North Yorkshire farmland attracts bids of up to £16,500 per acre

A major North Yorkshire arable land sale has shown the strength of demand for prime farmland, with bids reaching up to £16,500 per acre.

The 598-acre Brooms Farm holding, between Ripon and Thirsk, was guided at £7.2 million, or around £12,000 per acre.

GSC Grays said the holding attracted bids ranging from £12,500 to £16,500 per acre during a four-week marketing campaign.

The result is likely to be closely watched by land agents and farmers as a sign of confidence in the North Yorkshire arable land market.

The holding is made up largely of Grade 2 arable land and was offered with modern grain storage and drying facilities capable of holding up to 4,000 tonnes of mixed crops.

It was offered as a whole or in six lots, ranging from 50 to 100 acres, with the grain store included in the largest lot.

GSC Grays said interest exceeded expectations, with 18 separate and combined offers received.

The final sale figure remains confidential.

The level of interest was notable because the sale did not include a farmhouse, with demand focused on commercial arable land and a significant, versatile farm building.

John Coleman, head of farm agency at GSC Grays, said the sale had been seen as an important test of the market.

He said: “We were very conscious that this sale would be a bellwether for the arable land market in North Yorkshire and we packaged it to appeal to both local and wider regional buyers.”

Mr Coleman said smaller blocks of arable land had continued to perform well, with much of the demand coming from neighbouring farmers looking to strengthen and expand existing holdings.

He said arable and potato farmers had underpinned the bidding, while poultry and pig producers also showed strong interest.

Development speculators were also active, helped by the land’s proximity to the A1(M).

Mr Coleman said rollover funds had played a significant role, but the strongest bids came from investors who recognised the long-term value of high-quality land in an accessible location.

He said: “Funds from rollover were a significant factor, but the strongest bids came from investors who recognised the long-term value in the very best quality land in such an accessible location.”

Mr Coleman said the sale showed good arable and specialist farmers remained willing to bid strongly for top-quality assets.

He said: “The sale confirms our belief that good arable and specialist farmers are prepared to bid strongly for the very best assets with the expectation that improving productivity is possible through good farming methods.”

He added that the result showed well-run farming businesses still had confidence to expand despite higher costs and wider financial pressures.

Mr Coleman said: “Long term investment in the finite resource of land remains attractive.”

Brooms Farm comprises 581.05 acres of arable land, 2.29 acres of grassland and 14.13 acres of woodland.

It was launched to the market in late April 2026 through GSC Grays Farm Agency.

The sale adds to evidence that high-quality, accessible arable land remains attractive despite cost pressures and wider uncertainty.