Barningham, County Durham

A first class egg production unit with refurbished traditional farmhouse and cottage, excellent versatile poultry buildings all in a highly sought-after location, meadow and woodland grazing extending in all to approximately 53.77 acres (21.76 ha).

Excellent access to the A66, The Lake District and the A1 at Scotch Corner.

LOCATION

Saunders House Farm is situated in particularly attractive countryside between the North Yorkshire villages of Barningham and Greta Bridge, close to the market towns of Barnard Castle and Richmond.

There is excellent access on to the A66 with the A1 at Scotch corner about 12 miles and the M6 at Penrith about 50 miles. Darlington is within 20 miles and has a station on the East Coast mainline. The nearest international airport is at Durham Tees Valley, about thirty-five minutes drive away.

DESCRIPTION

Saunders House Farm is a highly accessible, compact residential farm on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

The farm operates as a modern, free range egg production unit with the capacity for 38,640 hens within a range of specialist modern flat deck and multi-tier buildings.

In addition, there are good general-purpose buildings, stables, kennels (available separately) as well as the four-bedroom farmhouse, two-bedroom annex and approximately 46.78 acres (18.93 ha) of meadow and woodland pasture.

Included in the sale will be the benefit of a wholesale contract with Yorkshire Farmhouse Eggs and the benefit of this contract will be transferred to the purchaser as part of the sale. The recent addition of woodland planting has also allowed the eggs from Saunders House Farm to be sold as Woodland Eggs through Yorkshire Farmhouse Eggs.

SAUNDERS HOUSE FARMHOUSE

Saunders House Farmhouse is an attractive, stone-built house which has been recently refurbished. In 2013/14 the house was re-roofed, and the rainwater goods overhauled, conservatory double glazing replaced and upgraded, ground level floors recovered with York stone, quarry tiles and solid oak and everything but the main bathroom upgraded.

Outside, the front garden has been landscaped with a patio bordering a fishpond with water feature, re-laid lawn and carefully selected shrubs and border plants. It has also been fenced to exclude hungry hens. The entrance drive and sweep to the rear has also been resurfaced in tarmac.

The accommodation is on two floors and includes, hall with cloakroom and WC, laundry, kitchen, second reception room (currently used as office), sitting room and conservatory/dining room. Upstairs is a family bathroom, four good bedrooms; one with an ensuite bathroom and the other with an additional outside stair access.

FARMHOUSE ANNEX

Adjoining the farmhouse and with access either from the farmhouse garden or from its own back and front doors is a separate annex cottage (separate council tax). The accommodation is on one floor and includes kitchen/breakfast room, utility, cloakroom/WC, sitting room, two bedrooms and bathroom. It has a small enclosed courtyard garden to the rear which has also been landscaped and from where the stables and oil tanks are also accessed.

FARM BUILDINGS

The farm buildings at Saunders House Farm are a mix of modern, traditional and specialist buildings designed to support a mix of enterprises but focussing on free-range egg production.

Closest to the house is a stable block with three loose boxes and on the opposite side of the cottage garden an old stone granary with lots of potential development. Beyond the granary is a covered silage clamp built to support a previous livestock enterprise and now providing exceptionally useful general-purpose space.

The poultry sheds and supporting buildings form the main farm steading area. The earliest shed was built in 1995 but all have had considerable investment since 2016 ensuring that they comply fully with current welfare standards laid down by the free-range egg auditing bodies. All houses have been fitted with automatic pop holes

upgraded fans and perches, feed silos with cyclone dust collectors and weigh cells on shed 3. Each shed has CCTV to monitor egg collection.

A new staff caravan was also brought to site and connected to all services in 2019.

LAND

The land extends to about 46.78 acres (18.93 ha) comprising meadow and woodland pasture. It is all generally level and is classed as Grade 3.

As well as supporting the free-range egg enterprise the meadow land is let on an annual basis to a local grazier generating about £3,420 per annum.

MOBILE PHONE MAST

A mobile phone mast owned by Vodafone is located on the property for which an annual rent in the region of £4,500 is received.

GENERAL INFORMATION

PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY AND EASEMENTS

This property is sold subject to and with the benefit of all rights of way whether public, private, rights of water, light, support, drainage, electricity and other rights and obligations, easements, quasi-easements, restrictive covenants and all existing and proposed wayleaves whether referred to or not.

