The town of Slough, located just a 30 minute train ride away from London, was once ridiculed in a famous poem and depicted as a symbol of tedium in a popular TV show – but it’s now been named as the Capital’s top commuter spot

Once the punchline of many jokes, a town just half an hour from London has now been hailed as the capital’s top commuter location. The humble Berkshire town was immortalised in a less-than-flattering 1937 poem by Sir John Betjeman, which lamented: “Come, friendly bombs and fall on Slough. It isn’t fit for humans now.”

Compounding this drab image, the hit series ‘The Office’ was based in a dreary office in Slough to encapsulate the drudgery of 9-to-5 life. Even the site iLivehere.com branded it the fourth worst place to live in 2023. Despite the negative reputation that has clung on in the public’s perception, The Telegraph shed light on the borough’s redeeming features in 2024.

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Slough has risen in the ranks as a gem for commuters, praised for “fast access to London, high employment and excellent schools”, reports the Express.

Thanks to the Elizabeth Line, Slough residents can get straight to Paddington in just 31 minutes.

On top of that, house prices are enticingly cheaper here than in London. Last year, Rightmove listed the average property price in Slough at £437,812, while London properties averaged a steep £779,685.

Slough’s accolades don’t end there – it’s celebrated as “the world’s second-largest data centre hub”, and its closeness to Heathrow Airport offers abundant job prospects.

Slough has seen a significant influx of investment over recent years, with grand plans for a major revamp of the town centre in the pipeline.

Chancellors, a leading estate agency, highlights several appealing aspects of Slough that attract residents, such as its rich cultural diversity, abundant amenities, and easy access to stunning green spaces and rural areas.

One such gem is the Chiltern Hills, an area of outstanding natural beauty, which is just a short 30-minute drive from the heart of Slough.