5 bedroom house

Formerly part of the historic estate of the 'Earls of Coventry', the farm was purchased by the late owner in 1955 and, therefore, comes to the open market for the first time in 66 years.

Cobley Hill Farm and associated land (this lot is 44.18 acres) will be offered for sale by public auction, in three lots, subject to prior sale, reserve and conditions, at 6:30pm on Tuesday 26th October 2021, at The View, Hill Farm Marina, Stratford Road, Wootton Wawen, Nr. Henley-in-Arden, B95 6DE.

Introduction - Cobley Hill Farm is well situated, located on an elevated site, enjoying glorious views for miles around in all directions, yet lying only 9 miles from Birmingham city centre, 13 miles from Worcester and 16 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon. The farm has easy access to both the M42 and M5 motorways (Junctions 2 and 4 respectively) whilst Birmingham International Airport is within easy driving distance. Trains on the newly upgraded ‘Cross City’ line run from nearby Alvechurch Station to Birmingham (New Street) and Lichfield. Horse racing is available locally, with courses at Uttoxeter, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon. Bromsgrove and Edgbaston private schools are easily commutable.

The property, although having been subject of some (historic) improvements, now offers enormous scope to improve, modernise and upgrade the farmhouse to provide a spacious family home more suitable to modern living.

In addition, the courtyard of traditional brick and tile roofed farm buildings would lend themselves to refurbishment for recreational or equestrian use, offices, workshops or residential use (STPP if required). The more modern concrete portal framed buildings, which lie slightly lower and to the north of the main farmstead, again offer great scope for either agricultural, equestrian or other uses, storage, workshop or perhaps residential conversion (again STPP if required).

The farm will be offered in three 'Lots' as follows:-

Lot 1 - Farmhouse, Farm Buildings & Land - The farmhouse, located off Cobley Lane, has far reaching views westwards to the Malvern, Lickey, Clent and South Shropshire hills. Set back from the public highway behind a brick, sandstone capped garden wall, the farm house is accessed from the farm courtyard. The late Victorian farmhouse is substantially constructed of mellow red brick under pitched clay tiled roofs, an arched entrance porch, enclosed by a substantial pair of wooden doors leads to the part glazed front door with decorative coloured and etched glass panels, which opens into the:-

Large 'L' Shaped Entrance Hall - 6.27m max x 5.53m max (20'6" max x 18'1" max) - With Lias stone flagged floor., working pocket shutter to window.
Doors radiate off to:-

Sitting Room - 4.45m x 4.29m (14'7" x 14'0") - With claygate fireplace, windows to two elevations, with working pocket shutters to windows, decorative coving to ceiling.

Dining Room - 4.53m x 4.39m (14'10" x 14'4") - Lias stone flagged floor. Victorian marble fire surround, windows to two elevations, beamed ceiling.

Pantry - 2.48m x 0.95m (8'1" x 3'1") -

'L' Shaped Inner Hall - 4.16m max x 3.05m max (13'7" max x 10'0" max) - Lias stone flagged floor. Creda Comfort Aire warm air heater.
Doors radiate to:-

Breakfast Room - 4.61m x 3.71m (15'1" x 12'2") - Claygate fireplace. Working pocket shutters to window.
Doorway to:-

Former China Pantry - 1.76m x 1.34m (5'9" x 4'4") - Step down to:-

Dairy - 4.19m max x 3.66m max (13'8" max x 12'0" max) - With brick and stone setlas, shelving over. Quarry tiled floor.

Cloakroom - 3.89m x 0.77m (12'9" x 2'6") - With coloured, low level close coupled wc and matching pedestal wash hand basin.

Breakfast Kitchen - 5.86m x 3.98m (19'2" x 13'0") - Having airing cupboard with hot water cylinder, assorted stainless steel four bowl sinks with minimalist base and wall units, electric cooker point. Heavy timber door to covered rear lobby.

From the entrance hall easy going brick steps lead down to the:

Cellar - 4.56m x 3.64m (14'11" x 11'11") - With quarry tiled floor, stone setlas.

From the entrance hall a wide feature easy going staircase rises to the very large, first floor landing, off which doors radiate to:-

Bedroom One - 4.62m max x 4.53m max (15'1" max x 14'10" max) - Windows to two elevations.

Bedroom Two - 3.23m x 2.13m (10'7" x 6'11") - With roof access hatch.

Bedroom Three - 4.53m x 3.48m (14'10" x 11'5") - Windows to two elevations.

Bedroom Four - 4.53m x 3.14m (14'10" x 10'3") - Windows to two elevations, coloured pedestal wash hand basin.

