House price growth in rural areas outstrips towns in Great Britain

Countryside semis are strongest-performing property type, with average price up 22% over five years

Rural areas have trumped towns and cities in house price growth over the past five years, with a semi in the countryside the top-performing property type, according to data for Great Britain.

The figures, issued by the mortgage lender Nationwide, showed that average house prices in predominantly rural areas rose by 22% over the period, compared with 17% in predominantly urban areas.