Land for sale in Ash Hey Lane, Picton, Chester, Cheshire CH2

Overview
Strutt & Parker have been instructed by Cheshire
West and Chester Borough Council to offer by
freehold sale or long leasehold a portfolio of
farms and land located in the north west of
the county.
The portfolio comprises four distinct holdings
which include two equipped farms and two
blocks of bare land which are available in lots,
combinations of lots or as a whole portfolio.
Description
In all, the portfolio extends to approximately
672.03 acres (271 ha) including two equipped
farms and a range of agricultural land. The two
farmhouses and neighbouring farm buildings all
require investment and renovation to bring them
up to modern standards. A selection of farm
buildings, particularly those of traditional brick
construction, have been identified as suitable
for conversion for alternative uses although no
enquiries have been made with the planning
department at the Local Authority.
As a whole, the portfolio offers opportunities
to generate income, extract value through
the development of certain areas (subject to
planning permission) and promote the land
for natural capital uses. This could be through
making use of existing grant funding and
stewardship schemes as well as investigating
the land’s use for woodland creation,
biodiversity net gain and carbon offsetting.
The farms were previously let on long term
tenancies and are now farmed on short term
arrangements with vacant possession due
no later than the 31st October 2024.
Environmental Opportunities
Given the nature of the land holdings there
is considerable potential to focus on the
enhancement of environmental options
including natural capital, woodland creation
and ecological and social enhancement.
Ash Hey Farm
Location
Ash Hey Farm is located about 3 miles north
east from the centre of Chester, positioned
between the rural hamlet of Picton and the
larger village of Mickle Trafford. Mickle Trafford
offers a good range of local amenities and the
farm is well accessed by road with the A41 and
junction 12 of the M53 within 2 miles.
Lot 1 - About 4.78 acres (1.9 ha)
Ash Hey Farmhouse
A traditional red brick property thought to
date back to pre-1900 with later alterations.
The farmhouse is in need of modernisation
throughout however provides the scope to
create an attractive house set within its own land
with adjoining buildings. The accommodation is
set out over two floors with two main receptions
room, a family bathroom and three bedrooms.
Gardens surround the house and access is
taken from Ash Hey Lane into a small courtyard
bordered by the farm buildings.
Farm Buildings
The buildings comprise: A traditional brick
built L shaped building with former parlour,
wooden portal framed building, Dutch barn
with lean too, steel portal framed building,
silage clamp and former slurry lagoon which
were historically used to run a dairy enterprise.
The buildings provide scope for continued
use in agriculture conversion to residential or
diversification into activities such as equine,
storage or light industrial use (subject to
planning consent). There are two roadside
access points into the farm buildings both
taken from Ash Hey Lane.
Land
The land in Lot 1 comprises about 1.6 acres
of permanent pasture which surrounds the
buildings to the north and western boundaries
and can be utilised for grazing or amenity
purposes.
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Lot 2 - About 62.52 acres (25 ha)
Land
The land comprises approximately 60 acres of
permanent pasture currently used for grazing
of livestock and mowing for forage and we
understand maize has been grown across
part of the land in the past. Small copses and
ponds are interspersed across the land. Partly
surrounding Lot 1 the land is generally level and
comprises useful size enclosures with access
taken from Ash Hey Lane and Green Lane.
The land is classified as Grade 3 by the
Agricultural Land Classification.
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Lot 3 - About 65.48 acres (26 ha)
Land
The land comprises approximately 64 acres
of grassland currently utilised for grazing of
livestock and mowing for forage. The land lies
on the east side of Ash Hey Lane, opposite Lot
1, and is generally level and arranged in good
sized enclosures with access from Ash Hey Lane
and Picton Lane.
The land is classified as Grade 3 by the
Agricultural Land Classification.
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Lot 4 - About 53.25 acres (21 ha)
Land
The land holding comprises approximately
51 acres of grassland currently used for grazing
of livestock and mowing for forage. Part of the
land is low lying and prone to flooding from
the River Gowy which forms its north eastern
boundary. The land benefits from road frontage
and access onto Picton Lane.
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Aviary Farm and Land at Dairy Farm
Location
Aviary Farm and the Land at Dairy Farm are
located on the Welsh Road, 6 miles north west
of Chester city centre and 6 miles west of
Ellesmere Port. Ledsham is the nearest village
with a wide range of amenities available at
Saughall to the south or Willaston to the north,
both about 3 miles away. Capenhurst train
station is within 2.5 miles with road connections
to the M56 also within 2 miles from the farm.
