"I wouldn’t call it posh, just well-maintained," Laura Heath said when I arrived at West Wittering, a jewel in Sussex's crown. I met Laura when I finally reached West Wittering beach, a well-known stretch of sand which attracts thousands of tourists every year as well as celebrities who live in the area. I was on a mission to find out just how upmarket the village is after The Telegraph named it one of the "poshest" coastal villages in the UK , partly due to its eye-watering house prices.
A resident of five years, Laura said: “People here care about the place they live in and the environment, so it drives house prices up, plus there is a high demand with little supply in the area. "We love it here and I couldn't imagine a better place to live on the South coast with sandy beaches at your doorstep." West Wittering has an average house price of £913,082 with 18% of its homes being sold for more than £1m in the past five years.
Resident Laura Heath with husband Greg on West Wittering beach enjoying a family outing (Image: Ramy Abou-Setta / The Argus) It is very popular thanks to its promise of a relaxing summer holiday and its sandy beaches. It has become the go-to destination for a lot of families across the UK to enjoy a dip in the sea and feel as if they are on a European getaway for the day - if it’s sunny that is. The village has a modest population of just over 800 residents according to the most recent ONS census.
Read more: West Wittering named one of the most be.