In summer, numerous direct charter flights operate between Crete and the UK, but these end in October forcing second-home-owners and house-hunters to change in Athens and take internal flights. In May, British Airways' franchise-partner GB Airways started up a scheduled twice-weekly service to Heraklion, Crete, which has proved extremely popular, but users have been disappointed to find that, despite the high take-up of seats, the company have chosen to suspend the service throughout the winter months.Rhona Kingston owns a second home on the island, near Chania, where she lives for six months of the year and was dismayed to find that GB's scheduled service would not operate this winter. As the largest and most southerly island, Crete is still the number-one destination for British buyers but many are growing concerned that access between the UK and Greece's largest island is failing to keep pace with British demand, particularly in winter months. As one season ends, another begins. October may see the holiday season in the Greek islands drawing to a close, but it also sees the house-hunting season start in earnest. Estate agents also report that there has been a significant surge in the number of newcomers moving into the area in recent years, particularly from London and the South-east.Typically, these people want period townhouses and flats in the centre of Ross or stone cottages and converted farmhouses in pretty outlying villages such as Symonds Yat, Goodrich, Much Marcle or Fownhope."It started with a trickle of people about 20 years ago," says Norman Bricknell of Morris-Bricknell, "but the trickle has now become a flood."Up to 60 to 70 per cent of my buyers at the top end of the market are people relocating to the area."They are attracted by the glorious countryside, the slower pace of life, its good transport connections, the quality of the local schools and the relatively low property prices."Fact boxCost of living: one-bed Georgian flats in town centre from £100,000; two-bed period semi-detached cottages from £130,000; three-bed Victorian terrace houses from £150,000; four-bed detached townhouses from £250,000.Attractions: wide selection of period properties; plenty of ruined castles; good local pubs and restaurants, including the award-winning Bridge House Hotel in the town centre; annual regatta on the River Wye; canoeing and white-water rafting; potholing, climbing, abseiling and hot-air ballooning; best salmon fishing outside of Scotland; fine bird-watching around Symonds Yat.Downsides: property prices typically 10 per cent higher than in nearby Hereford.How to get there: trains run from Hereford (16 miles away) to London Paddington via Newport and take around three hours.. Many of these have been divided up into flats and serve as shop premises at ground level.It is a little to the west of the centre and to the back of the church that most of the larger period properties are to be found - Gothic-style family houses that were built in the town's Victorian heyday.Ross still attracts a fair number of tourists in the summer months.Residents, meanwhile, tend to be a mix of locals, holiday-home owners, retired people and commuters, often working in nearby Gloucester or Hereford.

Its popularity grew, and by Victorian times it had become a major holiday destination.The town's varied history is reflected by its remarkably diverse architectural styles. There are a few pockets of new-build developments on its lower slopes but most of the older, more interesting properties tend to be found concentrated along the steep narrow streets higher up. The town's main landmarks are St Mary's Church, from the 13th century, and the splendid colonnaded 17th century Market House overlooking the main square. Regular outdoor markets have been held here since medieval times and the streets fanning out from it also offer a good selection of independent stores as well as two major supermarkets.Many of the more interesting residential properties in this part of town are built of the same local red sandstone as was used for the church.They are mainly 17th century but there are also a few timbered Tudor and Georgian townhouses. There's been a settlement here since medieval times and for many centuries Ross flourished as an important trading post before succumbing to the ravages of plague and Civil War.However, the town enjoyed a renaissance in the 18th century as a favoured haunt of artists and intellectuals. Local caves have revealed signs of human habitation dating back as far as 10,000BC, while King Arthur and Merlin are said to have roamed these hills along which are scattered ruins of ancient castles - testimony to the region's history of bitter border disputes.The town itself has also had its ups and downs.

It's a sparsely populated and peaceful stretch of country, sheltered on all sides by wooded hills and gently rolling valleys above which swoop hawks, falcons and snowy owls. To the north-east rise the Malverns, while to the west in Wales loom the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons beyond. The area is steeped in legend and myth. It may be not as well known as Hay - 25 miles upstream to the north-west where the annual literary festival is held - but it has just as much to recommend it. The charming market town of Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire is built on a red sandstone cliff above the River Wye. Rail connections are good too.Get the specWhat's for sale: Five bedrooms, three bathrooms, brick-built, timber-framed barn, dating from 16th century, with galleried landing, inglenook fireplace, surrounded by exquisite landscaped gardens, with sea views.Serious kit: Double garage, sunken hot tub, sauna, original oak beams, koi pond, conservatory.How big: 1,914 sq ft.Buy it: £625,000, Country Property, 01580 211888.. There is a separate annexe with double garage and sauna below, and a large bedroom with ensuite bathroom on the floor above.Just a few miles away from the ancient historic towns of Hastings, Battle and Rye, the village is an ideal location for those who want both shopping and good schools nearby.

The kitchen has handbuilt cupboards in a swampy green, echoing the tones of the granite worktops.Most remarkable are the gardens.There's a jungle area with a large koi pond, a rhododendron and camellia area, an architectural garden hedged in hornbeam, a Mediterranean garden, and a yew tree border. The original cart entrance has been converted to a full-height window, incorporating the main entrance to the house. The custom-built wooden conservatory, drenched in sunlight even in October, is painted inside and out in soft sage green and cream, matching the exterior woodwork of the windows. From here, the magnificent proportions of the living room can be fully appreciated, as can the drama of the heavily beamed vaulted ceiling.Central to the living room is a huge inglenook fireplace extending along one wall, complete with a hearth the size of the average London garden All the internal doors have been made from oak. The entrance to the building is up a wide, gentle staircase, also constructed from dark-stained wood, punctuated with large pots of lavender, which leads to a magnificent double-height glass portico.The drawing room is overlooked by a galleried landing, which is original to the barn.