Property: Three of the cosiest cottages on the market in the Harrogate district

It was typically occupied by a tenant, or cottar, who in return rendered some kind of service – usually agricultural – to the lord of the manor.

Some villages were made up entirely of such properties; Ripley was a prime example.

Those days are over, for the most part, although there are still plenty of cottages held by manorial lords and rented out, albeit for cash and usually by people who don’t work on the estate. The new Earl of Harewood sold off a handful of such properties a few years ago, but in some parts of the country, traditional landowners still retain whole villages to this day.

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Over time, the term “cottage” has expanded beyond this original feudal meaning and now includes all kinds of small (usually two-storey) houses, including 19th-century workers’ terraces and 20th-century holiday homes.

In our part of Yorkshire, there are hundreds of cottages, ranging from true mediaeval cottars’ dwellings to compact village newbuilds.

The following three properties are some of the best cottages currently for sale in our area, and are all coincidentally on the market for around £300,000.

In Kirkby Malzeard, Church Mouse Cottage looks almost like a child’s drawing come to life, with a central door, four windows and a chimney at each end of the roof. It has two double bedrooms, one of them with an en suite shower-room, a large attic accessed via a ladder, a kitchen, ground-floor bathroom, and two reception rooms, both with beams and open fireplaces.

Outside, the private walled garden has been much improved by the current owners, with raised beds and seating areas.

See inside this 'immaculate' Harrogate home for sale for £1,950,000

In Knaresborough, 16 Cheapside is a rather grander form of cottage. Built of local magnesian limestone, it forms part of a Grade II listed Georgian terrace right in the heart of the town. According to the agent, it boasts “timeless heritage and charm”, and has retained many period features, including fireplaces and exposed wooden beams.

Covering four floors, it has two double bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, lounge (where the front door opens onto the street) and cellar with ample headroom and a cobbled floor. Outside, there is a good-sized garden, paved with polished Yorkshire stone, and a stone-built outbuilding currently used as a utility room.

Finally, 19 Wellington Street is a brick-built semi-detached cottage within walking distance of Ripon city centre.

Previously a three-bedroom property, the current owners have remodelled it to a two-bed house with bathroom, kitchen, large utility room, and two reception rooms. Unusually for such a centrally-located property, it also has a good-sized garden, parking for a number of vehicles and two large garages.