Market Harborough

A town that does things differently

Market Harborough is a historic market town of around 25,000 residents in South Leicestershire, built where the River Welland meets the Grand Union Canal. It is widely regarded as one of the best places to live in the East Midlands — not because anyone says so particularly loudly, but because people who move here tend not to leave. The schools are exceptional, the high street is unexpectedly good, the commute to London is genuinely fast, and there is a civic pride here that you do not often find in a town this size.

The high street

The Old Grammar School — a timber-framed building on wooden stilts in the middle of the high street, built in 1614 — is probably the most photographed building in Leicestershire. Around it sits a high street that has held its own against out-of-town retail better than almost anywhere else in the county: independent butchers, delis, bookshops, restaurants, and cafés alongside the expected national brands. The Wednesday and Saturday market is still well-attended, a continuity of trade that stretches back to the town's medieval market charter.

Property

The property market in Market Harborough reflects its desirability. Prices are consistently above the Leicestershire average, driven in significant part by the London commuter effect — buyers who want fast trains, more space, and a real community rather than a commuter suburb. The housing stock is varied: Victorian terraces around the town centre, substantial Edwardian and inter-war semis and detacheds on the established residential roads, and extensive modern development on the southern and eastern edges of the town.

The most sought-after addresses are in the conservation area around the church and grammar school, on the roads bordering Welland Park, and on the quieter residential streets off St Mary's Road. Properties here, particularly four and five-bedroom detacheds within the Robert Smyth catchment, generate consistent and competitive buyer interest.

Transport

East Midlands Railway operates direct services to London St Pancras in approximately 60 minutes off-peak, making Market Harborough a credible London commuter town despite being 80 miles from the capital. Leicester is 15 miles north — 25–30 minutes by car via the A6 — and the M1 is accessible via the A508 and A14 in approximately 20–25 minutes. The Grand Union Canal towpath provides a pleasant cycling and walking route, and the town has reasonable bus connections to surrounding villages.

Schools

Robert Smyth Academy is one of the genuinely outstanding state secondary schools in Leicestershire. Ofsted Outstanding, with a strong sixth form, a consistent EBacc performance, and a reputation that drives buyers from across South Leicestershire and Northamptonshire to look at Market Harborough specifically. The primary provision is strong across the town. For independent education, Brooke House College is based here, and the Leicester independent schools (Leicester Grammar, Stoneygate School, Leicester High) are accessible within 45 minutes.

The canal and the park

Welland Park is the town's central green space — well-maintained, with a bandstand, tennis courts, and a paddling area that fills with families on summer weekends. The canal basin has undergone significant regeneration and is now a proper leisure destination, with narrow boat hire, waterside dining, and regular events throughout the summer. The River Welland provides riverside walking in both directions from the town centre.

Why Market Harborough works

The combination of fast trains to London, an outstanding school, a genuine high street, and a strong community makes Market Harborough arguably the best-value commuter town in the East Midlands. Buyers come from Leicester, Northampton, Milton Keynes, and London itself — and the market consistently reflects that demand. If you are deciding between Harborough and comparable towns in Northamptonshire or Cambridgeshire, the school alone tends to settle the question.