Bedroom Five - 4.70m x 3.72m (15'5" x 12'2") - Coloured pedestal wash hand basin.

Family Bathroom - 3.33m x 2.32m (10'11" x 7'7") - Airing cupboard, loft access hatch, matching coloured suite of cast iron panel bath, low level close coupled wc and pedestal wash hand basin, chrome towel rail.

Domestic Outbuildings - Accessed from the inner hall, via a heavy timber door:-

Covered Lobby - 3.05m max x 2.42m max (10'0" max x 7'11" max) - With brick floor. Door opening and step down to:-

Further Covered Area - 4.36m x 3.63m (14'3" x 11'10") - With brick floor and corrugated translucent mono pitch roof.
Doors return onto the farmyard.

Former Coalhouse - 3.06m x 2.49m (10'0" x 8'2") -

Further Covered Area - 4.86m max x 6.90m max (15'11" max x 22'7" max) -

Gardener's Cloakroom - 2.49m x 1.66m (8'2" x 5'5") - With low level wc and wash hand basin.

Gardens - Surrounding the property on three sides are the mainly lawned gardens with a number of (now somewhat overgrown) shrubs.

Farm Buildings - These lie in two ranges, the main buildings conveniently located close to the farmhouse, arranged on three sides of the farmyard, and are of brick and tiled roof construction.

Former Dairy - 21m x 4.57m (68'10" x 14'11") - Now farm workshop.
General storage area with draw through.

Former Milking Parlour - 31.69m x 5.94m (103'11" x 19'5") - A range containing farm workshop, former milking parlour with feed loft over, tank room, feed store (former calving box) and large workshop area.

Barn - 20.72m x 7.01m (67'11" x 22'11") - Former traditional threshing barn with centre driftway, open fronted stalls with loft over.

Farm Workshop With Loft Over -

Lying to the west and attached but at a lower level to the traditional farm buildings outlined above are the following:-

Calving/Loose Boxes - 11.64m x 4.57m (38'2" x 14'11") - 4 loose boxes, brick walled and tiled roofed.

Loose Boxes - 15.08m x 3.81m (49'5" x 12'5") - 4 loose boxes, bricked walled under a pitched interlocking clay tiled roof.

Situated in the former rickyard are the more modern farm buildings as follows:-

Atcost Fodder/Cattle Building - 22.86m x 7.31m (74'11" x 23'11") - With lean-tos 22.86m x 6.09m (75’ x 20’) and 22.86m x 6.09m (75' x 20') of concrete portal framed construction under a pitched, corrugated fibre cement roof housing the former covered silage clamp, fodder storage area, with part timber sleeper/part concrete and corrugated fibre cement clad walls. Attached to the above is a further:-

Atcost Building - 22.86m x 12.8m (74'11" x 41'11") - Concrete portal framed covered silage pit/stockyard under a pitched corrugated fibre cement roof.

Atcost Covered Cattle Yard - 22.86m x 12.8m (74'11" x 41'11") - Of concrete portal framed construction under a pitched corrugated fibre cement roof.

Atcost Fodder Barn - 18.28m x 7.31m (59'11" x 23'11") - Plus two lean-tos 18.28m x 6.4m (60’ x 21’) and 18.28m x 7.62m (60’ x 25’) of concrete portal framed construction under a pitched corrugated fibre cement roof.

The Land - The land, which surrounds the farmhouse and farm buildings on three sides, extends to approximately 42.85 acres (17.35 ha) in five main enclosures. All bar one having good road frontage. The land is westerly facing, currently all permanent pasture, but has historically been arable cropped and had the benefit of a substantial under-drainage scheme. Bounded by mature hawthorn hedging with a number of hedgerow trees, the whole lends itself to livestock grazing.
In total, with the farm house, garden, farmyard and buildings the whole extends to approximately 44.18 acres (17.88 ha).

Lot 2 - Windmill Field - Extending to approximately 10.27 acres (4.16 ha) of old established permanent pasture, having road frontage to two sides, this elevated field hosts an Ordnance Survey ‘trig’ point, together with a well and recently erected wind pump (Non operational), together with a brick built former reservoir. Ideally suited for livestock grazing or other recreational use (STPP if required).

Lot 3 - Cobley Field - 5.65 acres (2.29 ha), having good road frontage, old permanent pasture, suitable for livestock grazing or other recreational use (STPP if required).

General Information -

Services - Mains electricity (3 phase) is connected to the farmhouse and farm buildings, as, it is believed mains water. Hot water is understood to be from immersion heaters (there is no central heating). Foul drainage is understood to be to a septic tank located to the west of the property.

There is a water trough situated in Lot 2, (if purchased separately from Lot 1, a separate supply would need to be connected).

