As properties in national parks are becoming ever more popular, James Baker from our Exeter office gives his views on the appeal of Dartmoor National Park

Opening your front door to scenes of rugged hills, wild landscape and fresh country air is a genuine pleasure for those that live in the idyllic Dartmoor National Park. It is one of the property hot-spots that we sell in, and we have seen popularity within the area climb significantly over the past 3 years. It didn’t surprise me then, when reading research from Lloyds Bank, that property prices in the National Parks of England and Wales are an average of £125,796 or 58% higher than the surrounding area. Similarly, research by Nationwide Building Society suggests that the premium for a property within 5 kilometres of a national park is 8%.

What is it that continuously draws buyers in? Undoubtedly the lifestyle opportunities in the park are a major pull and, of course, its beautiful surroundings. We in the South West are fortunate to have both the Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks within our region. Both these parks offer superb recreational opportunities, including fishing in the numerous reservoirs and streams, wonderful walking and riding, and breath-taking scenery with stark tors, soft woodland and beautiful heather covering the moorland.  The parks have a wide variety of wild life and bird life, and ponies even roam the moors. For those buyers who wish to get away from city life, properties within national parks hold great appeal – no near neighbours, wonderful far-reaching views, no light pollution and clean air. Also, as both national parks are sparsely populated, those properties which do come to the market, command great interest and good asking prices.

For Dartmoor, arguably the most defining quality of this protected landscape is the natural production of granite which means many houses in the area have a distinct look and feel to their construction. A great example of this is Hannaford Manor & Hannaford House, using Dartmoor granite and Cornish slate externally as well as granite mullions to give the appearance of a relatively old style country house, yet with the benefit of the more advanced building techniques of the early 1900s. The property is Arts & Crafts; the height of fashion at its time, and so a champion of local building materials and vernacular architectural styles. The hanging slates on the service wing reflect these local building traditions. When you sit in its Edwardian landscaped gardens, you are able to truly take in the unique vantage point of the house overlooking the parks breath-taking open terrain.

Chagford, set a stone’s throw from the park and known as the Jewell of Dartmoor, is one of our most popular spots for buyers and sellers. It has everything – granite houses, country pubs, independent boutiques, organic shops, art galleries and some outstanding restaurants including the two-Michelin-starred Gidleigh Park. People often come here in the summer and never leave, falling for its charm and accessibility to the stunning surrounds. For many people, Dartmoor typifies the South West with granite tors, babbling brooks, thatched longhouses and, if you are lucky enough to find them, hidden gems like Hannaford.