One of Suffolk’s most notable farming estates, extending to nearly 1,800 acres, has launched onto the market with a £19 million price tag.
The Glemham Hall Estate, which includes hundreds of acres of arable land and 200 acres of Grade II listed parkland, is now for sale.
A Grade I listed mansion house with 12 main bedrooms and seven cottages are included in the estate, as are river meadows and woodland.
The estate, located near Woodbridge, is available to purchase as a whole or in its constituent parts, with Strutt & Parker organising the sale.
Tim Fagan, director of Strutt & Parker in Suffolk, said the estate had a well-documented heritage having been passed through so few families.
"The management of the estate has always been that of a traditional family house, linked to enterprises that fund the maintenance of this Grade I listed house in the form of in-hand arable farming, cottage lets and commercial revenue streams.
“The estate is in a good position to take what the current family has worked so hard to achieve, and grow on the success.
"The next owner may want to continue the hall as a family home while leveraging its commercial capabilities through arts and hospitality.
"Alternatively, the estate and main house set up lends itself well to a commercial investor particularly as this Suffolk location is an increasingly popular destination for families and creatives.”
The earliest reference to the Glemham family is of William de Glemham in 1228, while it was during the Elizabethan period, around 1560, that Sir Henry Glemham built Glemham Hall.
In 1994 the estate passed to Major Philip Hope-Cobbold, Patron of Ipswich Town Football Club and former High Sheriff of Suffolk, while today the estate belongs to his son who lives in the hall with his family.
The family has adapted the traditional estate into a business fit for the 21st century including holding the annual FolkEast heritage and music festival.
They have also created an established wedding venue, as well as hosting Sunday lunches and guided tours of the house.
Mark McAndrew, head of national estate at Strutt & Parker, said the estate was one of a small number of traditional country estates at this scale still in existence.
"Today’s buyers of estates approach such purchases with a sharp commercial mindset – as is necessary in acquisitions at this level – and will certainly be attracted to the commercial ventures established so far here.
"Despite this, even the largest estate purchasers, both commercial and individual, value the continuity of stewardship that these old estates require and will be central to Glemham Hall’s future success in the centuries to come.”
Strutt & Parker’s latest analysis the farmland market indicates the growing significance of private and institutional investors, as well as lifestyle buyers in 2023, accounting for more than half of farm and estate sales last year.
In contrast, farmers accounted for the lowest level of transactions on record at just 44% compared to historic levels of between 50 and 60%.
