But now the North Yorkshire property hotspot, with a population of just 200, has been officially ranked one of the 10 best villages in Britain.

It is set to feature on Five TV tonight on The Property List: Britain's Best Villages.

It is the second accolade in as many months for Yorkshire, which was recently judged to have Britain's Best Home – Carr Hall Castle, near Halifax, the home of entrepreneurs Terry George and Michael Rothwell.

Coxwold, with an average house price of £400,000, is the second most expensive village in The Property List's latest top 10, which includes Cerne Abbas in Dorset, Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire and Tarporley in Cheshire.

Until now its main claim to fame was Shandy Hall, home of 18th century author Laurence Sterne, who wrote the comic novel Tristram Shandy.

The Property List's executive producer, Mark Robinson, said: "We crunched lots of figures to identify the best villages including crime rates, commutability and availability of property and Coxwold came out of that.

"It's hard to resist. It is a quiet village that's worth making a big noise about.

"It looks like a set from a costume drama and the crime rate is the second lowest in our countdown, but it is expensive to buy into."

He added: "Prices have risen faster there than in any of
the other locations we show.

"They've gone up 150 per cent in the last five years."

The programme will also show the Georgian home of interior designers Joy and Peter Plaskitt, who have transformed a former doctor's surgery in Coxwold into a family home and showroom.

Estate agent Tim Blenkin, of Blenkin and Co in York, who contributed to the TV show, said: "I can see why it's made the list. It is set in lovely countryside, it's jolly pretty and it is a former estate village.

"Although the Newburgh Priory Estate sold off the houses they retain the right to approve planning permissions. This means the village has retained its integrity and its identity.

"Sadly, it no longer has a shop, but it has a pub and it has good access to York, Malton and Thirsk.

"It's also near Ampleforth and is a magnet for parents who want to buy a place near the school."

n The Property List: Britain's Best Villages is on Five tonight at 8pm.

For the best properties
for sale in the region see
the Property Post supplement in Saturday's Yorkshire Post.