Two tenancies in England and Wales hit the market
Farmers on the hunt for farm business tenancies (FBTs) have been given two new opportunities in England and Wales.
They include the rare chance of taking on a large arable farm in Suffolk in the shape of 800-acre Ashfield Place.
Meanwhile, in mid-Wales, livestock farmers may be interested in 102 acres of land, plus buildings, at Red House, in Powys.
The launches continue the busy start to the year for tenancies. Applications for seven county council offerings in Cambridgeshire closed earlier this month while in Cumbria, two Church Commissioner properties are being let by Savills.
See also: Two Cumbrian tenancies up for grabs
800 acres in Suffolk
Ashfield Place fields
Ashfield Place, near Debenham, has 800 acres of Grade 3 arable land being let as a whole or in three lots.
The land falls within the parishes of Ashfield cum Thorpe, Debenham and Kenton.
The largest of the lots is at Ashfield Place itself, which has 380 acres split in to a number of parcels, most exceeding 20 acres.
It is accompanied by a 1,000t grain store and an additional general purpose building. Drying is carried out using LPG gas with an adjoining delivery bin.
Ashfield Place grain store
Ashfield Place building
A bare block of 236 acres across 12 fields can be found at Kenton – lot two – while the third lot at Debenham comprises 183 acres across seven fields.
Soils are Hanslope and Beccles 1 Series which have regularly produced wheat yields in excess of 4t/acre.
The incumbent tenants, who have been in place for 10 years, have grown a rotation of winter wheat, winter barley, oilseed rape and sugar beet.
The farm is not subject to any environmental stewardship schemes and all of the land is BPS-registered with the 323 entitlements available to the successful tenant or tenants.
A five-year FBT will start on 1 October and is being offered to the market by informal tender with a closing date of midday on 26 April.
There is no break clause but a rent review will be held in 2020.
Viewing mornings are being held on 1 April and 5 April.
Letting agent Oliver Holloway, from Framlingham-based Clarke and Simpson, said: “It is a highly productive commercial arable farm and is one of the largest blocks of land to come on to the market to let within this area for some time.
“Supply of let land has been very scarce so it will be a very good benchmark as to what the appetite is for good arable land under an FBT.
“By offering the land as a whole or in three lots, we are expecting significant interest from local farmers and contractors looking to extend their existing holdings and we have already received a large number of enquiries prior to marketing.”
Welsh livestock farm
Red House pasture
Red House at Kerry, near Newtown, has 102 undulating acres of traditional mid-Wales pasture.
A dairy farm until the 1990s, it has been a beef and sheep enterprise for the past 20 years.
The land comes equipped with a good range of steel and iron barns including an eight-bay cattle shed for loose housing, a 10-bay sheep shed and hay barn. There are two covered silage clamps.
Barn at Red House
A four-bedroom farmhouse will be available by separate negotiation on an assured shorthold tenancy once the landlord has made improvements to the building.
It is being let from 17 April on a five-year FBT with no break clause and tenders are due by 7 April at midday.
Richard Evans from Morris, Marshall & Poole, who is handling the letting, said: “We are in an area where there are still county council smallholdings so there is a bit of land that comes up to rent but not very much is offered on a five-year FBT.”
Tenancy opportunities still few and far between
Commenting on the early flush of tenancies this year, TFA chief executive George Dunn said: “The market in agricultural tenancies continues to be highly competitive as demand far outstrips supply.
“However, from time to time we do see a number of opportunities being brought to the market all at once.”