5 counties offer five contrasting farms
England’s land market will see several significant launches this week.
In Hampshire, offers in excess of £15m are being sought for the Manor Farm Estate, near Rockbourne, which is also available in up to five lots.
The estate sits in the Cranborne Chase area of outstanding natural beauty and its 814.5 acres includes 746 acres of mostly Grade 3 land.
This has been farmed in a standard arable rotation under an annual contract farming agreement.
Selling agent Savills says about 43 acres of woodland offer the potential to re-establish a shoot, which the farm hosted until 2020.
See also: Advice on some of the pitfalls of land transactions
The buildings are a mix of modern and traditional, including a grain store with capacity for 1,100 tonnes, a cart-shed, granaries and stabling.
The former dairy unit has recently been used for contract pig-finishing.
The seven-bedroom 11th century Grade I-listed manor house has walled and kitchen gardens which include medieval monastic ruins designated as a scheduled ancient monument.
As well as two converted cottages in the courtyard, which are run as holiday lets, there are three pairs of semi-detached cottages and a further house.
Well equipped in Oxfordshire
In Oxfordshire, a 358-acre arable farm near Whitecross Green ticks a lot of boxes for many buyers, according to selling agent Carter Jonas.
Manor Farm, Murcott, sits in a ring fence and is for sale as a whole at £4.85m.
There is a range of buildings including a grain store with a 650sq m drying floor and 1,400 tonne capacity.
The Grade 4 land with mainly loamy soils is farmed mostly in an arable rotation.
There are also about 15 acres of horse paddocks, together with stable blocks, feed and tack stores.
The five-bedroom farmhouse is a barn conversion, which has been extended.
Worcestershire arable farm
Also coming to the market is Upper House Farm, a 97-acre holding at Sutton, near Tenbury Wells, with a Grade II listed farmstead and a five-bedroom Georgian farmhouse.
Sunderlands is bringing this to the market with a guide price of £2.5m.
Its Grade 2 and 3 land and slightly acid loamy and clayey soils is suitable for arable and grassland cropping.
Just under 87 acres is in an arable rotation, with the rest in permanent grass, traditional orchards and woodland.
The farm has a three-storey Grade II listed farmhouse, a range of traditional stone and brick farm buildings and a modern, general-purpose building.
Wiltshire residential potential
Bereavement brings the 151-acre ring-fenced Hurst Farm at Worton, Devizes, to the market at a guide price of £2.6m for the whole or in four lots.
About 30 acres of the land is down to arable and the rest to grass. There is a range of farm buildings, a former mill, and a courtyard of traditional buildings and stabling.
Selling agent Woolley & Wallis says that, subject to planning consent, some of the buildings have the potential to be converted for a range of uses.
The farmhouse is in need of modernisation. A pair of redundant semi-detached cottages and a three-bedroom red brick cottage, currently let, are included.
High Weald holding
In Kent, BTF Partnership is launching Delmonden Farm, described as an accessible and versatile High Weald country estate.
The 82-acre farm near Hawkhurst comes with a six-bedroom 16th century farmhouse and annexe, a swimming pool, tennis court, a range of agricultural and commercial buildings, and equestrian facilities.
Alex Cornwallis at BTF says the farm, equestrian and commercial buildings have potential for commercial or residential planning permission, as there is lapsed Class PA planning consent for nine residential units.
The land is Grade 3 and down to grass.
The farm’s range of leisure facilities and buildings offers potential to generate residential or commercial income and the guide price here is £3.995m.