Commercial arable land to kick off autumn market

The early autumn market is set to give buyers a choice of arable land with a wide range of acreages.

Three farms under the same ownership but in two counties are about to be launched.

With a total of 1,364 acres in Hertfordshire and East Sussex, they are straightforward commercial arable farming propositions, unencumbered by residential value.

“All are currently managed under contract farming agreements and would therefore be perfect for an investment purchaser or a farmer looking to extend their existing holdings,” said Charlotte Pearson-Wood, a partner with selling agent Batcheller Monkhouse.

See also: Private farmland sales – what buyers should consider

At 654 acres, Cottered Farm at Cottered in Hertfordshire is the largest of the three. The land is Grades 2 and 3 arable, with a large hardstanding the centre of the holding.

The soil type here is a lime rich loamy clay and the land is currently contract farmed with the opportunity to break the agreement in September 2024.

A Countryside Stewardship agreement here brings an annual income of £40,000 and ends in December 2024.

At the centre of the land is a scheduled monument known as “The Island”, a moated homestead dating back to the 11th or 12th century and which is now mainly wooded. 

East Sussex

Great Cansiron Farm © Batcheller Monkhouse

Sitting just within East Sussex, but bordering Kent, Great Cansiron Farm at Holtye has about 490 acres of mainly Grade 3 land with a small area of Grade 4, on clay loam soils.

The arable portion is 390 acres and there are 38 acres of permanent pasture and 62 acres of woodland.

The farm’s 800t grain store was built in 2015 and has gas-fired on-floor drying.

A small area of grassland is let on a commercial lease to Holtye Golf Course as a driving range until October 2024 and the sporting rights have been re-let until February 2024.

Countryside Stewardship income here is £36,000 a year, on a five-year Mid-Tier scheme, which began in January 2023.

Great Cansiron Farm is in the High Weald area of outstanding natural beauty and includes a scheduled moment known as Far Blacklands Romano-British Iron Bloomery.

A second scheduled monument, a former Roman road, is surrounded by the land but is not owned.

Curls Farm © Batcheller Monkhouse

Curls Farm at Ripe in East Sussex has 219 acres of mainly Grade 3 arable land on loamy clay soils, 600t of grain storage built in 2015 and gas-fired on-floor drying. There is also a modern machinery shed.

Curls Farm also has a fishing lake let on a commercial lease until December 2029.

More arable acres for launch  

The next few weeks will bring further arable land to the market from other sellers, in a mix of large farms and bare land blocks.