Park Farm, Syleham, an attractive residential farm on the Norfolk/Suffolk border with a large well-equipped free-range egg production unit, has come to the market with Brown & Co's Norwich office.
Set in approximately 75 acres and adjoining the river Waveney, Lot 1 comprises a timber framed, circa 18TH Century farmhouse, a three-bedroom bungalow and high quality poultry and pig buildings.
The two Harlow hen houses, equipped with fully automated feeding, drinking, ventilation and egg collection systems, can house approximately 20,000 layers. Accommodation for an additional 1800 layers is provided in a mobile unit. The ISA and Hyline hens are free range and have the freedom to roam all over the former arable land, which has recently been planted with trees as part of a woodland egg scheme.
"Free range poultry farming is on the up, although securing planning permission for new sites can be problematic," says Jonathan Rush of Brown & Co. "Park Farm is an excellent example of the ready-made product."
The four-bedroom farmhouse, painted Suffolk pink, enjoys a private location in the middle of the farm. Lot 1 also includes 15 acres of grazing marshland with frontage to the river Waveney, a well-preserved large timber framed traditional barn and over 32,000 sqft of quality farm buildings – the majority recently used for pig fattening.
The sale of Park Farm includes three further Lots, comprising a total of approximately 80 acres of arable land off lying from the main farm.
Philip and Christine Greenacre bought Park Farm in 1986 and for 18 years ran it as an arable and pig enterprise. In 2003, with changing fortunes in conventional agriculture, the couple looked for a new challenge.
A casual conversation about free-range poultry over a Christmas drink with a neighbouring farmer sowed the seed. By spring 2004 the Greenacres had built the first shed and put the surrounding land down to grass for ranging. Three quarters of the way through the first flock, the couple saw the potential and a second shed soon followed.
"This is an excellent example of a modern diverse farm," says land agent Jonathan Rush, "In the current buoyant market, we anticipate a great deal of interest from poultry operators looking to expand a current enterprise or from those seeking a new business opportunity."
Philip Greenacre started out in the industrial refrigeration business in Norfolk. "I always wanted to be a farmer. There is no family history of farming but if you don't do it when you can, then you never will," he says. In the 70's the couple purchased a Cornish farm and set up a successful livestock enterprise with sheep, jersey cows and breeding sows. Eventually family commitments brought them back to East Anglia and they bought Park Farm. The couple is now looking to retire and Park Farm is on the market guided at £1.85million.
Brown & Co is holding an agricultural machinery dispersal sale at Park Farm this autumn featuring tractors, loaders and specialist pig equipment. For further information, visit www.brown-co.com.
