CUMBRIA'S property market has always been stable compared to urban 'hotspots' such as Manchester - and counties and towns within commuting distance of London.

That is the accepted wisdom - and according to the most recent set of figures for property sales in our county this continues to be the case. According to Rightmove, the average house price in Cumbria in the last year was £205,300.

Most of the houses sold were terraced properties, with this class of home typically selling for £140,000 while the average price of a semi sold over the same period was £182,000.

For those lucky enough to bag a detached home, the average price was £319,459.

Overall, sold prices in Cumbria last year were up 3 per cent on the previous year and up 6 per cent compared to the 2018 peak of £193,000. But drill down into the data for individual Cumbrian towns and you begin to see how those averages are affected by the the Lake District's property market.

Carlisle's typical house price last year was £144,300 - up 2 per cent over the year. Compare that to Keswick, where the average price of a home was £330,116.

In Carlisle, a detached home typically last year cost £235,455, a semi £142,751, and a terraced a modest £112,424. Comparative figures for Keswick were - not unsurprisingly - very different. Most of the homes sold there were terraced properties, with an average sale price of £313,278.

Semi-detached homes sold for an average of £348, 731.

Bucking the trend for house price rises was Alston, where sale values were down by 11 per cent compared to the previous year and 25 per cent down on 2006. The average price there last year was £150,000.

Among the county's most expensive areas for housing was Coniston.

The average sale price was £550,227.

Most of the homes sold were detached, achieving an average - somewhat eyewatering price - of £952,500. A typical terraced home in Coniston would set you back £376,667, while if it's a semi you want you should expect to pay £406,000.

Even this market, however, represents a wealth gulf when compared to one of the county's most expensive homes currently on the market: Stone Cross Mansion, at Daltongate, Ulverston.

Its asking price has been set at £6,500,000.

That will bring you 19 apartments (said to be ideal for holiday lets), allocated parking, and more than four acres of beautiful gardens and estate. You only need to see the photos of this property - being sold by Savills - to know that it is pure class, from top to bottom.

At the other end of the financial scale, if your funds are much more limited, Cleator Moor is an area with some of Cumbria's cheapest housing - though it's still only a short drive from some of the county's most impressive scenery.

Last year, the average house price in the town was £109,167, with terraced properties selling for an average of £90,000 and a detached home going for an average of £166,667. Overall, sale prices in Cleator Moor were down 1 per cent compared to 2019 and 26 per cent down compared to 2018.

Only slightly more expensive was Barrow, where a typical terraced home last year came with a final price of £106,946 while detached properties achieved an average of £282,441.

For cash buyers, there are still bargains to be had. Auction House Cumbria's upcoming auction later this month features several homes which have guide prices at or below £50,000.

They include a three-bedroom end terraced home in Flower Street, Carlisle, with a guide price of £35,000 to £45,000; a three-bedroom barn conversion in Yeathouse Road, Frizington, with a £25,000 guide price; and a spacious three-bedroom semi at Ewanrigg Road, Maryport, with a guide price of £50,000.

Rightmove's house price information was last updated on April 8. For more detailed information about house prices in your area, look at Rightmove research here.