Country matters; As the pace of life quickens in the city, Sue Kelbrick finds many people are opting for the calm of rural areas.

IT the city streets and you could be forgiven for thinking the nation has literally upped sticks from the sticks and de-camped to the cities for a life of cafe culture and high street shopping.

But are we being deceived? Sure, a city pad in bustling Liverpool or Chester may be the trendy choice, but there is still a large demographic out there for whom the urban hubbub just doesn't appeal.

According to a recent survey by housebuilder Redrow, almost half of visitors to their website confessed that they prefer the rural hush to urban rush.

The findings come from a series of web polls conducted by Redrow on the home page of its website, www.redrow.co.uk, which regularly attracts more than 25,000 visits per week.

Meanwhile another survey by www.assertahome.com, has found one in four urbanites are hoping to make a move out of the city. This trend has now been dubbed 'greenshifting'.

Programmes like Channel 4's Relocation Relocation Relocation have hit on the modern migration, finding country piles and city crash pads for people who want to split their time between country and city, but for many people open spaces and clean air are best all year round.

But if you think countryside equals wellington boots and a half-hour drive to the nearest supermarket it's time for a re-think.

Simon Bennett, group marketing director for Redrow Homes says: 'We've latched on to the fact that modern homeowners want the upside of both city and country living in one place and have strategically selected development sites that straddle these worlds.'

To make your return to the shires call the national hotline on 0845 676 0500 or alternatively log onto www.redrow.co.uk for a detailed guide on the company's current developments UK-wide