here’s our pick of the homes on the market with a chance of seeing snow this Christmas.

Ben Tee, Highlands £795,000

Cairngorm National Park, £795,000

Snowdonia £1,950,000

High above the Severn Vale £850,000

Malvern Hills £795,000

North-eastern Peak District £2,500,000

Edge of the Peak District National Park £995,000

The Pennine Hills £1,695,000

Calling all property bloggers… We want to celebrate your writing.

Whether dozens, hundreds or maybe thousands of people follow your thoughts on bricks and mortar why not win yourself a bit of  hard, ‘put it on your mantlepiece’ recognition?

Because we’re announcing the launch of our very first blog awards – and we’re looking for your nominations.

The categories are:
Best blog
Best blog post
Best newcomer (for a blog that started in 2009)
Users’ favourite blog

And the prizes?
The winner of the Best blog category will win £250 of Habitat vouchers. The winners of the other categories will win £150 of Habitat vouchers.

You can nominate any property blog (including your own) so please email your nominations to editorial@primelocation.com, with ‘blog awards’ in the subject line.

Nominations close at midnight on 3 January 2010, and we’ll be announcing the winner towards the end of January.

From the nominations for the Users’ favourite blog category, a shortlist will be posted on this page in the middle of January 2010, giving you a chance to vote for who you want to win.

Good luck!

Another week of interesting properties to share with you. There’s a Phillipe Starck-designed home, a swimming pool with its very own chute and a beach house on the Camber Sands to take your fancy.

1. Eco-friendly family home

2. Toll house

3. Country house

4. Phillipe Starck

5. Converted Victorian piano factory

6. Picturesque cottage

7. Beach house

8. Jonathan Creek-esque mill

9. The Subterranean Mansion

10. Formely Gilbey’s Gin factory

With almost 43,000 London properties listed on Primelocation.com right now, there’s a whole lot of searching for homes in the capital being done. Ever wondered exactly which areas are the most popular? From the leafy south west to the uber-cool east, there are a lot of likely contenders.

We’ve been taking a look at the most searched for postcodes on the site over the last three months to find out exactly where tops the list.

And the capital’s most desirable area is…

N1: Islington has clocked up an impressive 110,359 searches over the past three months. With its bars and boutiques, antiques market and easy access to the centre of London, alongside famous residents such as Tony Blair and Colin Forth, it’s perhaps easy to understand why.

And the runners up are…
SW7 – South Kensington
SW6 – Fulham
NW3 – Hampstead
W11 – Notting Hill
SW19 – Wimbledon

Ten great properties for your enjoyment, including a Decimus Burton townhouse and Lenny Henry and Dawn French’s Georgian country home.

1. Cob period cottage

2. Georgian windmill

3. Hyde Hall

4. Houseboat

5. Former mill building

6. Tower tucked away

7. Decimus Burton townhouse

8. Loft flat

9. Home with moorings

10. Georgian country house

The time of year has arrived when I start getting excited by frost and ice and find myself walking very carefully to make sure I don’t fall over (I often do). And there’s something about an icy-looking lake on a winter’s morning that really makes me smile. Yes, I want to wake up and look at a lovely Christmas card image of children ice skating across a frozen lake (don’t try this at home, kids).

So whilst I’m imagining I live in a Raymond Briggs cartoon, why not take a look at these lovely lakeside homes.

Snowdonia – £1,950,000
So, what do you get for your millions? Well, this isn’t so much a house as a small hamlet that you’d have all to yourself. There’s an eight-bedroom Victorian main house, a workshop/studio and four additional cottages currently used as holiday lets.

Not only that, but it also comes with its very own fishing lake, and it’s located in Snowdonia National Park. You’re surrounded by nature and can expect to spot kestrels and buzzards flying about while you do a spot of fishing on the lake.

 
Yorkshire – £5,500,000
I love the notion that this country house comes with a ‘small lake and island’. Let’s face it – a lake with an island isn’t exactly small, is it?

Lake size aside, this property is pretty special anyway. It’s a Grade II-listed exclusive estate with eight bedrooms. The tree-lined drive and the Aga in the kitchen mean you’ll be living the country dream.

 
Cheshire – £5,950,000
Want that lakeside view to be a little more literal? Then this Cheshire home is perfect – look how close! The house couldn’t be any closer to the lake unless it was actually in it (and that’s not very practical).

The lake might be gorgeous, but what else do you get? Six bedrooms, a games room, stables, landscaped gardens, a paddock and even a moat.