"2024's Most Sought-After Real Estate Deals: Featuring the Duke of Northumberland and Newcomer Farmers"
Large English Country Estates Sold and on the Market in 2024
2024 has seen a flurry of activity in the sale of large English country estates, with several historic properties featuring significant acreage and period architecture changing hands.
In October, the 545-acre Lawkland Hall estate in Yorkshire was sold for an undisclosed sum. Located within the Bowland Forest National Landscape, this highly picturesque house is a Grade I-listed property. The estate also includes Lawkland Hall Farm, commercial and amenity woodland, a pheasant shoot, flight pond, and roe-deer stalking.
Another notable sale was the 366-acre Beeleigh Abbey estate in Essex, which was sold to a local family in September. The new owners plan to embark on a farming career. The estate, launched at a guide price of £5.45m in June, is a Grade I-listed property.
The Bridehead estate in Dorset, owned by seven generations of the Williams family, was successfully sold in October. This estate, launched with a guide price of £30 million, is one of the loveliest and most unspoilt Dorset landed estates. The Bridehead estate, which comprises an imposing Regency manor house, 32 village and estate houses, six farms, and a substantial area of ancient woodland, was in need of modernization.
In Northumberland, the scenic Rothbury estate was purchased under a two-phase agreement as 'a national flagship' by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust in October. The estate, offered at a guide price of £35m, comprises 12 working farms, 23 let residential properties, and natural assets including woodland, Forestry Commission woodland, and moorland.
The Glemham Hall estate in Suffolk, launched for the first time in 101 years in late February, includes a Grade I-listed mansion house, formal gardens and parkland, in-hand land, and a 526-acre let farm.
The Manor Farm estate in the village of Rockbourne, offered at a guide of 'offers over £15m', includes a remarkable collection of traditional farm buildings, including a Grade I-listed barn and Grade II-listed granaries and stables.
Mr. Whittaker described 2024 as a 'stop-start year' with 113 farms and estates sold for over £5m between January and November, compared to 250 in 2023.
Several large Georgian homes were also featured by estate agents, including:
- An 8-bedroom Grade II Listed Georgian home in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, with 0.5 acres near the River Thames and local amenities.
- The 8-bedroom Dolhaidd Mansion in Henllan, Carmarthenshire, a Grade II Listed estate with 25 acres of countryside, combining Victorian façade and Georgian interiors dating back to the 17th century.
- A 6-bedroom Old Vicarage in Codicote, Hertfordshire, Grade II Listed Georgian home sympathetically extended for modern family living.
- A 6-bedroom Old Rectory near Bath, Somerset, set on just over an acre with period elegance and pastoral surroundings, unlisted but historically connected.
A traditional country house with 6 acres was also recently listed, emphasizing spacious grounds and classic style.
The Pockford estate, a 197-acre estate near Chiddingfold, was sold as a whole and exchanged and completed in December. It includes a charming, Grade II-listed Georgian house, three cottages, a Grade II-listed party barn, indoor swimming pool, tennis court, stables, and manege.
The pristine, 9991⁄2-acre Buckholt farming and sporting estate in Hampshire's Test Valley was sold in July for an undisclosed sum. It was launched at a guide price of £24m in April. The estate's rolling landscape provides a mix of sporting interest and farming potential. The arable land is contract farmed under a traditional rotation, and the downland and pasture around the house are grazed by a herd of rare White Park cattle.
The Percy family's ownership of land in Northumberland began with the purchase of the Barony of Alnwick and Alnwick Castle from the Crown in November 1309. Today, the family portfolio combines more than 100,000 acres of farming, forestry, and tourism interests throughout the county and the Scottish Borders.
References:
[1] Smaller character properties under £400,000 were also noted but do not align with the definition of large estates.
[2] These estates typically feature multiple bedrooms, extensive acreage (from around half an acre to 25 acres), historic listing status (Grade II or II*), architecturally significant Georgian or Victorian-period elements, and countryside settings often near notable landmarks or schools.
[3] The Maunsel estate, a Grade II*-listed property, was offered for sale at £3.5 million. This aristocratic estate has a notable history involving a public search for a "lady of the house" and presents classic English country estate charm.
[4] The Cobbold brewing family's historic 1,763-acre Glemham Hall estate in Suffolk was launched for the first time in 101 years in late February 2024.
[5] A £4.5 million traditional country house with 6 acres was recently listed, emphasizing spacious grounds and classic style.
In light of the increased sale activity in large English country estates, a strategic real-estate investor may consider diversifying their portfolio to include the pristine Buckholt farming and sporting estate in Hampshire, sold in July for an undisclosed sum, or the Glemham Hall estate in Suffolk, launched for sale by the former owners of the Cobbold brewing family in late February 2024. These estates, both featuring extensive acreage, historic listing status, and historic significance, present lucrative opportunities for those interested in investing in the UK's real-estate market, particularly in the realm of formal gardens and country estates.
