A HUGE area of Suffolk farmland vaalued at more than �19million is being sold by a religious group in one of the biggest sales of its kind in the county for 15 years.

Kelsale Hall Farms, to the north of Saxmundham, is being sold through the Ipswich office of Strutt & Parker on behalf of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons). The religious group acquired the land in the mid-1990s.

It extends to a total of 2,373 acres, mostly lying either side of the A12 between Kelsale and Yoxford but also including two out-lying areas at Westleton.

Giles Allen, a partner at Strutt & Parker, said: “Kelsale Hall Farms is the largest farm sale to take place in Suffolk for many years and it will be a wonderful opportunity to market some of the county’s finest farmland.

“The soil types are ideal for growing wheat and oilseed rape, while an off-lying block is much lighter and benefits from irrigation.”

The land, generally easily accessible and laid out mainly in large fields suitable for modern large-scale farming, is capable of producing high-yielding cereal crops, with some lighter irrigated land suitable for growing potatoes and vegetables.

Also included in the sale are two farmhouses, five other homes and three farmyards providing a total of 6,000 tonnes of grain storage as well as workshops and machinery and equipment storage.

The principal house, which forms a lot on its own, is Kelsale Lodge while another good-sized farmhouse would be suitable for a farm manager. The other residences include three bungalows and a pair of semi-detached cottages.

Kelsale Hall Farms is being sold by the Mormons following a review of their substantial land holdings in the eastern region and is being marketed in up to eight lots, with offers in excess of �19m sought for the whole.

Lots range in size from 1,170 acres to 85 acres, with the guide prices representing a value of about �7,100 per acre for cereal land and about �7,500 per acre for the lighter land with irrigation.

Despite the size of the estate, the overall volume for farmland coming to the market remains low relative to the level of demand.

“It will be interesting to see who buys it,” Mr Allen said.

“We have deliberately divided the farm into lots and I am expecting good interest from farmers as well as investors as this is a rare opportunity for a significant investment into commercial arable land.”