Church Hill, Sutton, Deal, Kent, CT15

A rare opportunity to buy a long established arable farm with a good looking farmhouse, an annexe/holiday cottage, a range of traditional and modern farmbuildings and mainly Grade 2 land - James Hickman

#TheGardenOfEngland

An excellent opportunity to purchase a productive East Kent arable farm situated on the edge of Sutton village and comprising a period Georgian fronted Grade II listed farmhouse, a popular holiday cottage, a good range of traditional and modern farm buildings, together with mainly Grade 2 arable land.

In all about 211.08 acres (85.423 hectares)

For sale as a whole or in 3 lots.

Freehold - Council Tax Bands G (Farmhouse) and C (Upper Farm Lodge)

Guide Prices:

Whole

Farmhouse, Upper Farm Lodge, Outbuildings, Farm buildings and Land (about 211.08 acres)
Guide Price £3,950,000 to £4,150,000

Lot 1

Farmhouse, Upper Farm Lodge and traditional outbuildings (about 1.93 acres)
Guide Price £1,400,000 to £1,450,000

Lot 2

Farm Buildings (about 0.96 acre)
Guide Price £350,000 to £400,000

Lot 3

Farmland (about 208.19 acres)
Guide Price £2,200,000 to £2,300,000

Situation

Upper Farm is situated in the small village and parish of Sutton which is located between the East Kent coastal towns of Deal and Dover. Both towns offer a good range of amenities including shops, schools, supermarkets, restaurants, and pubs. There is a wider choice of amenities at Canterbury which is an easy drive via the A2. The pretty Cinque Port town of Sandwich is also within easy reach to the north.

Method of Sale

The farm is offered for sale by Private Treaty with offers invited either for the whole or in 3 lots. In the event of competing offers, interested parties may be asked to submit their “best and final” offer or offers. In addition, the sellers’ reserve the right to offer the farm by informal tender or auction if the need arises.

Background

The farm was originally rented by part of the sellers’ family and in 1938 the sellers’ grandfather had the opportunity to purchase the farm. The farm has been in the family’s ownership ever since. The farm has been used for mixed arable and livestock farming over the years including cattle, dairy and pigs. More recently farmed as an arable farm.

Lot 1 - Upper Farmhouse and Buildings (edged red on plan)

Upper Farmhouse

An attractive farmhouse, which is Grade II listed, originally believed to have been a Yeomans House upon which a late Georgian front was added in about 1795. The property provides spacious accommodation with well proportioned rooms, good ceiling heights and a number of attractive period features.

Upper Farm Lodge

The Lodge is an attractive addition to the house. This was converted in about 2006/7 and is currently being let as a holiday cottage through Travel Chapter via Holiday Cottages (holidaycottages.co.uk) and Original Cottages (originalcottages.co.uk). The Lodge generates a useful additional income for the farm but could just as easily be used to provide ancillary accommodation or an annexe to the house.

The Lodge will be sold as a going concern with most of the furniture, white goods, and fixtures and fittings included.

Gardens

The farmhouse and Lodge sit within a large garden area which is mainly laid to lawn and planted with a good number of attractive trees to complement the borders and shrub areas. The garden includes a good sized double garage, two greenhouses, a small shed and a fruit cage.

Traditional Outbuildings

A number of mellow brick traditional buildings used recently as workshops, wood working, a shop/retail area, storage and rest rooms by the Sellers as part of their successful Stiles and Bates Woodturning Supplies business (now ceased trading).. These briefly comprise:

1) Workshops and Woodworking Room
2) Store, Workshop and WC
3) Workshop
4) Tractor Barn & Workshop and Store
5) Two Stores and Shop Area
6) Large Open Sided Barn
7) Barn with two Stores
8) Chemical Store
9) Office Building

A small number of these buildings are the subject of non-domestic/business rates.

Lot 2 - Upper Farm Buildings (blue on plan)

a) Grain Store, about 100'9 x 29'7, with attached Fan Store, about 17'10 x 24'6. The store has an on floor capacity of about 300 tonnes.

b) Former Silage Store, about 59'4 x 26'9 and 59'6 x 16'10. The larger part can store approx. 120 Tonnes on floor if required.

c) Open Sided General Purpose Barn (earth floor), about 90'0 x 25'6.

Lot 3 – Upper Farm (green on Plan)

A block of easy working arable land extending to about 208.19 acres (about 84.253 ha), which is accessed from Church Hill. The land lies in a rectangular block to the south west of the farmhouse and buildings and comprises a small number of easy working fields. There is good access to the land via a trackway that runs centrally through the land.

**Note: In the far north west of the land there was historically a pair of cottages that were accessed over a trackway from Homestead Lane to the south of East and West Studdal.
Soil Type and Land Classification

The land is shown as Soilscape 5 on the LandIS Map ( and is described as ‘’freely draining lime-rich loamy soils’’.

The land is classified as mainly Grade 2 on the Natural England Regional Agricultural Land Classification Map with a smaller area of Grade 3 along the northern edge of the land.

Tenure

The farm is freehold with vacant possession of all parts on completion.

Planning

All planning enquiries regarding any alternative uses, extensions or conversions must be directed to the Local Authority being Dover District Council (dover.gov.uk) planning department.

Services

Lot 1

Upper Farmhouse: Mains water and electricity, Klargester drainage, oil fired boiler for hot water and central heating.

Upper Farm Lodge: Mains water and electricity, Klargester drainage, oil fired boiler for hot water and central heating.

Farm and Outbuildings: Mains water and electricity, single with some 3 phase.

Lot 2
Farm Buildings: Mains water and Electricity (3 Phase)

Lot 3
Holdover

The sellers may need to reserve the right of holdover to use some of the farm buildings including the grain store for an agreed period of time after completion. The sellers may also require holdover to hold a farm dispersal sale on the farm.

Schemes

The land is not currently entered into any farm schemes.

The farm is registered for the Red Tractor Scheme.

Public Rights of Way, Wayleaves and Easements

There is a single footpath, No EE419, that runs along the edge of the far south west boundary of the farmland in Lot 3.

For further details go:

In general, the property is sold subject to and with the benefit of all existing easements and wayleaves and rights of way (if any) whether public or private.

Shooting, Hunting & Fishing Rights

These are all in hand.

Viewings

Viewing of ALL lots including the land and buildings are strictly by appointment only through our Ashford office on or our Tenterden office on .

Health and Safety

Prospective purchasers must have regard for their own safety during viewings. Neither the sellers nor Hobbs Parker Estate Agents accept any responsibility for any accident or injury as a result of viewing the property.

Acreage, Plans & Boundaries

The plan on these sales particulars and the acreages quoted are strictly for identification and guidance only. The boundaries shown on the plans in these particulars have been prepared by reference to digital Ordnance Survey data. The plans are published for illustrative purposes only and although they are believed to be correct their accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

Interested parties are reminded that the property is sold in accordance with the owners Land Registry Title plan/s, and they must satisfy themselves as to the boundaries and the quantity of land being purchased. Any error or mistake shall not annul the sale or entitle any party to compensation thereof.

Our Ref: FAL250144