Lower Deans Farm at Harrietsham, high on the North Downs in Kent, was purchased by the late Tony Crouch in 1961. He moved his dairy herd from nearby Lenham where his family had a busy milk round and continued to milk cows at the farm until the herd was dispersed in 2004 and since then the farm has been in a grassland and arable rotation with the undulating topography lending itself to an excellent informal shoot for friends, family and neighbours.
The Crouch family have made the difficult decision that Lower Deans Farm will be sold. The sale presents an increasingly rare opportunity to purchase a complete unspoilt residential farm extending in all to 528 acres in a secluded, yet accessible, location on the escarpment of the North Downs, close to Harrietsham in Kent. The main farm lies within a ring fenced block of pasture and arable land affording privacy to the main farmstead and the outlying blocks of land are only a short distance away, comprising large easily worked arable fields with some woodland adjoining. The main farmhouse is an attractive Grade II Listed five bedroom period property with a pair of Grade II Listed cottages close by and 30,000 square feet of modern and traditional farm buildings, some with potential. The farm has two telecom masts currently producing a rental income of circa £18,000 per annum.
Lambert & Foster director, Alan Mummery said: “Tony Crouch was a well known local farmer and has expanded Lower Deans Farm by the prudent purchase of neighbouring land over the last fifty years. The main farmhouse, cottages and buildings are in a very private location and the farmland has been excellently maintained in good sized easy working fields, suitable for modern arable equipment.” Alan continued: “The Kent market has been heavily influenced recently by viticulture buyers so this sale gives arable and livestock buyers a once in a generation opportunity and we have received several enquiries ahead of marketing. The family would prefer to sell as a whole, although it is being offered initially as a whole or in four Lots. We hope to find a buyer during the Summer and work with them to achieve an early Autumn completion.”
Full sales particulars are available from Lambert & Foster.
Harrietsham, Kent
As a whole or in 4 lots
528 acres
Alan Mummery | 01892 832325 | www.lambertandfoster.co.uk