Late spring brings farms to market from Devon to County Durham

As meteorological spring draws to a close, the supply of quality, equipped farms and bare land is strong, with four standout properties among this week’s launches.

At a guide price of £6.1m and with 397 acres, Lower Aynho Barns in Northamptonshire, is the largest.

The mixed holding, near Banbury, has arable and pastureland, woodland and wetland. It is predominantly Grade 3, with Wickham 2 series soils.

A modern grain store has capacity for 600-700t, and there are traditional stone farm buildings with development potential. A former barn has already been converted into two cottages which are run as holiday lets.

See also: £45m-plus price tag for farm estate with 31 dwellings

The sale includes 12 stables and outbuildings, a six-bedroom farmhouse, four cottages, an outdoor swimming pool, and Grade II listed parkland.

Savills is offering Lower Aynho Barns for sale as a whole or in up to five lots.

Devon mixed farm

Veraby © Stags

A second mixed holding comes to the market at South Molton in North Devon.

Veraby has been in its current ownership for about 30 years and is being sold because the family are downsizing their business.

The 218 acres are mostly grassland, with meadows adjoining the River Yeo and south-facing land, which is a mix of level, sloping and gently sloping, let on a grazing licence in recent years for sheep.

The Grade 3 and 4 land has a mixture of free-draining slightly acid loamy soils and slowly permeable, seasonally wet acid loamy and clayey soils.

There is also about 20 acres of recently felled young woodland and other pockets of woodland.

As well as two modern farm buildings, there are traditional barns and a five-bedroom farmhouse set in grounds with a small lake and an orchard.

Stags is marketing Veraby at a guide price of £2.595m.

Livestock in Country Durham

Middle Horsleyhope Farm © GCS Grays

For those in the market for a livestock farm, Middle Horsleyhope Farm, a 329-acre holding overlooking the Derwent Valley in County Durham, is described as versatile and well-equipped.

John Coleman of selling agent GSC Grays says it comes with excellent productive meadowland and sheltered pastures, divided into two blocks by a local road.

There are also modern and traditional buildings and a four-bedroom farmhouse.

“It is a substantial holding which offers purchasers an excellent opportunity to further develop and modernise to suit their own requirements,” he says.

The farm at Waskerley, near Consett, is currently occupied on a farm business tenancy which ends in October 2026.

Middle Horsleyhope Farm is being offered for sale as a whole at offers in excess of £2.25m and is also available in two lots.

Bare land blocks

Land between Bergh Apton and Thurton © Ceres Property

This week’s launches also feature some bare blocks of farmland, including 173 acres of ring‑fenced Grade 3 arable land between the villages of Bergh Apton and Thurton in Norfolk.

Peter Mason, of selling agent Ceres Property, says the sale is the result of a strategic review of the vendor’s wider property portfolio.

“The decision to sell forms part of a planned consolidation of their wider holdings,” he says.

For many years, the farm has been in a rotation of winter wheat, winter oilseed rape, winter rye, winter barley and sugar beet. The land is currently contract farmed, which could continue if the buyer wishes.

The deep, fine loamy soils have slowly permeable subsoils and slight seasonal waterlogging.

Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier and Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements are in place, both ending on 31 December 2026. 

Ceres Property is seeking offers of more than £1.54m for this block.

Bare land with different potential is also for sale in the Frome Valley in Somerset.

The 130 acres of pasture and woodland at Dairy House Farm, Beckington, Frome, is “a beautiful mix of sloping parkland, level river meadows bordering the River Frome, mature plantations and arable-capable land on the higher ground,” says Andrew Tuffin of selling agent Symonds & Sampson.

“The plantations were laid out 30 years ago to take advantage of the valley topography and provide a high pheasant shoot, regularly providing 200 bird days,” he says.

These are complemented by five ponds and fishing rights.

Symonds & Sampson is guiding the sale at £1.45m.