Three stunning Vale of York homes for sale across Yorkshire’s flat lands

But the North is much more diverse than that, and while much of Yorkshire’s topography is indeed dominated by the Pennines, there is also a broad sweep of flat terrain bisecting it down the middle.

The Vale of York is the low land between the Yorkshire Dales to the west and the Yorkshire Wolds to the east, and has for millennia been the logical route for travellers heading north and south.

In the Middle Ages, Dere Street ran from York to the Antonine Wall in Caledonia (Scotland), and later the Great North Road was used by coaches for centuries, until the A1 was built in the 20th century. The East Coast Mainline also passes through, and if a north-eastern extension to HS2 ever gets built, it will too.

Transport aside, this is predominantly farming country, with rich soils overlying glacial deposits. These sediments largely obscure the bedrock, leaving only a few sandstone quarries accessible, so local houses have traditionally been built of brick with pantile roofs – quite different from the limestone and gritstone houses that are common further west.

Homes here tend to have easy access to the shopping opportunities of York and Harrogate, and many are close to the connecting rail line, making rural life feel a lot less isolated. Wetherby, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Ripon are also within striking distance.

If you like flat land – and many older people and cyclists love it – then one of the following three properties may be ideal for you.

Rosedale Manor is a large detached contemporary house just south of the A59 at Green Hammerton. It has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, large open-plan kitchen-diner which opens out onto the terrace, plus utility room, study, library and two spacious reception rooms, both with inglenook brick fireplaces.

Outside, there’s a sweeping gravel driveway and triple garage, and the grounds surrounding the property extend to about three fifths of an acre.

In the heart of Hunsingore, four miles north of Wetherby, Creskeld Cottage is rather smaller, but no less impressive. Extended and stylishly presented, it has three bedrooms, a house bathroom, a spectacular L-shaped dining kitchen which opens up along one side to the patio, utility room, shower room, and two reception rooms.

Outside, there are gardens with a covered seating area, plus off-street parking and a single garage.

Finally, Linton House is a detached family home in Long Marston, about five miles west of York. The current owners, who have lived there for 10 years, have remodelled and enlarged the house, and it now has three bedrooms, a shower room, dining kitchen, utility room, lounge, office, garden room and an adjoining room which could be used as a study or extra bedroom.

There is also an integral garage and store, plus plenty of parking space, and a good-sized walled garden with lawn, patio and vegetable beds.