The Farmers Mart Apr/May 2016 - Issue 45 | Page 68

Property FIRST AGRICULTURAL ESTATE OF THE YEAR LAUNCHED TO THE MARKET / £20 MILLION AGRICULTURAL ESTATE FOR SALE »»WHAT IS THOUGHT TO BE the first agricultural estate to be placed onto the open market in 2016 is due to be launched by Cundalls of Malton. The West Heslerton Estate, near Malton, North Yorkshire, comprises around 2,116 acres of predominantly in-hand agricultural land situated on the northern edge of the Yorkshire Wolds. The estate is offered for sale as a whole with a guide price of £20 million and includes 2,116 acres (all in hand with the exception of 16 acres), a 21 bedroom Hall, 43 let houses, the village pub/restaurant, garage, sports field and playing field. The total annual rent roll and agricultural subsidy income is currently around £388,000. Tom Watson of Cundalls who is handling the sale, admits agents are often “over the top” with their property descriptions but says this is genuinely a “once in a generation opportunity”. In fact, he doubts he’ll come across anything like this again in his career. The West Heslerton Estate has been owned by the Dawnay family for over 150 years. The owner, Miss Eve Dawnay, died a spinster five years ago and - as there was no immediate single heir - it has been decided by the family that the most sensible option is to sell the estate. In an ideal world the family would like it to remain as a whole. Tom Watson says that one of the rarest qualities of the estate is the fact that other than 16.85 acres let on a FBT; the rest of the farm is farmed in-hand and includes a wide range of soil types and benefits from three separate farmsteads all with grain drying and machinery storage buildings. The land includes 1,528 acres of arable and temporary grassland, 426.6 acres of permanent pasture grazing and around 112 acres of mature woodland. The farmland comprises Grade II and III soils. To the south of the estate on the higher Wolds ground the land is productive and free draining, being the popular ‘Andover’ series of soils capable of producing high yielding cereal crops. From the Wold edge the land then becomes free draining escarpment grazing land, gently falling by over 200 ft to West Heslerton village. These grasses provide good grazing for sheep or cattle and also offer sporting opportunities. The lower lying land then comprises a mixture of arable and grassland; from light freedraining sand land to more bodied clay loams, capable of producing quality cereal and root crops. The in-hand farming operation on the estate comprises a mixed commercial arable enterprise, producing cereals, roots and pulses together with a large scale commercial sheep flock of around 400 ewes and followers which together with third party suckler cows utilise the grassland. The sale can also include all machinery and livestock if so required. The farmland is registered with the RPA receiving Basic Payment Scheme subsidy payments and there is currently an Entry Level/Higher Level Scheme on the land producing £90,599.12 per annum which expires in September 2022 The land is interspersed with woodland shelterbelts, with a mixture of mature coniferous and deciduous trees and given the topography and layout of the woodlands, there is the potential to develop a high quality and challenging shoot over the estate. Tom Watson concludes: “For somebody who loves farming and field sports; finding an estate like this in a ring-fence has to be a dream come true. With the exception of around 16 acres, all the agricultural land is farmed in hand with vacant possession. From a sporting perspective the various strategically placed shelter belts combined with the topography of the land would make a challenging and varied shoot.” For further information or quotes contact: Tom Watson MRICS FAAV Director Cundalls 15 Market Place, Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 7LP. 01653 697 820 07931 520 677 [email protected] www.cundalls.co.uk 68 Apr/May 2016 www.farmers-mart.co.uk