Data has revealed that a UK seaside town is amongst the cheapest places to buy a house in the UK.

Hartlepool in County Durham is on a limestone peninsula that ensured its fishing harbour was sheltered.

It enjoyed funding from the medieval prince-bishops of the nearby city of Durham, which granted its charter in 1201.

In the Victorian period, Hartlepool became a port for the Durham coalfield, and exported coal and importing pit props.

In 1847, the West Hartlepool dock was added, and a new town was built next to it. The settlement grew quickly thanks to iron and steel, shipbuilding.

Nowadays, those industries have declined, and Hartlepool's port is occupied in the most part with servicing North Sea petroleum fields.

The town also has a chemical industry.

Rightmove states that a three-bedroom terraced house in Sheriff Street was sold in March for £22,500. It is not known whether it was sold as part of an auction.

Multiple terraced housing have also gone for £25,000.

Excluding auctions, there are currently three-bedroom houses up for sale for under £50,000 in Carlton Street, Dent Street and Borrowdale Street.

The Office for National Statistics says that the town is the third cheapest place in which to buy a home.

The average price tag for a property is £133,000.

The only places cheaper in September were Burnley (£113,000) and Hyndburn (£129,000).

But the cost of homes in these areas are on the up. The annual percentage increases were 3.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively.

In Hartlepool, meanwhile, there was a 0.4 per cent decrease.

Country Durham as a whole is not much more expensive (£134,000).

The area saw a 4 per cent increase in prices.

Rightmove sees things slightly differently. The company says on its website: "House prices in Hartlepool have an overall average of £146,018 over the last year.

"The majority of properties sold in Hartlepool during the last year were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £89,851. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £150,964, with detached properties fetching £259,128.

"Overall, the historical sold prices in Hartlepool over the last year were 6 per cent down on the previous year and 3 per cent down on the 2021 peak of £150,913."