Three Cornish towns have taken spaces in the top five destinations UK buyers are looking to purchases second homes, according to new data.

A new study by Lakeshore Leisure Group has revealed that the UK’s city dwellers are most interested in second home properties located in Salcombe, Falmouth and North Berwick.

Falmouth, St Ives, and Newquay are the Cornwall towns that take three of the five top spots, with Bude also coming in at 18 out of 20.

The study analysed the Google search history of over 100 UK cities since the beginning of the first national Covid lockdown, to find which coastal and rural locations were being searched for the most by city dwellers in relation to second-homes and holiday homes.

According to the research, urban inhabitants are most interested in second homes in South West locations, with Devon's Salcombe and Brixham, and Cornwall's Falmouth, St Ives and Newquay all appearing in the top six most Googled holiday home towns.

Scotland’s North Berwick and Yorkshire’s Whitby also made the top ten.

Lakeshore Leisure Group postulates that the combination of Brexit and the Covid pandemic has prompted city dwellers to find a way to regularly escape their urban homes and guarantee a much-needed holiday escape whilst international leisure travel remains so uncertain.

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The huge increase in interest for a semi-permanent rural escape since the start of Covid is easily evidenced in people’s online behaviour; Google Trends show an all-time high for ‘second home’ searches in July 2020 which have remained high into 2021, and rising property prices in the South West and other rural towns and villages across the UK prove the interest is turning into serious demand.

Stephen Twiss, CEO at Lakeshore Leisure Group commented: "We want to provide a way for people to enjoy the beautiful rural areas of the UK whenever they want to, for however long they want, but in a way that is supportive rather than detrimental to local communities.

"Our new holiday lodges at Clawford Lakes offer a relaxing escape at a really low purchase price compared to waterside properties in similar locations; however, these luxury lodges don’t price locals out of the housing market.

"Our lodge owners and guests help boost the local economy all year around, our sites provide jobs for local people, and all whilst protecting the properties of rural residents."

For more information about the report, visit: clawfordlakes.co.uk/lodge-ownership/the-most-sought-after-locations-second-homes