Cumbria company notches up 11th
Cumbria company notches up 11th
AUCTIONEERS across England have been busy over the past month as a wide variety of land and farms has gone under the hammer.
In the north, Cumbrian operator Hopes of Wigton notched up its 11th public sale of the year on Apr 23. This time 150 acres of grass and arable land off Linden Farm, Baldwinholme, near Carlisle, fetched £3600/acre after strong bidding by neighbouring farmer John Wilson.
The firms David Bulman said both the succesful bidder and under bidder had been culled out during the foot-and-mouth crisis, although he added both have since restocked. "Maybe the land did go for a bit more than I expected, but pre-F&M it was not unusual to get £4000/acre in this area."
Staying in the top half of the country, Yorks firm Frank Hill & Son sold off 221-acre Old Hall Farm, Skeffling, near the Humber estuary, for £598,000, with most of the land going to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. The organisation paid £2560/acre for 113 acres.
A local farmer paid significantly less for another 89 acres of mixed land, averaging £1865/acre. Selling agent Ralph Ward said the lower price was probably because the arable land had not been cultivated for some time and reflected the cost of putting it back into production.
The farmhouse in need of complete renovation was snapped up by a Hull businessman for £126,000.
At the opposite end of the country, Devon agent Rendells comfortably exceeded the £300,000 guide on Bradford Farm, Witheridge, when the 82-acre grass holding was bid to £350,000 by a local farmer.
"This was an important test of the market after F&M," said a spokesman.
Shropshire specialist Halls was also in action earlier in the month when Grafton Farm, near Wem, was knocked down for £739,000. A Lancs-based farming company paid £500,000 for 132 of the 203-acre units grass and arable acres, including a five-bedroomed house and buildings.
A pair of 20-acre and 38-acre blocks of pastureland made £40,000 and £75,000 respectively, with local producers winning the day. *