Twyford, Berkshire

Twyford's great historical moment is Alfred the Great escaping the Vikings across one of its fords, and the village has been perfecting the quick getaway ever since. The ford is now a railway station where the Elizabeth line meets the Henley branch, which makes Twyford the kind of village where a dinner party can turn into a debate about train fleets. After all that effort to plug the place into London, plenty of the commuters now go no further than the spare bedroom. It was built for leaving, and it has settled into staying in.