South Bucks came out on top when wealthy Beaconsfield beat Maidenhead to be crowned England and Wales's second richest area for annual incomes.

The historic commuter town won through just behind London's Kensington and Chelsea in The Affluentials Report 2002, compiled by Barclays Bank's Private Clients database.

The study found that an impressive 10.9 per cent of the population in Beaconsfield earns more than £60,000 per year, closely followed by Royal Berkshire's Maidenhead with 10.1 per cent, compared with Chelsea's 12.5 per cent.

Wycombe trailed behind with a modest 4.6 per cent of its population earning more than 60 grand but nearby Slough only managed 1.9 per cent.

Other Bucks towns featured on the list included Chesham and Amersham with 8.8 per cent and further north Buckingham with eight per cent and Aylesbury with 6.5 per cent.

Windsor, Berks, pulled in 7.8 per cent, while Oxfordshire's Henley got 6.9 per cent.

Long-standing resident of Beaconsfield and former mayor Malcolm Dunlop put the town's new title down to a knockout combination of rural charm and good transport links to London.

He said: "Beaconsfield is in the enviable position of being in a charming rural location, but near enough to the capital to enable people to commute easily.

"The town was originally built around houses set on two-acre plots, so there has been plenty of room for expansion, but still letting people retain a decent size of land.

"The smaller gardens suit today's style of living, and the town is going from strength to strength. It is a wonderful place to live."

Gordon Rankin, marketing director of Barclays Private Clients, said: "The small towns and villages of Buckinghamshire and Berkshire have long been a favoured destination for London's affluent workers who wish to live in the countryside.

"However, the young and wealthy are still attracted by the urban areas which offer a more varied social life and access to transport into the capital."