PONTELAND properties continue to be among the highest in Northumberland according to new research. 

New figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed Ponteland South with Heddon was Northumberland's priciest neighbourhood, with a median value of £635,000 in the last calendar year.

The next most expensive was Ponteland West, with an average price of £571,250, and Ponteland North, priced at £421,995 in 2022.

Heather Armstrong, who works at Bridgfords Sales and Letting Agents in Ponteland, said Ponteland offers 'great local services and amenities'.

"We've got fantastic schools nearby and you feel like you're in a quiet location yet so close to the city centre. Darras Hall does play a large part in house prices, there are some exceptionally large properties. 

"On the downside with Ponteland, it does make it difficult for the younger generation and first-time buyers to get on the property ladder, but we are lucky enough to have some developments which offer affordable housing with great access to the village. 

"Ponteland ticks all the boxes, lots of families want to be here for the schools. Most of them are reputable and have great Ofsted reports, so they want the postcode to be able to get into the schools and they're willing to pay for that," she said.

Meanwhile, the Hirst neighbourhood in Ashington saw Northumberland's lowest prices, with buyers paying an average of £73,500 last year.

Properties in Hexham West had average prices of £345,000 in the last year while Hexham Central with Acomb was at £168,000.

In Corbridge, averages were at £334,000 and Prudhoe South at £141,500.

Stocksfield and Broomhaugh had averages of £310,000.

Across the country, property sales slowed significantly. Richard Donnell, executive director of research at Zoopla, said: "The increase in mortgage rates is having a bigger impact on the number of sales rather than house prices so far."

Recent research by Zoopla suggests sellers are reducing more than five per cent of the original asking price to achieve a sale.

Overall, house prices remained steady, with averages of £280,000 last year, a £5,000 increase on the year before.

In Northumberland, the average house cost £180,000 in 2022, down from £185,000 the year before and the number of properties sold dropped.

Ailsa Mather, a director at Andrew Coulson Estate Agents in Hexham, said the news that Ponteland was one of the most expensive areas was not surprising.

"A lot of the local premier football team tend to live in Darras Hall, also lots of people purchase plots, knock the existing property down and built big mansions, so it doesn't surprise me Ponteland is more expensive.

"It probably benefits us because the way the market's going at the moment, it's the higher price properties that are struggling to sell. Ponteland tends to have a lot of £1m plus houses and they are the slower ones to sell."