We took a look around Derbyshire's most affordable town - where you can buy a three-bed home for just £95,000

The unassuming market town, situated between Mansfield and Chesterfield, is rich with the nation’s history and is lucky enough to have three sites of historical importance with the impressive Bolsover Castle, erected in 1613 by Sir Charles Cavendish, the town’s stunning showpiece attraction.

Nearby, there’s also Creswell Crags, home to Britain's only known Palaeolithic cave art, and Creswell Model Village, an example of early twentieth century design from the model village movement.

Closer to home Bolsover’s compact town centre may not be what is once was. The signs of a real high street presence are now long gone with family run business, hairdressers, cafes and the like keeping the central area going.

But, that said, there’s plenty to still like with the Market Place area, which has been active since 1226, retaining its old buildings feel that hint at the town’s former glories.

Businessman Carl Taylor, who owns the Robins Return boutique gift shop in the heart of Bolsover, believes there’s still plenty of life in the old dog.

“The castle is a massive highlight. There’s a lot of regeneration work going on and it’s a lovely town,” said Carl, who has been trading in Bolsover now for nearly two years.

“It’s a town that is on the up. There’s a lot of new-build houses and the area is getting more and more footfall. It is a lovely place to be with a unique charm.

“Business and footfall is good every day. We get a lot of people that come to visit the castle from all over the world, America, South Africa, Germany – you name it. It is a place that is on the map.

“The local community all pull together and like to protect the town centre. They welcomed us with open arms. It’s been brilliant.”

Locals Valerie and Don Harley, who have lived in the town for ten years, also enjoy the community feel that seeps through.

"Everybody who you speak to is friendly, they are very friendly people,” said Valerie. “It doesn't matter what shops you go in, they are all friendly, it’s not like a big town and it has a nice feel to it.”

The down-to-earth area also has several 'Good' rated schools, decent links to the M1 and easy access to green spaces, including the Bolsover Back Hills, the Peak District, Clumber Park, Sherwood Forest and more.

So, with all that in mind, you might think property prices around the area are going to be somewhat steep. Of course, there are parts of the town that are going to be out of reach for most of us.

But there’s also some real bargains to be had for anyone looking to get a foot on the property ladder.

Data taken from Plumplot, Rightmove, and Office for National Statistics suggest the median house price for Bolsover is £179,782, making it significantly lower than the Derbyshire average of £220,000.

But Valerie feels the increase in housing development is doing Bolsover more harm than good.

“I find it overcrowded now, since they built the new houses,” she said. “It takes you two or three weeks to see a doctor.

“It is very busy on the roads and you can’t rely on the buses any more. There’s some lovely shops, but you can’t park the car on the busy days and have a long way to carry heavy shopping.”

Like any forner coal-mining area, Bolsover has seen plenty of changes. Markham Colliery, west of the town, closed on 2 July 1993, while Bolsover Colliery, one of the five mines owned by the Bolsover Colliery Company, closed on 7 May 1993.

Don has noticed plenty of changes around town over the last decade with the unkempt state of some of the buildings and roads around town causing him particular disappointment.

"There are some lovely buildings here, but they have not been maintained – it a shame,” he said. “They haven't upgraded the roads and there’s potholes everywhere. If you go on the back roads where they have built the new estate, the roads are still country roads.” Whatever the state of the roads, a car is going to be a necessity if you move to Bolsover with railway transport from the town no longer an option. Bolsover once had two railway lines, but the town's stations, Bolsover Castle and Bolsover South, closed in the mid-20th century, with the last passenger services ending in 1951 and the lines later dismantled.

Bolosver was first mentioned in Domesday Book in 1086, named as Belesovre, where it is described as the property of William Peverel.

Nowadays the town, which saw a bid for city status in the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours turned down, has a population of 11,673, according to the 2011 UK Census – a figure that seems certain to keep on steadily growing.