Prime 2155-acre estate in Wiltshire for sale
The 2,155-acre Manton Estate near Malborough, Wiltshire, has come to market including a 1,600-acre arable and stock farm, extensive equestrian training facilities and more than 30 houses and cottages.
The estate is available as a whole at a guide price of £26m or in up to seven lots. Manton Farm includes a four-bedroom farmhouse, five cottages (farmhouse and three cottages subject to agricultural occupancy), and is well equipped with modern farm buildings and grain storage.
“Manton Estate is high up on the Malborough Downs with chalky soils – it will appeal to farmers locally as well as across the country, and investors, too,” said Matthew Sudlow, associate at Strutt & Parker.
“The rare thing about it is the size of the unit and the lack of supply nationally.”
The majority of the 832 acres of arable land at Manton Farm is split between lots three, six and seven, while most of the 802 acres of grassland is included in lot five. An additional 91 acres has been in organic production since 2003 and is split between lots two and four.
The farmland is gently undulating and mainly Grade 3 with chalk soils and a block of clay loam running through the centre of the estate. It is farmed with two neighbouring estates under common management.
The arable cropping rotation is wheat, linseed and spring barley. The grassland is grazed by sheep and cattle and lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a World Heritage Site and other conservation sites, providing the business with a number of grants. The majority of the estate is within a nitrate vulnerable zone.
See also: Good sized arable blocks for sale
Fyfield Yard is the main farmyard and includes several general-purpose buildings, grain bins, an open-fronted machinery store, a concrete-block cattle building with bull pens, two steel-frame portal buildings, and two american barns. A further yard nearby is currently used for horses and is equipped with two barns and an indoor sand school.
A 50,000gal covered reservoir is used to irrigate the gallops, but could potentially be used for agriculture. Access around the farm is provided by estate drives and internal tracks off public roads.
SPS entitlements cover about 1,752 acres and will be transferred to the buyer, but the seller will keep the 2014 payment. Fourteen people are employed by the estate. There are no clawback conditions.
The wider estate includes horse training facilities with four areas of gallops covering 400 acres and five yards with 221 boxes. The main house and lodge have eight bedrooms each and there are 18 cottages, 10 flats and two hostels. (Strutt & Parker 020 7629 7282 or Adkin 01235 862 888)