Inside Britain’s ‘poshest village’ with £15,000,000 mega-mansions and dog NDAs

There’s no graffiti or litter in Virginia Water, darling. And a Wetherspoons? No. How about The Wentworth Club instead?

The Surrey village has been named one of Britain’s poshest villages, with the prestigious private member’s club and golf course the jewel in its oh-so-glistening crown. 

House prices in Virginia Water average a cool £1.2million, with some on the Wentworth Estate — one of the most expensive private residential areas in the country — reaching as much as £15million. 

A local dog walker, who’s ‘not posh enough to live in Virginia Water!’ visits daily, but has barely met any of the residents who calls it home.

‘You have to stand outside for starters — and sign an NDA,’ the 46-year-old, who lives five minutes down the road, tells Metro. ‘It’s just the way it’s done around that area.

‘I go through the gate, I pick up the dog, and often it’s the housekeeper that brings the dog out to me, not the person.’

Alas, most of us can only dream of such a life, but isn’t it fun to be nosey?

Here’s the lowdown on Virginia Water for beggarly bystanders and drooling day trippers alike. 

Where is Virginia Water?

Located in the Borough of Runnymede, northern Surrey, the village itself is just about 25 miles southwest of central London. The village station takes you into Waterloo in under an hour, making Virginia Water a highly desirable spot for city workers who prefer a slower pace at weekends.

Despite its fast connections, the area is surrounded by beautiful woodland and scenic trails, with Windsor Great Park, part of the royal estate, running into the village.

Highlights include the two-mile long Virginia Water Lake and The Cascade – a 30ft (9.1m) high waterfall adored by locals and visitors.

What makes it so posh?

Aside from the usual metrics of poshness (low crime rates, high value homes, Waitrose and an M&S foodhall), Virginia Water boasts a number of luxury amenities that attract high-profile individuals.

Rory McIlroy is often seen practising his swing at the aforementioned Wentworth Club, with royals including Olympic equestrian Zara Tindall known to visit the iconic 1920s clubhouse.

Famous faces including Elton John, Gary Lineker and Cliff Richard, who are all known to have owned property in the area at some point. 

Kirsten Whittle, 54, from nearby Ascot, is the owner of Bowood Private Property Management and looks after high-end homes when residents in the village are out of the country.

‘I deal with any sort of problems,’ she tells Metro. ‘I get the cleaners in and get the houses looking lovely so they don’t return to a cold house, basically, and it’s all beautiful when they arrive home.

Her clients are ‘busy families, business people from all walks of life’.

‘There’s another couple of properties that I look after that are tenanted as well, but it’s all prestigious and high end,’ she adds.

Having lived in the area since childhood, does she think it’s posh?

‘That’s such a weird word, isn’t it?’ she laughs. ‘I think it’s always been a little pocket of people that have done well in their lives.’

Kirsten once passed King Charles twice in one day while driving in the area, though he was just a humble Prince back then.

Ascot Racecourse is just 12 minutes away by (chauffeur-driven) car and you won’t struggle to find a high-end restaurant, with Michelin starred Coworth Park nearby.

Bargain hunters will have to make do without an Aldi, and you can forget about Greggs sausage rolls. On the plus side, the boutique shops and independent brunch stops do offer Instagram-worthy delights. 

Did we mention the schools?

Residents’ little darlings have a number of private schools to choose from, such as ACS International School and Bishopsgate School. 

Those not posh enough for you? Eton is less than 20 minutes away, you might have heard of it?

What’s it really like to live there?

Property manager Kirsten says: ‘I like it, because the majority of people have lived here for a very long time. There’s generations that have lived here, same as us. It’s very friendly, it’s very community.

‘There’s a lot of homes behind private gates that you don’t see, but then they’re also sense of community around here as well, and established businesses.’

But the dog walker, who needs to remain anonymous to protect her business, offers a more mixed review.

‘It is a really beautiful area with all of the green spaces,’ says the 46-year-old, who’s lived in a (more affordable) neighbouring village for 14 years.

‘And you know, most of the people that live in the more down to earth areas are very friendly. But I have read things on Facebook posts where people have been a bit disappointed about the lack of community in Virginia water.

‘You’ve got a lot of very affluent people that just live in a big gated house. You don’t really see the people that live there.’

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