TWO County Durham towns have made the top spots as the most affordable market towns in England to live.

According Lloyds Bank, Ferryhill comes in at number one with Crook in second place for the cheapest average house prices.

In Ferryhill, a house would set the buyer back by an average £78,184 while in Crook a house-hunters would look to fork out £115,659.

Elsewhere on the top ten list of affordable market towns are Stanhope at number four, with an average price of £142,535, Saltburn at number five with an average price of £144,717 and Guisborough, North Yorkshire, in seventh place with an average house price of £151, 309.

Nowhere in the north makes the bank’s top ten list of most expensive market towns in England.

The report found homebuyers will typically need to pay a premium of more than £30,788 for vibrant communities and local produce offered by market towns.

In a list of market towns with the highest premiums, Middleton St George makes the tenth spot.

Buyers are looking at an average house price of £218,377 - with a 65 per cent premium or £85,985 in cash terms.

Andrew Mason, mortgages product director at Lloyds Bank, said: “Understandably, homebuyers continue to be attracted to the charm and high quality of life offered by market towns and are typically happy to pay extra to live there.”

House prices in around two-thirds of market towns across England cost more when compared with the surrounding county, Lloyds Bank found.