The National Parks of England and Wales encompass some of the most stunning natural scenery we have to offer, so it’s no wonder that living within one comes at a cost.

But new research by Lloyds Banking Group has revealed that there is an eye-watering £101,800 average premium to pay if you want to live within a National Park, compared to the county average. This represents a 44% increase in property price.

The New Forest is the most expensive National Park with an average price of £531,162. Properties there command the largest premium relative to the average for the surrounding area in both monetary (£258,042) and percentage (94%) terms.

The Peak District (89%) and the Lake District (72%) have the next highest percentage premiums to the surrounding area.

Snowdonia is the only National Park where property prices are actually below the average for the surrounding area (-3%). It is both the least expensive and the most affordable National Park with an average house price of £165,840, which is 6.2 times local average annual earnings. Snowdonia is the only National Park with an average price below £200,000.

Andrew Mason, mortgages director at Lloyds Bank said: “Many homebuyers are prepared to dig that bit deeper to benefit from the lifestyle associated with living in National Parks. As areas of outstanding natural beauty, they are also prime locations for those seeking second properties. The combined impact of these factors is that house prices are typically much higher than those in surrounding areas.”

“When we take average local earnings into account, this situation can make it really tough for many of those living and working in National Parks to afford to buy their own home.”