Where are the top performing national parks in terms of house prices?

According to a new report from Knight Frank, the South Downs in Sussex is the most expensive National Park in England and Wales in which to buy a property.

Related topics:  Property
Warren Lewis
26th June 2017
nation park snowdonia
"The London ripple effect is also evident within popular commuter location such as the Surrey Hills and the Chilterns"

The data and analysis looked at the average sold price for detached homes within the boundaries of National Parks in England and Wales in the 12 months to January 2017 and found the average price paid in the South Downs was just over £674,000, nearly double the £350,000 average price of a detached property in England and Wales.
 
The New Forest – which was only designated as a National Park in 2005 - was the second most expensive area, with detached properties selling on average for £620,000. In comparison, the average price paid for a detached property in the wider county of Hampshire over the same time was just over £444,000.
 
More restrictive planning regimes within National Parks means that supply of new stock can often fall short of demand, and this is one factor underpinning pricing. Additionally, higher prices relative to their surrounding areas is likely to be reflective of the type of housing stock found within their boundaries.
 
Snowdonia was the least expensive National Park, with detached property prices £202,000 on average, just behind Northumberland at £242,000.
 
Oliver Knight, an Associate in Knight Frank’s Residential Research team, said: “The high quality of life connected with living in some of the most distinctive landscapes in England and Wales is an obvious attraction for many home buyers, but this often comes with a premium. More restrictive planning regimes in place within National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty means supply can often fall short of demand and this – along with the nature of existing stock, which tend towards older, larger homes with land - has underpinned pricing.
 
Wider trends we’re experiencing in the housing market are also evident, not least the north-south divide in terms of pricing, with the South Downs and the New Forest topping the pricing charts. The London ripple effect is also evident within popular commuter location such as the Surrey Hills and the Chilterns.”

Average price paid: 12 months to Jan 2017, detached property

National Park

Average price

(detached)

County

Average price

(detached)

South Downs

£674,268

West Sussex

£487,926

New Forest

£620,883

Hampshire

£444,287

Peak District

£417,878

Derbyshire

£244,222

Lake District

£416,970

Cumbria

£265,250

Dartmoor

£372,980

Devon

£326,261

Exmoor

£345,277

Somerset

£347,048

Yorkshire Dales

£344,397

North Yorkshire

£290,344

The Broads

£319,864

Norfolk

£280,652

North York Moors

£296,038

North Yorkshire

£290,344

Brecon Beacons

£281,774

Powys

£225,140

Pembrokeshire Coast

£261,589

Dyfed

£203,055

Northumberland

£242,327

Northumberland

£263,431

Snowdonia

£205,124

Gwynedd

£212,096

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

As well as looking at property prices within National Parks, Knight Frank also examined the cost of properties situated in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – areas of countryside which have been designated for conservation due to their significant natural beauty.
 
Overall, there are 38 AONBs in England and Wales (33 in England, four in Wales and one which straddles the English/Welsh border). A further eight are located in Northern Ireland. The Surrey Hills was the most expensive AONB with detached properties costing an average of just over £900,000. Being within easy reach of London and major towns such as Guildford and Epsom, this is a popular commuter location and strong demand has underpinned house prices.
 
The “London ripple effect” on pricing is evident in other AONBs including the Chilterns which was the third most expensive AONB with an average house price of £757,343, notably higher than the £543,286 average for a detached property across the whole of Buckinghamshire.

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