Top 10 best value countryside areas - continued

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5. Bassetlaw, East Midlands

Bassetlaw is the best value rural area in the East Midlands, with property prices an average of £159,184 and earnings over £32,000. The district is rich with history - it's cited in the Domesday book, has archeological sites dating back to Roman, Bronze, and even Stone Age times, and is where the Pilgrim Fathers started their journey to America.

These days, the area's main towns are Worksop in the west and Retford in the east, but nearly half of the population live in one of 75 small rural villages.

 
4. East Ayrshire, Scotland

East Ayrshire offers 490 spacious square miles of quiet countryside life, with scenic views and rare birdlife. Locally run projects are also helping to reclaim areas of countryside surrounding coal mining areas.

Its two main towns, Kilmarnock and Cumnock, employ many of the region's residents. Average earnings are £28,000, meaning the average property price of £133,000 is reasonable.

 
3. North Lincolnshire, Yorkshire & Humberside

Situtated less than an hour away from Leeds Sheffield, Lincoln and York, and bordered by the Pennines, Yorkshire Dales and River Humber, North Lincolnshire is well connected to both country and city. The average price of property here is £136,556, while average earnings are £30,107.

The area's rich historical past and recent redevelopment mean there's a mixture of new and old properties in the area - from new-build complexes to converted malthouses and 18th century brickwork houses.

 
2. Copeland, North West

Copeland is the best value place to live in the North West, with an average house price of £137,826 and earnings over £31,000. Reader's Digest voted the area the best place to bring up a family in Cumbria, based on its good local schools and hospitals, low crime rates and affordable housing. 86% of residents polled were satisfied with where they lived.

The area's long association with mining and shipping gives the main town, Whitehaven, its distinctive grid system of terraced cottages.

... And the number one best value rural area is:

 
1. Western Isles, Scotland

With house prices at £110,000, just four times the local average earnings of £25,459, the Western Isles is the best value countryside location in Britain. More and more people are settling here - particularly on Lewis and Harris - bringing the local population to over 26,000.

The Isles are renowned for their unique culture and archeological features. Ceilidhs, traditional musical gatherings, are attended by entire local communities and the Standing Stones at Calanais pre-date Stonehenge. Its relative remoteness from the rest of the country has allowed it to retain much of its Gaelic heritage, with 70% of the population speaking some Gaelic.

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