Land for sale

A ring-fenced parcel of arable land and pasture land including the site of a Medieval royal palace.
In total 30.52 hectares (75.42 acres).
For Sale by LIVESTREAM AUCTION on 23 October 2020 at noon.

The Property
The main portion of the land is 56 acres of productive arable and pasture land.

Let to a local dairy farming family for several decades the land has been farmed in an arable and pasture rotation and is offered in good heart. The soil is loam and Kimmeridge clay and is capable of growing abundant grass crops.

The land benefits from well fenced mature hedge boundaries and is bordered by Fern Brook along the southern boundary and the River Lodden on the west, both tributaries of the Dorset Stour. In one field is a livestock holding pen and dilapidated 30’ x 15’ timber and iron shed. In each of the larger fields are tree lined ponds adding to the conservation and amenity appeal.

King’s Court Palace
The western field is the home of the site of King’s Court Palace, a medieval royal hunting and entertaining residence. Stone structures were built by King John (1199 – 1216) and Henry III (1216 – 1272) and it is possible timber buildings were here as early as the reigns of William II (1087 – 1100) followed by Henry I and Henry II. The rectangle bank and ditch of the moated site are still clearly visible and the land will be of significance interest to historians.

The land is situated in a quiet yet strategic position on the eastern outskirts of Gillingham, the fastest growing town in North Dorset. The land is accessed directly off King’s Court Road which is off the B3081 Shaftesbury Road. Formerly part of the Gillingham Royal Park and Forest the land enjoys pleasant views east towards Shaftesbury and west over Gillingham and provides an unusual opportunity to acquire the freehold of a piece of ancient English history. The land directly adjoins the Gillingham southern extension of housing development committed site designated in the North Dorset District Council Local Plan adopted in 2013.

Marketed by: Symonds & Sampson, Sturminster Newton