A NATIONAL report on market towns across the country using government statistics has revealed Petersfield is the sixth most expensive place to buy a house.

Compiled by Lloyds Bank using information from the Land Registry, it focuses purely on house prices – and says an average house in Petersfield costs £480,743.

Lloyds Bank head of mortgages Andrew Mason said: “There are many reasons why buyers continue to pay a premium for market town properties. The idyllic surroundings make them the perfect place for many.”

And when Lloyds averaged market-town house prices in England, it was discovered home buyers faced paying nearly £31,000 more to live there than in neighbouring towns.

But the www.home.co.uk price comparision website reveals that locally between Petersfield, Liss and Horndean, the gap is far wider – a four-bedroom house in Horndean costs on average £430,000, in Liss it is £522,000.

But in Petersfield it would costs about £610,000 to buy one – an eye-watering £180,000 more than Horndean, and about £90,000 more than in Liss.

Also in the report’s top ten most expensive market towns is Alresford, with an average price of £587,746, ranking it the third most expensive.

And Midhurst in West Sussex came in at fourth with an average price of £523,295.

Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire topped the list with an average house price of £1,031,529 – the only £1m-a-house market town in England.

Petersfield became a market town in the 12th century when the Earl of Gloucester, Walter, gave it a charter to hold markets.