For many, the picturesque town of Harpenden in Hertfordshire is a dream destination. With its charming high street, outstanding schools, and proximity to London—just a 40-minute train ride away—Harpenden has become a magnet for affluent families.
But for Charlotte Kenton, 36, the town’s exclusive appeal is precisely why she left and why she would never return to raise her children.
Charlotte, who now lives in Milton Keynes, once called Harpenden home, but the skyrocketing property prices quickly made it unaffordable.
“I used to live here,” she told Express.co.uk. “I used to rent here, but I couldn’t afford to buy. And now, I don’t even think I could afford to rent because the rent’s gone up so much.”
Indeed, Harpenden’s property market is among the most expensive in the UK. The average house price in the town was a staggering £863,310 in the last year, more than double the national average of £305,000.
Detached homes fetch even more, with the average selling for £1.38 million over the past year. Harpenden also boasts 116 streets where properties are valued at £1 million or more, making it a playground for the rich.
However, for Charlotte, it wasn’t just the cost of living that drove her away—it was the town’s insular nature. Now a mother, she has no desire to bring her children up in Harpenden, despite its many advantages.
“I don’t think I would want to bring them up in such an affluent area,” she says. “I think the children of Harpenden have a very narrow worldview. They just live around other Harpenden people and they don’t really understand what the real world is like.”
Charlotte’s concerns echo sentiments shared by others who have found Harpenden’s wealth and exclusivity to be both a blessing and a curse.
On satirical website, ilivehere.co.uk, which publishes opinion pieces on places across the country, Harpenden was recently mocked as “the smuggest town in the smuggest county”.
“In one of the ’boutique shops’ on the High Street (between a Costa and a charity shop), they sell mugs that say ‘I’m terribly posh, I’m from Harpenden'”, the reviewer wrote. This was before describing the “distinct Harpenden type” as people that were “probably bullied at school”, worked in a bank or law firm in London and “squeezed out a couple of babies with names like Arthur and Florence”.
The town, home to around 30,000 residents, has long been a haven for those seeking a quiet, affluent lifestyle. It ranked 16th on a list of Britain’s wealthiest areas in 2003, with 148 millionaires calling it home—more than even Knightsbridge in London.
“Harpenden has a strong sense of community that is treasured by local residents”, Harpenden Town Clerk Carl Cheevers said. “We work hard to ensure that Harpenden meets the needs of all residents. It is a vibrant town with incredible green spaces, a picturesque centre and busy events calendar that everyone can enjoy.
“We have an active community that benefits from a number of town-council-owned, high quality sporting and recreation facilities, and community groups that contribute positively to the health and wellbeing of local people.”
The town’s popularity has only grown in recent years, especially in the wake of the pandemic. The shift to remote working has made Harpenden even more attractive to those fleeing London for more space and a better quality of life.
“Who wants a ground floor flat in Clapham with no garden now? No one,” estate agent Ken Whittaker, of Whittaker & Co in Harpenden, pointed out in 2021, highlighting the surge in demand.
Yet, as the town’s appeal has increased, so too has its exclusivity. For Charlotte, this created an environment that felt detached from reality, especially for children.
“I think it’s a bit of a bubble here,” she explains, “and so I’m happier with where I am now.”
