An entire English village boasting more than 40 houses and a huge manor home put on the market for a whopping £20 MILLION has been sold.
The quintessential Yorkshire village of West Heslerton, which has been left untouched for the past 50 years, was put on sale to carry on the legacy of a “vibrant” community.
It was put on the market in April last year, and boasted its very own 21-bedroom mansion, 43 houses and 2,116 acres of surrounding land.
Norfolk-based real estate and farming investment firm Albanwise Ltd has announced its purchase of the picturesque village for an ‘undisclosed’ fee.
Tom Watson, a director of Cundalls estate agency which handled the sale, said: “In many respects time has stood still in West Heslerton.
“There are now endless possibilities to convert buildings, develop plots and explore commercial opportunities.”
Former owner Eve Dawnay inherited the village from her father in the 1960s and wanted the village to go to the “kindest bidder”.
But when she died in 2010 she had no heir to pass it on to so it was put up for sale to be split between beneficiaries.
Eve who solely owned the whole of the village, near Malton, North Yorks., kept families living in the village for decades thanks to affordable rents and some clever social engineering.
Eve had wanted the next owner to carry on her legacy of giving villagers cheap rent and supporting the local community.
The estate had been dubbed “a blank canvas ready to be shaped for the next generation” following the death of the 84-year-old eccentric spinster in 2010.
The total annual rental and agricultural subsidy income of the farmland is around £388,000 but the property agents believe there is also room for further income growth – without spoiling the character of the village.
An Albanwise LTD spokesperson said: “Albanwise Ltd is due to become the new owner of West Heslerton Estate and looks forward to incorporating this within our North Yorkshire Estate.”