Pictured above: Coalport Bridge Toll House

A renovated 19th century toll house and a converted smithy originally built in the 1700s are just two of the properties with significant history and character that are being offered for sale on the local housing market.

Leading Shropshire-based property specialist Nock Deighton is reporting a noticeable increase in the number of homes with a truly desirable past being made available pre and post the busy Christmas and New Year period.

One such property is the Coalport Bridge Toll House, in Coalport just outside Telford, a detached Grade II Listed riverside property lying within the Severn Valley. Originally built as a warehouse back in 1793 and used as a toll house between 1812 and 1922, the property has now been refurbished into a three-bedroom house with an asking price of £279,950.

Also added to the market is the picturesque Old Vicarage on Church Road, Coalbrookdale. The Grade II Listed, three-storey property was commissioned by Muriel Darby - it is actually said to be 'the last house the Darby's built' - and was completed by local builder Charles T Smith in 1901.The six-bedroom property is situated in three-quarter of an acre grounds within the World Heritage Site-acclaimed Severn Gorge and is open to offers from £850,000.

Other notable properties on the market include the Old Smithy, a four-bedroom cottage in Bourton, near Much Wenlock. Built using Wenlock stone in the mid 1700s, the property's smithy and stable block have been adapted to provide additional living quarters at the same time as retaining many of their original features, and is available to offers around £499,995. While a 19th century, semi-detached former schoolmaster's living quarters has been renovated as the Old School House in Broseley, a three-bedroom property containing the original fireplaces and built-in cupboards and on the market for offers around £240,000.

Michael Evans, Director for Nock Deighton, said: "Shropshire continues to be one of the most sought-after locations for house-hunters, and with properties like these on the market, it's not difficult to understand why. Not only are they beautiful buildings in their own right, but they have hundreds of years history and their own special stories to discover."

Formed in 1831, Nock Deighton is one of the Midlands' most well-established and respected firms of estate agents, lettings agents, chartered surveyors, block management agents and auctioneers. The company stands at the forefront of the modern property sector by embracing up-to-the-minute technology and industry best practice, and has a firm focus on achieving the very best results through a full range of specialist property-related services and dedicated staff.