If you need to head north or south, for example, then it might be wise to look for somewhere near the A1(M). If, on the other hand, you work in Leeds or York, the railway might be your best bet.

York is just 40 minutes away from Harrogate by train, but that travelling time can be halved if you live near Hammerton station – and you get to live in the country.

It may also be a good line to bet on; there are proposals to electrify it and run ex-Tube trains on it – making it both quieter and, hope planners, more popular.

The following four properties are all on the Harrogate-to-York line and are all currently for sale in our area.

The closest York line station to Harrogate is Starbeck, and just a couple of minutes’ walk from that station is 14 Belmont Terrace (main pic, above).

An excellent opportunity for first time buyers, it has two double bedrooms and a walled courtyard.

The end-of-terrace property is also perfectly placed for access to the neighbouring allotments, Starbeck Baths and bowling green, and Belmont Field.

The next station on the line is Knaresborough, and just around the corner from that station is High Street, where the Malt House (below) is one of a row of three grade II-listed houses thought to date from the late 17th or early 18th century.

Over the years, they have undergone many changes, and their façade still bears the characterful scars – filled-in doorways to the limestone cellars and bricked-up windows on the upper storeys, which are built of hand-made brick.

The Malt House – number 103 – is the one on the end. It’s spacious, has three double bedrooms, a useful storage cellar and a yard with parking space to the rear.

It’s also just a couple of minutes’ walk from Knaresborough railway station and, incidentally, the Mitre Inn next door.

Further long the line is Cattal station, and just across the A59 is 36 Gilsforth Lane (top).

This is a three-bedroom family home in a modern development of period-style properties that counts as part of Whixley, but is actually closer to Cattal station.

The brick-and-pantile semi-detached house has three bedrooms, open-plan dining-kitchen, off-street parking and a single garage.

Its proximity to the railway station gives it the best of both worlds, as it is well-connected and yet surrounded by open countryside; its gardens are sheltered by a tall stand of pine trees and there are views from the master bedroom over the Vale of York.

Finally, the last York line station within our area is Hammerton, just a mile-and-a-half from Cattal.

The Poppies (above) on York Road is a spacious detached bungalow set in a large garden plot.

It has four bedrooms, two reception rooms, bathroom with jacuzzi, shower room and a conservatory with terrace.

It’s also screened on one side by tall trees and open on the other, giving it extensive views over open fields.