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Somerset County Herald and Taunton Courier. Saturday 13 May 1950
Page 6 Column 7 and 8
LORD WHARTON SELLS HALSWELL ESTATE
AUCTION REALISES £45,360 AT BRIDGWATER
DEVELOPER BUYS MANSION AND PARK
Although many lots including farms, had already been acquired by the tenants, and disposal of the valuable timber was deferred, a total of £45,360 was realised by the auction at Bridgwater, on Thursday, of a large part of Lord WHARTON's Halswell Estate, including Halswell Park, his ancestral mansion, at Goathurst, with its beautiful park of 180 acres.
About 200 people filled the ballroom of the Royal Clarence Hotel, where the sale was conducted by Mr. W. Leslie PRICE for Messrs. W. R. J. Greenslade & Co., of Taunton. While some of the lots aroused keen bidding others went comparatively cheaply, one cottage going for as little as £140, and only one lot was withdrawn during the sale.
With the exception of the school, Village Hall, general shop, and almshouses, the whole village of Goathurst was included in the sale, together with valuable properties in Enmore, North Petherton, Broomfield, and West Monkton, the total area catalogued for disposal being 1,657 acres.
SOME FARMS WITHDRAWN
Mr. PRICE explained in opening that certain farms which Lord WHARTON originally intended to sell had been withdrawn, viz., Boomer, North Petherton, 270 acres; Rooks Castle, Broomfield, 277 acres; pasture and woodland, Broomfield, 34 acres; and a close of accommodation meadow land at Goathurst, measuring 12 acres.
An option was given by His Lordship to sitting tenants to buy their farms before the auction, and in the case of the following lots the option had been exercised:- Goodings Farm, North Petherton, 81 acres; Stream Farm, Broomfield, 121 acres; Rose Hill, Broomfield, Queen Anne residence and 14 acres; Yalway, West Monkton, 100 acres; Oggshole, Broomfield, 106 acres; Heathcombe and Durretts, Broomfield, 173 acres.
The sale of the timber lots had to be postponed until the necessary licences were received from the Town and Country Planning Authority, the delay not being due to the vendor or his agents. Mr. PRICE pointed out that all the tithe had been redeemed, and the rents on the estate had been extremely moderate.
MANSION MAY BE SPLIT UP
Halswell Park, the main lot, comprising the Tudor and Jacobean mansion and 180 acres of park, opened at £10,000 and rose to £15,000, at which figure it was acquired by Mr. Clarence HARRIS, of Bishop's Hull, Taunton, a well-known developer of old properties.
Mr. HARRIS afterwards told our representative that he would probably convert the mansion into several houses or flats, and the park into about three agricultural holdings, unless the property was acquired by one of the authorities.
Mr. PRICE had suggested that the mansion would be very suitable for a school, an agricultural institute, or offices for one of the National Boards.
Other lots sold as follows -
Plantation, near Boomer Farm, North Petherton, 2 acres – Mr. CLARKE, Burnham, £450.
Arable, 9,567 acres, North Petherton – Mr. T. G. WILKINS, North Petherton, £1,200
Arable, 1,529 acres, North Petherton – Mr. E. R. JONES, North Petherton £300
Pasture, 28,486 acres, at Goathurst – Mr. F. J. LANG, Broomfield, tenant £1,000
Shellthorn Cottage, Broomfield – Mrs. M. O. E. NORMAN, Broomfield, £300.
Holmes Farm, Broomfield, 48 acres – Capt. H. E. FISK, Williton, £2,000.
Arable, 13 acres, West Monkton – Colonel SAWYER, Cheddon, for Commissioners of Crown Lands, £550.
Hill Farm, Broomfield, 76,885 acres – Capt. FISK, £2,5000.
Rose Hill lands, 53,919 acres, Broomfield – Mr. John WILLIAMS, part tenant, £4,000
Pasture, 10,827 acres, Broomfield – Mr. R. J. HAWKER, Enmore, £450.
Pasture, 9,499 acres, Broomfield – Mr. F. J. WEBBER, Woods Farm, Broomfield, £500.
BROOMFIELD HALL
Broomfield Hall, Enmore, Georgian residence, and 17,703 acres – Mr. F. J. WEBBER, £5,700
Orchard, Goathurst, 1,420 acres – Mr. R. T. MEDD, Sevenoaks, £230
Estate yard, sawmills, and pasture, 3,817 acres - Mr. A. G. FIGGINS, Bedhampton, Portsmouth, £1,500.
The Old Rectory, Goathurst, 2,106 acres, divided into three houses – Mr I. H. CLARKE, Bedminster, £1,000.
The Gables, residence at Goathurst, with 3½ acres – Mr. Harry DAY, Goathurst, £2,000.
Three cottages and blacksmith's shop, Goathurst – Capt. FISK, £600.
Nos. 7 and 8, Goathurst, two cottages – Capt. FISK, £250.
Cottage residence, No. 18, Goathurst -Capt. FISK, £140.
Cottage, No 19, Goathurst – Mr. E. NORMAN, tenant, £330.
Cottages. Nos. 20 and 21, Goathurst – Capt. FISK, £860.
Lord WHARTON was represented by his solicitors, Burges, Salmon, & Co., Bristol, and his agent, Mr. R. G. SEYMOUR, Goathurst.