Originally published in 1981, this book explores the plight of the locally born or locally employed faced with spiralling house prices and strong and unequal competition from the wealthier commuter, second-home owner or retirement migrant.

Part 1: Introduction 1. Postwar Change in Rural Communities Part 2: Housing and People in the Countryside 2. Patterns of Rural Population Change and Movement 3. Rural Housing: A General View 4. Competitors for Rural Housing Part 3: Studies in Lowland England 5. Cotswold and South Oxfordshire Districts: The Context 6. Rural Housing at the Local Level 7. Deprivationa nd Advantage in Rural Housing 8. Housing Opportunity and Rural Housing Profiles 9. Movement Through the Housing Stock: The Dynamics of the System Part 4: A View of Policies 10. Planning and Housing Policy: The National Perspective 11. Housing and Planning Policy at the Local Level 12. Housing in the Countryside – Towards the Future Imperfect?