PART of North Yorkshire has topped a national list of rural property sales in the UK.

The North Yorkshire district of Ryedale showed an increase of 63 per cent in property sales the past six months compared to the same period in 2019 despite the level of supply remaining restricted, outstripping the next nearest contenders Hertfordshire and Sevenoaks.

The attraction of countryside locations have been boosted by lockdown demand for increased indoor and outdoor space amid the pandemic and the rise in sales was monitored by the property website Zoopla, between April and September this year.

Henry Scott a partner at estate agents Boulton and Cooper said he has seen clear evidence of the soaring demand for the region’s rural properties with land helping Ryedale register the highest number of agreed sales across the UK .

He said: “This week we completed the sales on three significant country residences in Ryedale, which have been in the same ownership for a combined total of over 120 years.

"We have also sold a significant amount of family homes and bungalows, in particular, in the Ryedale market towns of Malton, Pickering, Kirkbymoorside and Helmsley where strong buyer competition has helped realise sales in excess of the marketed guide prices.

“With historically low interest rates, the short term benefit of the Stamp Duty holiday and current strong demand from buyers from across the country and further afield, we believe now is the time to consider your options and to get expert advice with viewing and general property-related enquiries at an all-time high.

“The increase in agreed sales in Rural Areas over the past 6 months placed the Ryedale area first (63%) nearly 40 percent higher than second place Herefordshire (46%) with Sevenoaks third (44%)."