Analysis of new figures reveals that St Minver and St Endellion was the most expensive area of Cornwall to buy a house in last year.

Zoopla said the data highlights how localised the housing market across England and Wales is, with prices often reflecting the housing stock available in an area.

Data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that of the 122 council wards in Cornwall, St Minver and St Endellion saw the highest median house price in 2021, of £625,000.

This was followed by Roseland (£550,000) and Feock and Playing Place (£484,950).

By contrast, the cheapest parts of Cornwall to purchase property were Camborne Trelowarren, which had a median house price of £166,250, Camborne Treswithian (£174,000) and Liskeard East (£177,000).

The median – the middle number in a series – is used to ensure the figures are not skewed by extreme highs or lows.

Meanwhile, the number of homes sold in Cornwall rose from 8,790 in 2020 to 9,898 last year.

Of sales last year, 2% (149) were in Bude – making it the busiest area for buyers.

At the other end of the scale, Saltash South saw just 41 properties sold in 2021, earning it the title of quietest area of Cornwall's property market.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research said that following a period of significant growth during the pandemic, it expects house prices to experience downward pressure over the next year, as a result of sharp rises in mortgage rates.

Karl Thompson, an economist at the think tank, said the strongest price contractions are expected outside of London and the South East, causing greater regional price disparities.

The number of residential property sales in England increased by 21% to 821,407 between the end of 2020 and the end of last year.

Grainne Gilmore, head of research at Zoopla, said property values vary widely in large part because of the differing housing stock between areas – some neighbourhoods will have a higher number of five-bedroom detached homes, while others will be home to more flats and smaller properties.

But she said the difference between more and less expensive areas may start to narrow.

She added: "The demand for larger detached homes during the pandemic has pushed average values for houses higher over the last year, while price growth for flats has lagged.

"But there are signs that demand for flats in city centres is gaining momentum, so we could see faster rising prices in this part of the market."

The ONS figures also reveal the trendiest area – the one which saw the fastest growth in sales – in Cornwall.

Of the 12 wards with at least 100 properties sold, St Ives East saw 27% more properties sold in 2021 than in 2020, followed by Penryn East and Mylor (20%) and Looe West, Lansallos and Lanteglos (19%).