Somalia online: West Heslerton: Entire village goes up for sale for £20m

Monday, 4 April 2016

West Heslerton: Entire village goes up for sale for £20m

An entire North Yorkshire village has gone on the market for a guide price of £20m.

West Heslerton, near Malton, has a 21-bedroom mansion, pub, petrol station, 43 homes and 2,116 acres of land.

The village has been owned by the same family for over 150 years, but has been put up for sale after the most recent owner died.

Cundalls estate agents said it had already attracted interest "from far and wide".

Eve Dawnay owned the estate until her death five years ago, with the family now deciding to sell.

West Heslerton also has a church, primary school and a playing field with a pavilion.

Petrol station — Image captionWest Heslerton has a petrol station, which is included in the sale

Tom Watson, of Cundalls, said: "Miss Dawnay was a wonderful lady.

"She was very kind and the property rents are - and have always been - very low.

"This has helped keep a vibrant village community with a mixed group of ages and there are obviously a lot of people hoping that somebody with a similar benevolent nature will come along to take over the estate."

Row of houses — Image captionThe family is selling 43 homes in the North Yorkshire village

More than 110 acres of woodland is also being sold by the family.

Mr Watson added: "All the tenants were told it was going on the market in September, since then the rumour mill has started going about potential buyers.

"We already have had interest from far and wide."

Village pub — Image captionThe village boasts a pub called the Dawnay Arms

Miss Dawnay's sister, Verena Elliott, said: "We all loved it and it would be very hard to find a village with more loyal and lovely people living in it.

"There is a real sense of community which is hard to find these days."

Other previous village sales

Linkenholt, Hampshire - Sold for £25m in 2009 - the sale included 22 cottages and houses, 1,500 acres of farmland, a village shop and a blacksmiths.

Bantham, Devon - The 750-acre seaside estate exceeded the asking price of £11m and included about 20 cottages and a beach.

Little Rollright, Oxfordshire - The Cotswold village went on the market in 2014with an asking price of £18m, including a manor house, rectory, five cottages and 500 acres.