An electricity wayleave agreement is in place for which an annual payment is made. It is also understood that there are maintenance liabilities in respect of a water pipe which serves the property, and which is located on third party land.

SERVICES & ENERGY PERFORMANCE

The whole site is protected by a CCTV security system.

LOCAL AUTHORITY

Durham County Council Tel: 0300 0264000

COUNCIL TAX BAND

Farmhouse Band G

Annex Band C

PLANNING

The farmhouse annex is subject to an agricultural occupancy condition restricting occupation to persons who are employed or work in agriculture.

NITRATE VULNERABLE ZONE (NVZ)

The farm lies within an NVZ.

BASIC PAYMENT SCHEME

The land has been registered with the Rural Payments Agency. 17.93 units of non-SDA Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) entitlements will be included in the sale.

A value of the Entitlements will be apportioned with the sale price. The vendor will then transfer these to the purchaser on completion in accordance with the regulations of the Scheme. Payments received for the 2019 season will be retained by the Vendor. On purchasing the land, the purchaser will be required to sign an indemnification that they will maintain the land in good agricultural and environmental condition and follow the cross-compliance regulations for the current claim year.

METHOD OF SALE

Saunders House farm is offered for sale by private treaty with vacant possession throughout except where identified above.

SPORTING, TIMBER AND MINERAL RIGHTS

Sporting, timber and mineral rights are included in the sale in so far as they are owned.

VAT

Any guide prices quoted or discussed are exclusive of VAT. Should any part of this sale or any rights attached to it become chargeable then this will be payable by the purchaser. We are not aware that any election to VAT has been made at this time.

INGOING VALUATION

The sale includes rights to the purchaser to take over and use the Kingfisher Farms brand. This will include the benefit of a wholesale contract together with the benefit of the British Industry Egg Council (BEIC), Freedom Foods and Defra Egg Marketing accreditation that Kingfisher Farms currently have. Further details are available from the vendor on viewing.

The sale of the property includes all fixtures and fittings. The sale does not include the hens or feedstuffs and the purchaser will be expected to take these over as part of the sale with an ingoing sum payable for over and above the purchase price. The ingoing sum for the hens will be determined by GSC Grays and the basis of the value will be market value.

SOLICITORS

Tilly, Bailey & Irvine Solicitors, 8 Newgate, Barnard Castle, DL12 8NG.

EMPLOYEES (TUPE)

No staff will transfer with the sale of the property.

VIEWING

Strictly by appointment via GSC Grays.

DIRECTIONS

Travelling west on the A66 from Scotch Corner turn left at Greta Bridge, signposted for Greta Bridge, Barningham and Brignall. Take the next left signposted for Barningham, continue for approximately half a mile and Saunders House Farm is located on the left-hand side of the road.

CONDITIONS OF SALE

PURCHASE PRICE & DEPOSIT

Within 7 days of exchange of contracts a non-returnable deposit of 10% of the purchase price shall be paid. The balance will fall due for payment on completion at a date to be agreed and whether entry is taken or not with interest accruing at a rate of 5% above the Bank of England base rate.

DISPUTES

Should any discrepancy arise within these particulars of sale or the interpretation of them, the question shall be referred to the arbitration of the Selling Agents whose decision acting as experts will be final.

PLANS, AREAS AND SCHEDULES

These are based on the Ordnance Survey and Rural Land Register and are there for reference only. They have been carefully checked by the selling agents and the purchaser shall be deemed to have satisfied himself as to the description of the property and any error or mis-statement shall not annul the sale nor entitle either party to compensation in respect thereof.

OVERSEAS PURCHASERS

Any offer by a purchaser(s) who is resident outside of the United Kingdom must be accompanied by a guarantee from a bank who is acceptable to the sellers.

LOTTING

It is intended to offer the property for sale as described, but the seller reserves the right to divide the property into further lots, or to withdraw the property, or to exclude any property shown in these particulars.

APPORTIONMENTS

The council tax, rental income, RPA payments and all other outgoings and incomings shall be apportioned between the seller and the purchaser(s) as at the date of completion.

DISCLAIMER

Particulars written November 2019

Photographs taken November 2019