Large arable unit bucks trend
Large arable unit bucks trend
VERY few large arable farms have come to the market in the north of England this year, so the launch of a 1044-acre estate in North Yorks built on the proceeds of copper mining is bound to attract interest.
Smiths Gore and CKD Kennedy Macpherson are jointly handling the sale of the Middleton Tyas Estate, close to the A1 at Scotch Corner, which was bought by the Hartley Family in the 1600s and is still owned by its descendants today.
Prior to the arrival of the copper mines, the remains of which can still be seen, Middleton Tyas had the dubious distinction of being the most northerly village to succumb to the Black Death plague.
But potential purchasers hoping for bargain basement prices are likely to be disappointed.
"A large block of commercial farmland, especially with such good sporting potential, is a rarity in the area," says Richard Murray Wells of Smiths Gore.
The entire holding is valued at over £5m, which puts the Grade 2/3 IACS-registered arable land at around £2500/acre – on a par with East Anglian values.
East Hall, the estates 11-bedroom, Grade 2 listed principal residence, is priced at £1.75m with 25 acres. The firms head of residential agency, Andrew Turner, says strong demand from nearby urban centres like Leeds and Newcastle means the house could well go separately.
A similar property closer to London would undoubtedly be on the market for at least £1m more. But Mr Turner points out that Leeds is now considered by many to be the UKs second financial centre and counties like Hants would struggle to offer the majestic scenery of the North Yorks Moors, just on the doorstep of the estate.
Four other dwellings are included, and there is plenty to appeal to commercial farmers. The estate has won the Laurent Perrier award for game conservation and boasts a particularly impressive array of hedges which have been designed to produce extra height for the partridge drives.
Grain storage is handled by a 4000t capacity barn, originally designed for potato storage, and some of the land, 918 acres of which comes with IACS-registration, is down to turf production. *
Views of the North Yorks Moors over the Middleton Tyas Estate.