Aviary Farm (Lots 5 - 8) are currently occupied
subject to a Farm Business Tenancy (fbt)
which is due to end on the 31st October 2024.
Lot 5 - About 5.73 acres (2 ha)
Aviary Farmhouse
Aviary Farmhouse is a well located property
dating back to circa 1909, in need of
modernisation throughout the property has
huge scope to create an attractive house set
within its own land and adjoining buildings.
The accommodation is set out over two floors
with two main reception rooms, a family
bathroom and three bedrooms.
Farm Buildings
The buildings comprise a range of traditional
brick built buildings, steel portal framed
buildings and timber buildings which have
most recently been used as a dairy farm. The
buildings are currently vacant and provide scope
for continued use in agriculture conversion to
residential or diversification into activities such
as equine, storage or light industrial use subject
to planning consent.
Land
The land comprises about 2.7 acres of pasture
which borders the farmhouse and buildings
to the south.
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Lot 6 - About 101.86 acres (41 ha)
Land
The land comprises just over 100 acres of
farmland currently utilised for grazing of
livestock and mowing for forage. The land
is generally level and arranged in useful size
enclosures with access from Badgers Rake Lane
in the north, Ledsham Hall Lane in the east and
Welsh Road, opposite Lot 1, in the south. Areas
of woodland and small ponds are interspersed
across the land. We understand much of the
land is ploughable and maize has been grown
on parts in the past.
The land is classified as Grade 3 by the
Agricultural Land Classification.
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Lot 7 - About 122.71 acres (49 ha)
Land
The land comprises approximately 122 acres
of farmland currently utilised for grazing
of livestock, mowing for forage and arable
cropping. The land is generally level and
arranged in useful size enclosures with small
areas of woodland located across the land.
Access is taken from Ledsham Lane to the east
and Chapel Lane to the south (via a right of
access as shaded brown on the sale plan).
We understand much of the land is ploughable.
The land is classified as Grades 2 and 3 by the
Agricultural Land Classification.
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Lot 8 - About 7.55 acres (3 ha)
Land
Comprising a single enclosure and extending
to 7.5 acres of temporary grassland the land
benefits from road frontage with access onto
Badgers Rake Lane. Currently utilised for
agricultural purposes however there is potential
for it to be used for equestrian, environmental
or amenity purposes.
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Land at Portersheath Farm
Location
Portersheath Farm lies on the southern
boundary of Huntington, a suburb on the
southern edge of Chester. The farm is well
located for access into Chester to the north or
south to the popular villages of Saighton and
Aldford. Local amenities are available within
a mile of the farm in nearby Huntington.
Lot 9 - About 101.71 acres (41 ha)
Land
The land is accessed from two gateways directly
off Sandy Lane which runs adjacent to the
southern boundary of the land in addition to
the right of way across a shared driveway into
the core of the farm. Divided into good size
enclosures with areas of woodland interspersed
across the land providing an attractive outlook.
The land is in arable cultivation and classified as
Grade 3 on the Agricultural Land Classification.
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Union Farm
Location
The land at Union farm is located to the south
of the village of Dutton approximately 6 miles
to the south of Runcorn. A wide range of
amenities are available at Runcorn, Frodsham
and Weaverham including access to the wider
transport network.
Lot 10 - About 110.08 acres (44 ha)
Land
Comprising a mix of arable (73 acres), grassland
(33 acres) and woodland (2 acres) Lot 10
extends to approximately 110 acres as a whole.
The land is well located and split into good
size enclosures with road access taken from
Northwich Road which runs adjacent to the
north eastern boundary. The Trent and Mersey
Canals adjoins the land on the south western
boundary.
The land is classified as Grade 3 by the
Agricultural Land Classification.
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Lot 11 - About 36.36 acres (14 ha)
Land
Located to the north of Lot 10 the land
comprises arable and pastureland with access
taken from Higher Lane to the north and
Northwich Road to the south. As a whole the
land extends to approximately 36 acres made
up of four good size enclosures with a small
area of woodland located centrally.
The land is classified as Grade 3 by the
Agricultural Land Classification.
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