A charming 187-acre arable and pasture farm, with a historic farmhouse and range of traditional farm buildings positioned in a picturesque, village edge location.
OFFERS TO BE RECEIVED BY MIDDAY ON TUESDAY 25TH APRIL 2023
PROPERTY Churchtown Farm is a wonderfully untouched and historic farm, positioned in a peaceful and secluded village edge location.
Seemingly unaffected by the modern world, the farm provides a fantastic opportunity to sensitively enhance the farmhouse and extensive range of buildings, which are surrounded by land forming part of the farm. The ever-present and pretty church tower, the second tallest in Cornwall, seemingly stands guard over the farm with its battlements, turrets and pinnacles.
Historically farmed from the existing buildings, in recent times the land has been occupied by neighbouring farm businesses, the pasture land running from the farmhouse into a gentle valley setting. Interspersed with mature hedgerows and established trees, the valley provides a substantial block of productive land, ideal for livestock but with approximately half being suitable for temporary grass/arable use, all with high amenity, environmental and wildlife value, with an existing countryside stewardship scheme.
The northern part of the farm, closer to the regional road network, consists of a defined block of 67 acres of high quality, level arable land in seven enclosures, ideal for a wide range of cropping.
The farm consists of the following lots:
Lot 1: Farmhouse, buildings, land and allotment garden, totalling approximately 7.77 acres.
Lot 2: Two village edge paddocks with direct road access, totalling approximately 5.69 acres. Lot 3: Approximately 107.08 acres of pasture and arable land, positioned in a southerly facing valley, with excellent road access throughout.
Lot 4: Approximately 67.11 acres of arable land in seven fields, with individual road access.
LOCATION Churchtown Farm is located in south-east Cornwall, a mile from the B3257 as it runs from the A30, 5 miles to the north, to Callington, 4 miles to the south. From Callington the A388 leads to Saltash and the city of Plymouth, a major regional conurbation with all services, facilities and opportunities one would expect, located 20 miles from the farm. The Cornish market towns of Launceston and Liskeard are within 10 miles, with the historic and popular market town of Tavistock, located at the foothills of Dartmoor with its range of independent shops and well-respected private schooling, a 30 minute drive through the picturesque countryside of the Cornwall/Devon border. Both Truro and Exeter are a one hour drive from the property.
The proximity of the A30 allows easy and quick access up and down the county to many other towns, villages and destinations that Cornwall and Devon has to offer, the wilds of Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor being as easy to reach as the coastal villages of Polperro, Talland Bay and Looe or the Rame Peninsula on the south Cornish coast.
Mainline train services run from Liskeard and Plymouth, as well as minor stations closer by, direct to Exeter, Bristol and London, including a sleeper train. National and international flights run from Newquay and Exeter, 40 and 65 minutes’ drive from the property respectively.
BUILDINGS Lot 1: Farmhouse, buildings, land and allotment garden
Churchtown Farmhouse is an attractive, non-listed, traditional 6-bedroom farmhouse, facing towards the church tower and village, centrally located within the buildings.
Accessed by a pretty timber gateway, visitors are drawn down the gravel pathway that runs through mature gardens, with a host of traditional spring flowing plants, mature shrubs and trees, towards the symmetrical front elevation. A substantial front door leads into a central hallway with two reception rooms, farmhouse kitchen/dining room, utility room, stores and WC on the ground floor. The house has been untouched for many decades, with many historical and traditional features remaining, such as wooden panel walls, patterned floor tiles and parquet flooring, slate pantry shelving and stained glass mullioned windows. The main staircase leads to a landing area from which three bedrooms overlook the front elevation, a rear hallway accessing the remaining bedrooms, bathroom and secondary rear staircase.
To the rear, the yard area leads to a farmyard, currently used as the primary vehicular access and parking, surrounded by the former dairy/parlour traditional stone barn, open-sided pole barn and more modern garaging.
Below, and adjacent to, the farmhouse is a second significant stone barn with beautiful timber roof trusses, which forms part of a lower farmyard area. This secondary yard is accessed via a separate track through impressive granite gateposts and could easily form a secondary or principal entranceway to the property or lower yard individually.
Two fields, totalling 5.73 acres, surround the house and buildings and are accessed by the rear driveway. A separate allotment garden of approximately 0.14 acres in size is accessed via a pedestrian gateway directly opposite the current vehicular farm entrance.
There are a number of additional single storey traditional buildings dotted around the yard and garden, all of which combine to provide an ideal opportunity for sensitive development to enhance, fully utilise and protect the special atmosphere the farm currently creates, any renovation plans being assisted by its non-listed status.
