Spring brings contrasting farms to market in England

The land market is livening up with a contrasting choice of new launches across a range of acreages, locations and farm types.

Bramble Hall Farm, near Maldon, Essex, is a 393-acre coastal arable farm where heads of terms have been agreed for a ground-mounted solar lease on 170 acres.

The sellers have farmed the Grade 3 land for 50 years, more recently in a winter wheat and break crop rotation.

See also: From arable offers in East Anglia to forestry in Aberdeenshire

The ring-fenced holding has a 300t grain store, and some of the land is under a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) agreement, generating an annual income of £44,000.

There is also a small area of grassland, some woodland, and a vineyard planted in 2021.

In addition to solar, selling agent Savills says the farm’s coastal location offers further opportunities for alternative income generation from the biodiversity net gain market.

The timber-framed, modern four-bedroom farmhouse is subject to an agricultural occupancy restriction. 

Bramble Hall Farm is being offered for sale at a guide price of £4.75m.

Retirement sales

Ladbon Farm © Stags

In the South West, retirement brings another arable farm to the market.

Ladbon Farm, a 276-acre holding at Wembworthy in mid-Devon, has mostly been in an arable rotation for the past 10 years.

The land here is classified Grade 3, with a mixture of free-draining, acid loamy soils over rock, and free-draining, slightly acid loamy soils.

About 218 acres are actively farmed and there is 52 acres of mostly native broad-leaf woodland.

The south-facing farmhouse was built in 1858 and underwent significant improvement when the current owner bought the farm in 2000.

Two cottages generate income as holiday accommodation.

With a range of stone buildings around a large open courtyard, there is further opportunity for conversion to holiday or residential use, says selling agent Stags.

Labdon Farm is being marketed at a guide price of £4.5m.

Hasthorpe Grange Farm © Strutt & Parker

Retirement is also the reason for the launch of Hasthorpe Grange Farm, near Alford, Lincolnshire.

The 352-acre dairy holding, owned by the same family since 2006, has two yards.

One yard houses the milking parlour, cubicles and further accommodation, and the other has equestrian facilities and a former grain store.

The land is split between a mix of permanent pasture and improved grassland.

In addition to the principal farmhouse, the sale includes two bungalows.

Strutt & Parker is jointly marketing Hasthorpe Grange Farm with Willsons, at a guide price of £4.65m.

Coastal land

Castle Gotha © Carter Jonas

On the Cornish coast, a 104-acre block of bare land near Porthpean has been launched by Carter Jonas.

Castle Gotha, once part of the Penrice Estate, is being offered for sale for the first time in almost 50 years.

The mainly Grade 3 land with free-draining, slightly acidic loamy soils is principally down to arable and pasture divided into good- sized, gently sloping fields, and there is a small acreage of scrub and woodland.

All the land is subject to a farm business tenancy agreement, which ends on 28 September 2025.

Some of the land falls within Cornwall’s national landscape (formerly area of outstanding natural beauty), and it includes a historic Iron Age feature designated as a scheduled monument.

The land is subject to some National Trust restrictive covenants, and the sellers will keep a right of way from the public highway to access retained land.

A three-bay portal frame agricultural building provides storage of 355sq m.

Carter Jonas is marketing Castle Gotha at £1.125m for the whole.

Smaller holdings

Church Farm © Carter Jonas

The firm also has two smaller farms on the market in West Berkshire.

Church Farm at Aldermaston, near Reading, is ring-fenced, with permanent pasture paddocks and an orchard covering about 80 acres.

There is an 18th century farmhouse, a granary, extensive traditional buildings, a parlour and timber pole barns.

This is marketed as a residential farm with redevelopment potential and is for sale as a whole at offers in excess of £2m and is also available in three lots.

Briff View Farm © Carter Jonas

The second is Briff View Farm at Bucklebury. This residential farm is in the North Wessex Downs national landscape (formerly area of outstanding natural beauty).

It has 38 acres of mainly pasture land and a small area of woodland, a house in need of updating, and multiple outbuildings which are mainly used for storage.

The farm is being sold at offers in excess of £1.5m for the whole and is available in two lots.