Online House Hunter: Crime scenes | Alan Cleaver | Independent Editor's choice Blogs

Online House Hunter: Crime scenes | Alan Cleaver | Independent Editor's choice Blogs

I’D hoped for more from product placement on UK television. I wanted to press the red button when Poirot enters one of those sumptuous art deco properties and buy most of the furniture and, if possible, the house!

If you’re looking to move house, why not choose one of the locations used in the UK’s ever-popular crime dramas and you might even end up as an extra in the next episode of The Bill or Sherlock.

My favourite location would be Hambleden in Buckinghamshire – note the correct spelling; most people mistakenly spell it Hambledon which is the Hampshire village loved by cricketers. Hambleden is used frequently for Miss Marple. For anyone who knows this tiny village it’s amusing how some subtle changes in camera angles has enabled the producers to use the same location for numerous episodes. It’s a delight from whatever angle you choose, nestling in the Chiltern hills but close enough for the London or Oxford commuter. Houses for sale in Hambleden are rare but our search engine reveals others in the surrounding villages.

Midsomer Murders’ fans should head a bit further west to the Thames Valley town of Wallingford. This is the town dubbed Causton in the popular daytime TV drama featuring Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby. Fortunately the crime rate is nowhere near that shown on the fictional show! Our online search engine shows a number of three or six-bedroom homes for sale in Wallingford but zoom out on the map for a wider choice.