Snooping around: Homes in urban villages

Property of the week: Poundbury, Dorset. Prince Charles’s vision of village life can be viewed from the 12 windows at the top of this circular home - he was beguiled by it and his royal footsteps have passed through several times. The sitting room is arranged around an oak pillar, and there is a semi-circular, granite-trimmed kitchen/breakfast room and dining room. A balcony in the master suite overlooks the garden. Cost: £650,000.
Jackson-Stops & Staff, 01305 262123 Photograph: Jackson-Stops & Staff/Jackson-Stops & Staff

Wreck of the week: Penrith, Cumbria. This two-bed farmhouse with barns is a ruin. There is no kitchen or bathroom, the upper floors are unsafe and the roof is collapsing. Allow £90,000 to connect utilities and up to £150,000 for building work. And that’s on top of the initial £250,000 outlay. It’s an exquisite, secluded location, however, with dramatic lakeland views all round - one third of an acre of this wilderness is yours.
Penrith Farmers’ & Kidd’s, 01768 866611 Photograph: Penrith Farmers' & Kidd's/Penrith Farmers' & Kidd's

Take three: homes in urban villages. This mansion sits in sweeping grounds a short walk from Didsbury, Manchester. For £345,000 you can buy one flat within, containing a reception, kitchen, two bedrooms and two bath/shower rooms. A huge bay window and vaulted panelled ceiling glorify the living room, which is wired for surround sound. The gardens are private - your outside space is the ungrassed communal part and a private yard.
JP & Brimelow, 0161 448 0622 Photograph: JP & Brimelow/JP & Brimelow

Take three: homes in urban villages. This four-bedder boasts Bristol’s prettiest face - the suspension bridge is minutes away, there is nearby woodland and Clifton village is replete with delis and boutiques. £349,950 buys you an open-plan kitchen/sitting room, four bedrooms and three bathrooms. All the rooms have been renovated and there are original fireplaces. But the kitchen is minute, and there’s no garden or designated parking.
Andrews, 0117 973 2551 Photograph: Andrews/Andrews

Take three: homes in urban villages. Dulwich in south London remains oblivious to the sprawl of the capital, but you don’t half pay for it. £799,950 buys two (two?!) bedrooms, a double reception, a kitchen, cloakroom, conservatory and bathroom. And a 45ft garden. A rustic fingerpost points out local destinations, while butcher, baker and bookshops flourish in the 18th-century high street. Expect London’s traffic and parking problems.
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, 020 8299 4499 Photograph: Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward/Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward