Break-up of 1,000 acres of quality land offers opportunity

A top-quality 1,059-acre arable farm on the Romney Marshes is for sale, offering expanding farmers a chance to buy a slice of Grade 2 land.

Abbots Farm on the edge of the Kent coastline, comes with 5,000t of grain storage, three houses – and a £11.5m price tag.

It is available as a whole or in four lots and whoever buys it will swallow up a significant section of the coastal region where the supply of land is traditionally scarce. 

“Very little land ever comes up for sale on the Marshes,” said Charlie Paton, partner at selling agent Savills.

“We have seen 100 acres sold here and there but this is a real one-off and will have a lot of appeal from those who already farm nearby, and from investors.”

The four blocks are not ring fenced but each lot is separated by a maximum of two fields and access to the entire acreage is via internal tracks or public roads.  

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The current rotation is wheat, oilseed rape, peas and linseed with winter wheat yields recorded in excess of 4.85t/acre.

The retirement of the sitting tenant brings the land to market.

Abbots Farm in lots

• Lot 1: Abbots Court – 346 acres with 2,500t of grain storage and two houses – one in need of refurbishment. Former potato store, machinery shed and ancillary buildings currently used as a farm office.
• Lot 2: Chapel Farm – 233 acres of arable land with 2,700t of grain storage and a three-bedroom cottage in need of total renovation. Portal-framed workshop, machinery store and yard.
• Lot 3: Shipton Farm – 296 acres of bare arable land with good access and derelict farm buildings, which could offer development opportunities.
• Lot 4: Herritages – 194 acres of bare arable land in four fields with public road access.