Large tenancies hit Lincolnshire and Wiltshire market

More than 769ha (1,900 acres) of land is about to come on the rental market in Lincolnshire and Wiltshire.


Sotby Farm sits between Wragby, Louth and Market Rasen in Lincolnshire and has more than 1,000 acres of mainly grade 2 land in three lots, available from October on a five-year farm business tenancy.


It has been owned by the Lawson family for more than 20 years, following the family farming the holding as tenants of the Mercantile & General Reinsurance Company.


The Lawsons now wanted to concentrate on other business opportunities, said Stephen Hall, of letting agent Savills. Apart from the area and quality of the land, a big draw will be the availability of the farm’s 10m gallon irrigation licence.


The land is to let as a whole or split three ways into lots of about 200, 300 and almost 500 acres. The farm has grown potatoes and vining peas in the past and would also suit sugar beet. Soils range between Methwold, Swaffham Prior and Wickham 2 series, which include well-drained calcareous sandy, calcareous coarse and fine loamy soils over chalk and slowly permeable fine silty over clay and clay soils.


Buildings including 1,100t of grain storage, plus general purpose storage, sit initially with the largest of the land lots, but alternatives could be negotiated depending on the interest, said Mr Hall. The loan of shares to cover 737t of co-operative storage at Woldgrain would also be available to incoming tenants by negotiation.


The tenancy will include single farm payment entitlements and income from the Entry Level Stewardship Scheme. (Savills 01522 508 933)








Sotby Farm
A change of direction for the Lawson family brings the tenancy of Sotby Farm to the market on grade 2 land in Lincolnshire.


Savills is also letting Thunderbrook Farms at Royal Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire, with about 358ha (884 acres) of arable and pasture.


Originally part of the Lely farming estate and subsequently let, the farms were sold to the University of Oxford last autumn and are to be re-let. The grade 3 land is split between about 507 acres of arable and about 336 acres of pasture on mainly Denchworth series soils.


Woodland and livestock buildings are also included, but Thunderbrook Farms does not have grain storage, which meant that interest was most likely to come from established businesses in the local area, said Philip Hoare, of Savills’ Banbury office.


“Thunderbrook Farms is one of the largest farms to be publicly let in the area in recent times. We anticipate receiving considerable interest in the farms and it will be a great test for the farmland rental market.”


The Farm Business Tenancy includes SFP entitlements and runs for a minimum initial term of five years from 20 September 2012. (Savills 01295 228 055)