The value of homes sold in the village of Staveley in North Yorkshire soared by 176pc in the two years since the pandemic struck, compared to the two years prior. The picturesque village has roughly 200 households, but recorded the biggest increase in property wealth than any other in the country.

Before the pandemic the average home sold in the village was just under £340,000, but has since surged to more than £930,000.

It boasts a good pub, decent schools and a nature reserve, but the close-knit community was its biggest asset according to Lucy Crane, of estate agency Strutt & Parker.

She said: “It’s absolutely gorgeous there and the community feel is really special. It’s how North Yorkshire used to be, where everyone knows and looks out for everyone else.

“There has certainly been a pull for that community life in the last two years. It’s an incredibly sought-after village and sellers will almost certainly get their asking price or higher.”

The parish of Nether Peover, a two-hour drive west of Staveley, has seen similar gains in property wealth, with the value of sales jumping 106pc compared to before the pandemic.

The parish includes the Cheshire village of Lower Peover, which has a little more than 400 residents. It has all the makings of a quintessential British postcard, with a church, two pubs, small shop and school.

Buyers have been willing to pay a premium to live there. The average price of a property sold in the village in the two years prior to lockdown was almost £340,000, but this has since risen to just under £700,000.

South

Huge sums of money has flowed out of London and into Cornwall, with the county overtaking the capital as the most searched-for location by buyers at one point last year, according to Rightmove.

The South West has consistently recorded the highest house price growth in England, largely spurred by the second home market. Prices in the region jumped by more than 16pc in the year to May, according to official figures.

The coastal parish of St Martin-by-Looe boasts the best of Cornwall, with a long stretch of beach, beautiful farmland and a less conventional asset – The Monkey Sanctuary. The value of homes sold in the area has risen by 104pc, climbing from around £143,000 before the pandemic to more than £307,000 after.