British Rail Property Board continue to divest themselves of their provincial land holdings by means of public auctions held around the country. One of the more recent of these was held by Arnold Son & Hockley in Cambridge on November 11 and featured British Rail property from across the eastern counties. Some £610,200 was raised, with after-sales deals pushing it to £661,050.
Vacant land, both commercial and agricultural, dominated the catalogue, with the highest price being paid for a lot of commercial land and buildings. About 0.8 acre of freehold land, with 5,210 sq ft of office and storage space, 15 miles south of Norwich in Tivetshall St Margaret, sold for £73,000.
In Beccles, Suffolk the old station building and yard, 3,624 sq ft on 0.25 acres, sold for £71,000 freehold, with the building being let to a furniture firm for £4,000 pa on a lease determinable with six months’ notice.
The freehold on the former County School station at North Elmham, Norfolk — a brick and slate building in 6.5 acres — went for £50,000 and is to be converted into facilities for long-distance walkers.
A Railway Mission Hall at Fornham Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, was the most unusual lot at the auction. The 2,000-sq ft hall was built at the beginning of the century with timber-framed construction clad with corrugated iron. The freehold of the building — which is currently let to the Mission Trust corporation at £150 pa — was knocked down for £29,500.
Arnold Son & Hockley intend to hold another sale of British Rail property early in 1988.
