Scarcroft: Within touching distance of Harrogate and close to the buzz of Leeds city centre

Other people move to the village because they love living in the country and, while Scarcroft hardly qualifies as a rural idyll, it is separated from Leeds by a swath of greenbelt and leafy lanes.

In fact, one of its loveliest places is Scarcroft Plantation, seven acres of deciduous woodland owned by the Woodland Trust. A short walk away are the crags of the much-loved Hetchell Wood Nature Reserve, and Pompocali – earthworks once believed to be Roman, but now thought to be overgrown spoil from gritstone quarries.

Many people, though, buy property in Scarcroft because of its location at one end of what could be termed the Great North Leeds Fairway – that arc of golf clubs stretching from Horsforth in the west to Moor Allerton and Scarcroft in the east.

It takes in Headingley (Leeds’ oldest club), Sand Moor (popular in the past with the PGA European Tour) and Alwoodley (rated number two in Yorkshire). In fact, there are nine golf clubs within a five-mile radius, six of which rank among Yorkshire’s top 20 courses.

It’s not all tees and bunkers, though – non-golfers can always join Scarcroft Cricket Club.

Scarcroft itself has few of the features that support traditional village life – the shop and post office have closed and the nearest primary school is a mile away at Bardsey.

But it does still have its pub, the Inn At Scarcroft (formerly the New Inn), whose beams, roaring fires, ales, food and beer garden all make it a popular 19th hole.

Just off Ling Lane, 2 Heather Vale is an extended family home on a generous corner plot. It has seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, entrance hall, office, dining kitchen, sitting room, lounge and dining room with cedar wood flooring and open fire. There’s also an integral garage, ample off-street parking, electric gates and gardens to three sides.

Why first time buyers must 'compromise' to get on the property ladder

Just around the corner from the pub, Woodlands Farm is simply made for sports lovers. Not only does it have a tennis court and indoor swimming pool, but it also overlooks the fairways of Scarcroft Golf Club. Now in need of modernisation, the detached family home has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, lobby, three reception rooms and a conservatory. Set in about half an acre of gardens adjoining open countryside, it also has plenty of off-street parking and a detached single garage.

Finally, Castle Mona Lodge is an unusual period home thought to date from the early 19th century. Its simple layout includes two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and two reception rooms, but there's also a detached guest annexe (or studio, or gym) consisting of a garden room with adjoining shower room. There’s also a well-presented back yard and plenty of off-street parking.