Analysis of new figures reveals that Mapledurham was the most expensive area of Reading to buy a house in last year.

Zoopla said the data highlights how localised the housing market across England and Wales is, with prices often reflecting the housing stock available in an area.

Data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that of the 16 council wards in Reading, Mapledurham saw the highest median house price in 2021, of £710,000.

This was followed by Thames (£560,000) and Peppard (£425,000).

READ MORE: Craig Blissett: Tilehurst man fined for breaching order

By contrast, the cheapest parts of Reading to purchase property were Minster, which had a median house price of £265,000, Battle (£268,000) and Park (£285,000).

The median – the middle number in a series – is used to ensure the figures are not skewed by extreme highs or lows.

Meanwhile, the number of homes sold in Reading rose from 1,634 in 2020 to 2,344 last year.

Of sales last year, 8% (199) were in Battle – making it the busiest area for buyers.

At the other end of the scale, Mapledurham saw just 58 properties sold in 2021, earning it the title of quietest area of Reading's property market, along with its most expensive.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research said that following a period of significant growth during the pandemic, it expects house prices to experience downward pressure over the next year, as a result of sharp rises in mortgage rates.

Karl Thompson, an economist at the think tank, said the strongest price contractions are expected outside of London and the South East, causing greater regional price disparities.

ALSO READ: Illegal caravan encampment set up in Waterloo Meadows, Reading

The number of residential property sales in England increased by 21% to 821,407 between the end of 2020 and the end of last year.

Grainne Gilmore, head of research at Zoopla, said property values vary widely in large part because of the differing housing stock between areas – some neighbourhoods will have a higher number of five-bedroom detached homes, while others will be home to more flats and smaller properties.

But she said the difference between more and less expensive areas may start to narrow.

She added: "The demand for larger detached homes during the pandemic has pushed average values for houses higher over the last year, while price growth for flats has lagged.

"But there are signs that demand for flats in city centres is gaining momentum, so we could see faster rising prices in this part of the market."

The ONS figures also reveal the trendiest area – the one which saw the fastest growth in sales – in Reading.

Of the 11 wards with at least 100 properties sold, Battle saw 99% more properties sold in 2021 than in 2020, followed by Norcot (63%) and Caversham (49%).