The opening of the Hindhead Tunnel project on Wednesday (27 July) by Philip Hammond, the Secretary of State for Transport, signals an end to the North / South property divide that has for decades drawn a clear county line between Hampshire and Surrey. In an area of outstanding natural beauty, recently recognised by the creation of the South Downs National Park, the golden triangle of Petersfield, Haslemere and Petworth which crosses the Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex borders, has traditionally been one of the most desirable areas to live in the south of England, and where demand for properties has far outstripped supply.

By linking Hampshire and Surrey, the tunnel will bring significant advantage to owners of properties to the south of Hindhead, particularly those not well served by the mainline railway stations and who rely on the road network to reach London. The villages around Hindhead will also see a reduction in traffic on local roads, stopping the bottleneck as drivers, increasingly frustrated by the long delays caused by a single set of traffic lights, found alternative routes. Jane Constanduros, Senior Negotiator, Jackson-Stops & Staff Midhurst explains the added draw for the area and its properties on the Tunnels anticipated opening: The opening of the Hindhead tunnel will make the journey time to London faster meaning more people will consider the area when looking to move out of the city but remain in easy reach of London, Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Property values are unlikely to rise immediately, but when people realise how quickly they can now get from London to the coast, and as more people discover the jewels of the South Downs, property prices should rise by 10%, as happened when the new A3 trunk road was built bypassing Petersfield.

The Midhurst office has a range of beautiful properties in the area, including Strange Place, Northchapel, a Grade II listed country house with long views and detached pasture and woodland at 2,950,000 and Graffham Court, near Petworth, an equestrian estate in the heart of the South Downs at 8,000,000.