LAND Lot 2: Two village edge paddocks
Totalling approximately 5.69 acres, divided equally between the fields, the land consists of gently sloping pasture land surrounded with mature trees. Road access is via a gateway directly opposite the current main farm entrance, the land being able to be used for a wide variety of uses as an individual holding or in conjunction with any other aspect of the farm.
The land within this lot is occupied under a Farm Business Tenancy that includes Lot 2 and the majority of Lot 3, expiring on 24th March 2024 with a passing rent of £6,500 per annum plus £100 per annum for water.
Lot 3: 107.08 acres of land
Encircling Lot 1 (Farmhouse) on three sides, the land consists of a combination of pasture and arable/temporary grassland, with a small area of lower lying land and woodland. Located on both sides of a southern facing valley, forming a sheltered and picturesque setting, the land is equally able to support productive agricultural operations alongside wildlife and conservation purposes, or owned and managed for amenity and enjoyment. With the eastern part of the land accessed from the public highway to the east of the village, the majority of the land is accessed from the minor country road that runs directly past the farmhouse and yard area, in effect forming a spine road through the land. Due to the road being rarely used by passing traffic, at times it feels like a private farm access track.
The majority of the land within this lot is occupied under a Farm Business Tenancy that includes Lot 2 and the majority of Lot 3, expiring on 24th March 2024 with a passing rent of £6,500 per annum plus £100 per annum for water. Two fields, including the one adjacent to Lot 1, will be sold with vacant possession.
Lot 4: 67.11 acres of land
Separated from the remainder of the farm by a minor country road, the land consists of seven large, level fields in a ringfence with numerous road access points and inter-field gateways.
The land is classified as Grade 3 on the Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales, the Cranfield Soilscapes dataset detailing the land as consisting of freely draining slightly acid loamy soils, usually associated with arable and grassland cover and suitable for range of spring and autumn sown crops, with a long grazing season under grass, the free drainage reducing the risk of soil damage from grazing animals or farm machinery. The land has been used for arable cropping as part of a standard rotation.
The land within this lot is occupied under a Farm Business Tenancy that expires on 1st October 2024, with a passing rent of £6,747 per annum.
METHOD OF SALE The property is offered for sale by private treaty as a whole or in 4 lots.
TENURE & POSSESSION Freehold. Vacant possession will be provided on completion of Lot 1 (Farmhouse and Buildings) and two fields within Lot 3. Lot 2, the majority of Lot 3 and Lot 4 will be sold subject to the Farm Business Tenancies as detailed elsewhere in the brochure.
BASIC PAYMENT SCHEME No entitlements are included in the sale.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES A Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme is present over land within Lots 2 and 3, expiring on 31st December 2025. The land will be sold subject to the agreement. For further details please contact the agent.
PLANNING No formal planning advice has been received. Informal planning advice has noted the strong potential for re-use of the vacant farm buildings. Buyers are to make and rely upon their own enquiries.
SERVICES Heating: Oil and solid fuel. Water: Mains, metered. Separate meters for the Farmhouse and Land are located on the roadside boundary on Lot 2. A concrete above ground reservoir is located on Lot 4 that serves the land. Water troughs are located on Lot 2 and 3. If the property is sold in Lots the relevant rights and reservations will be granted to allow the water system to continue to be used as it is currently. Electricity: Mains. Drainage: Private, septic tank.
DESIGNATIONS St Mellor's Well, a holy well dating from the 15th century, is located on Lot 3. The well is Grade II* listed and designated as a scheduled monument. Further details can be found on the Historic England website, the list entry number being 1159088.
WAYLEAVES EASEMENTS & RIGHTS OF WAY A footpath runs over land within Lot 3, located on the opposite side of the valley to the farmhouse. A private right of way will be reserved for access to a retained farm building located within Lot 3.
Electricity and telephone lines run over the property.
The property is sold subject to, or with the benefit of all Wayleaves, Easements, Quasi Easements, Rights of Way, Covenants and Restrictions whether mentioned in these particulars or not.
FIXTURES & FITTINGS The property is sold as seen during any viewing.
SPORTING, TIMBER & MINERAL RIGHTS Mineral, Sporting and Timber rights are included.
COUNCIL TAX Band F.
EPC RATINGS Band G.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES Cornwall Council - cornwall.gov.uk
VIEWINGS Viewings are strictly by appointment with Carter Jonas on 01872 487620.
DIRECTIONS From the A30, at the Plusha junction, turn south onto the B3257. Drive for approximately 5 miles and take the right turning onto the minor road signposted to Linkinhorne. Take the first right turn, just after passing Stoke Road on the left. At the T-junction, turn left. At the next T-junction, the vehicular access to the farm is straight ahead, the pedestrian access is 50m along the road to the left, into the village.
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The next steps...
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2
Making an offer
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