Large Suffolk arable test for commercial market

The biggest English open market farmland sale so far this year comes with the launch of Kelsale Hall Farms, a commercial arable unit near Saxmundham in Suffolk.

Offering well-equipped top-end grade 3 arable land with a small area of grade 2, there are two large farmhouses and five further cottages and bungalows on 960ha (2,373 acres), with an overall guide price of £19m.

This is the second sale this year for the Mormon Church’s Agreserves farming company, following the sale of High Dyke and Lodge Farms in Lincolnshire last spring. Outlying farms are being sold to consolidate the agricultural operation closer to the Cambridgeshire base, says Strutt & Parker’s Charlie Evans.

Three farmyards offer a combined grain storage capacity of 6,000t, workshops, general purpose storage buildings, office and ancillary storage. Most of the land is Ragdale and Hanslope series soils, although about 430 acres is lighter, sandy Newport series land. This has irrigation and is suitable for vegetable production.

The gently undulating land has blocks of mainly broadleaf woodland and its position close to the Suffolk Heritage Coastline offers buyers opportunities to develop additional income.

The two farmhouses are vacant, while the five cottages are occupied by current and former employees. The dwellings account for a maximum of 10% of the guide price, said Mr Evans, which values the land with buildings at about £7,200/acre across the board.

The guide price for the private treaty sale as a whole or in up to eight lots includes SPS entitlements. An Entry Level stewardship scheme agreement across the whole farm running until 31 August 2015 provides additional income of £28,463.

All of the farms are within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (Strutt & Parker 020 7318 5172).

Kelsale Lodge (top) is one of seven dwellings at Kelsale Hall Farms, which has a wide range of buildings serving the large arable acreage.