Spotlight on Alderley Edge

WHERE: Fifteen miles south of Manchester, junction 6 off the M56.

WHY: This was always the place where the money came and nothing much changes. The cotton barons built their mansions here and now they are changing hands for several million. The village itself winds up a high street bristling with chic restaurants, designer shops and speciality food shops.

It has the feel of an old-fashioned community, albeit a sophisticated, well-healed one.

The village sits at the bottom of The Edge, a hilly outcrop which is now a site of special scientific interest largely owned by The National Trust. Stand up here on a clear day and you can see to Manchester and the Pennines.

There has been a settlement at Alderley since Roman times when copper and lead were mined and the housing reflects its long history, with everything from small cottages to Georgian and Victorian mansions and, lately, luxurious apartments.

But despite the humble beginnings of many houses, you will not find anything under £150,000 and, at the top end, the sky's the limit.

WHO: The electoral roll around here reads like a Who's Who of the rich and famous and it was once rightly dubbed, the "Millionaires' Village". Celebrity residents include a long list of footballers, such as Andy Cole, Rio Ferdinand and Peter Schmeichel, and it was, of course, the place that Posh and Becks first called home. It is popular with families because of good schools and the village atmosphere.

TRANSPORT: Not the easiest place to get to by road, it is 15 minutes from the M56 and about 20 from the M6. The commute into Manchester takes about 45 minutes. But there are direct rail links, which will get you into Manchester Piccadilly in 30 minutes.

SCHOOLS: A number of private schools, but the nearest state one is Wilmslow High School, which gets 69 per cent of pupils through five or more GCSEs at A to C.

AGENT: Rebecca Holt, manager of Bridgfords, Alderley Edge, left, said: "The market is still very strong. We're selling five properties a week across the whole range and people are queuing up to live here - but demand is particularly strong at the top end. We've two or three people with a budget of £2.5m-plus who want a quintessential Alderley Edge villa.

"The biggest change has been the number of new apartments and I think we have enough now to satisfy demand. Family houses are needed, but the decision to allow no more new-build is keeping prices high, especially for period properties.

"Families desperate to move here are buying 70s properties just to get into the area. We try to bring houses to the market by writing to owners of properties we know we would have a buyer for. That does bring a good response."

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