Authorities - Worcestershire County Council –
Bromsgrove District Council –
Severn Trent Water –
Western Power Distribution –

Tenure And Possession - The property is freehold with vacant possession except for the farm workshop (in part of the threshing barn) and part of the Atcost covered yard, the latter is occupied until 30th December 2021 on a licence terminable on a month’s notice. Full details are available from the Auctioneers. Completion is scheduled for 28 days after the auction, ie 23rd November (or earlier by mutual agreement). On the fall of the hammer the successful purchaser will be required to sign the auction contracts and pay a 10% deposit (minimum £5,000) to the vendors’ solicitors, together with an administration fee of £500 plus VAT to the auctioneers per lot, in the room, on the night.

Tenant Right - There will be no ingoing valuation for UMV/RMV’s and no claim for dilapidations (if any) will be entertained from the purchaser(s).

Basic Payment Scheme (Bps) - The land is registered with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) for BPS purposes. If notified in writing by the 1st January 2022 and supplied with an SPI number, together with trading name, the vendors will use their best endeavours to transfer the entitlements, pro rata, to the purchaser of each lot. Those interested in the BPS Scheme should make their own enquiries of the RPA (

Rights Of Way And Easements - The property is being sold subject to all rights of way and easements that may exist. It should be noted that a gas main crosses all three lots on a roughly southeast to northwest axis. Full details are available in the auction pack.

Boundaries And Timber - All growing timber is included in the sale. The ownership of boundaries (where known) is delineated by an inward facing ‘T’ mark.

Sporting And Mineral Rights - Sporting and Mineral Rights where owned are included in the sale of the freehold.

Plans - Plans shown are for identification purposes only.

Viewing - Strictly by prior appointment and accompanied only with the auctioneers, Earles, Tel. No.

Vendors' Solicitors - A full auction pack is available from the vendors’ Solicitors.
Hadgkiss, Hughes & Beale,
47 Yardley Road,
Acocks Green,
Birmingham. B27 6HQ
Tel. No.
Acting – Mr. James Norton
Email –

Directions - From Birmingham take the A441 Redditch Road south towards the M42/J2, in Hopwood, at the roundabout, take the B4120 into Alvechurch. In the centre of the village turn right up Bear Hill towards the station, passing along Station Road and up Scarfield Hill. At the top of the hill turn left into Cobley Hill Lane and the farm will be found on the right hand side after approximately ¼ mile, as indicated by the Earles auction sale boards.

From Redditch and the south take the A441 north and just before the Alvechurch by pass (dual carriageway) , turn left onto the old Redditch Road, take the first left into Grange Lane. Pass over the railway line, then the canal and, at the top of the hill, turn right into Cobley Hill Lane where the farm will be found on the left hand side, indicated as above.

From Bromsgrove the M5 and southwest, take the B4096 old Alcester Road, passing through Burcot and Vigo to Broad Green, turning left into Stoney Lane. At the top of the hill, after approximately ¾ mile, the farm will be found on the left hand side, indicated as above.

Post Code – B48 7DE

Conditions Of Sale - The property will, unless previously withdrawn, be sold subject to the Special and General Conditions of Sale, which have been settled by the Vendor’s Solicitor. These conditions may be inspected during the usual office hours at the offices of the vendor’s Solicitor mentioned in these sales particulars during the five days, exclusive of Saturday and Sunday, immediately before and exclusive of the day of the sale. The conditions may also be inspected in the Sale Room at the time of the sale but they will not then be read. The purchaser shall be deemed to bid on those terms whether he shall have inspected the Conditions or not.

Money Laundering - Money laundering regulations have been introduced by the government, affecting auctioneers, under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002/Money Laundering Regulations 2007. To comply with this Act, we require all purchasers to pay the deposit by any of the following methods: Bank/Building Society Draft, Personal/Company Cheque. All purchasers will be required to provide proof of both their identity and current address and all parties intending to purchase any property must bring with them the following items: Full U.K. Passport or Photo Driving Licence (for identification), a recent Utility Bill, Council Tax Bill or Bank Statement (as proof of residential address). These should be presented to the vendor’s Solicitor when signing the contract.

Agent's Note - The guide price offers an indication of the price below which the vendor is not willing to sell. It is not necessarily the exact final sale price, and is subject to change prior to and up until the day of the auction. Any change in the guide price will reflect a change in the reserve (a figure below which the auctioneer will not be able to sell). The reserve can be expected to be set within the guide range or not more than 10% above a single figure guide. (RICS Common Auction Conditions 7th Edition).



Marketed by: Earles, Henley In Arden