The smallest town in England with a gorgeous high street and not 1 abandoned shop

It might be England's smallest town, but Manningtree somehow packs the best of all worlds into less than a square mile. Nestled on the picturesque Stour Estuary and the edge of Constable Country, the historic 900-year-old Essex settlement is technically classed as a coastal area and even has its own beach.

The town centre is ram-packed with quirky independent shops and places to eat, with not and empty unit in sight. But perhaps its biggest attraction is a direct train line to London that gets you to Liverpool Street in under an hour. That has sparked a rush of city dwellers desperate to enjoy the romantic English countryside while keeping the capital within easy reach, with house prices rocketing by more than 50% - over £100,000 - in the past decade.

Some feel it has become overpopulated but, despite its rapid growth, its historic architecture and "quaint" atmosphere have remained unspoilt, as has the friendliness of locals who always stop to say hello.

Christine Johnson, 77, of nearby Brantham, says: "It's completely different to when I was a child, but it's kept its ancient look about it.

"It's very quaint. There are lots of nice walks around here. You get a lot of history.

"People have decided they can work from home. They come here and buy a house and work at home most of the time. They then commute to London when they need to.

"A lot of people go birdwatching along the river. It's still countrified round here."

Manningtree residents are so keen to protect the town's unique vibe that they vehemently objected to "ridiculous" plans to open a Domino's pizza takeaway. In the end Domino's scrapped its proposal earlier this year.

Locals claimed it would "erode" the charm of the area and be a "shameful" intrusion on the high street.

Bob Horlock, a local historian who has written several books about Manningtree and nearby Mistley, concurs that the town has changed dramatically - but that its railway station has made it more attractive than ever.

"The employment structure has changed completely," explains the 74-year-old. "We've had a massive increase in population."

Manningtree was once a centre for malting coal and boasted a huge shipping trade.

Today, there are not really any major employers in the town, but Mr Horlock believes "the biggest puller is the station".

He argues that Maldon, further south in Essex and geographically closer to London, "doesn't have the pull that Manningtree does" because it lacks railway connections.

"We've got stations within spitting distance," he adds. "You've got the river on your doorstep. We've got access to the Shotley Peninsula, which is beautiful.

"There aren't too many empty shops. We've got all the basics, but are within reach of Colchester and Ipswich.

"We've had a massive increase in population. It's been overpopulated with houses. It's not overloaded, but it's going that way."

David Rice, of nearby Brantham, claims Manningtree is "not like it used to be".

The 72-year-old adds: "People are at work, or you've got people who are retired. It's quite quiet now. Lots of people are not here until the weekend."

But Rowan Hunter, who has run Estuary Wine Bar for seven years and The Stour Store for the past three, says: "Every week, there's some activity going on in the town

"In the wine bar, we have live music. It's a place where people want to get involved. It is very family-friendly."

The 37-year-old describes Manningtree as a "real community hub" and believes "everyone wants to buy local, shop local".

He adds: "We support small local businesses and sell from small local makers. We're part of the local business chamber, and we all meet up to discuss ideas. We run the market every Saturday.

"The train station definitely helps. You can be in Liverpool Street in 55 minutes. You're in that real commuter belt."

Whistle's Bakery owner Nigel Entwhistle also points to how Manningtree's Christmas lights switch-on attracts 4,000, despite its small population.

The 41-year-old, who has run his businesses in the heart of the town for the past three months, says: "All through the summer, they have events. All the people are friendly. It's a bit of a community - people all know each other.

"I walk out, and people will say 'morning'. It's quite a friendly community."

Jenny Carey, owner of Greetings & Gifts for the past 13 years, seconds Manningtree's sense of civic pride.

"You walk down the street, and the majority of people say hello to you," says the 60-year-old.

"We get a lot of the same visitors because of the sailing. A lot of people have come up this way from London. They like that people are friendlier. We don't seem to have too much crime.

"I think even though a lot of people don't realise it, there's pretty much everything you need here.

"It's just a lovely place to live. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else."