The country house market is experiencing renewed activity says countrylife.co.uk whose web site tracks response to the advertisements placed with them for homes for sale.

But, says the company in the Countrylife.co.uk web magazine, there is a shortage of good properties in the £1million to £2million bracket.

Below the £1 million price supply was judged as ‘abundant’ and, as the most popular price bracket, attracted 18% of all enquires.

Above £3million the availability was again comparatively higher than demand and the company attributes this to the very top end of the market having not yet fully recovered from last year's slump.

The Country Life findings are borne out by the latest research by agents Hamptons International, whose survey of 50 residential branches, released this week, indicates that demand for country properties in the £1million plus bracket is buoyant.

Martin Chester, Country House Director of Hamptons International's Thames Valley and Chilterns office said: “The country house market is certainly warming up.”

“Stock levels are down but are picking up. Classic period property is what the market really wants but is in such short supply.”

Top sought-after spot, says countrylife.co.uk, was Surrey with 27% of all enquiries and demand highest for properties priced £1.75 million.

As a rule, the further north and west, the lower the prices, but Devon, typically ranking with the top five counties, dropped down to twentieth place. The price bracket in Devon that generated the highest response rate was £1million to £1.5million.