A farm that was once home to an East Anglian agricultural machinery entrepreneur is being offered up for sale with a guide price tag of more than £2.1m.
The late Len Tuckwell, who died last year, was the founder of one of the first John Deere tractor dealers in the UK, L E Tuckwell Ltd, and Bedingfield House, based on his farm at Bedingfield, near Debenham, hosted some of its very first open days.
The farm includes a 300m tree-lined drive, a five-bedroom period farmhouse with an entertaining and swimming pool annexe, and an extensive range of farm buildings including a large timber-framed barn, set in 113 acres of commercial arable land.
Len, and his late wife, Brenda, moved to the farm in 1964. Its level commercial farmland was ideal for demonstrating the capabilities of the tractors and farm machinery sold at the dealership. The family business still continues under son, Paul, from its base at Worlingworth.
Giles Allen, a director at agents Strutt & Parker, which is selling the property on behalf of Len Tuckwell’s executors, said he was expecting lots of interest.
“Bedingfield House Farm is a wonderful example of a residential arable farm and is situated in the most tranquil and mature setting at the end of a 300m tree-lined drive,” he said.
“It ticks many of the boxes that buyers for this sort of property are looking for and I expect there to be keen interest, not only in the residential element, but also in the high quality commercial farmland.
“Whilst it would appear logical that uncertainty surrounding the future of agricultural support is causing farm and farmland values to fall this is not our experience. Although it is true to say that values have been very variable, average values have been remarkably stable, remaining at similar levels for the last 12 - 18 months.
“The farm has been lotted so that it can appeal to different sectors of the rural property market and we expect to see interest in all elements of the farm.”
Bedingfield House Farm is available as a whole or in up to five lots. The guide price for the whole is offers in excess of £2,100,000.
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