A Place in the Sun It is almost tempting fate to call a programme "A Place in the Sun" and when the Channel 4 programme came to film in the Axminster area, they had to dodge for best shots between showers of rain and hail. A typical English summer!
The search to find a home for a family looking to enjoy a life along the Devon / Dorset border, took cast and crew to Church View in Uplyme, a detached 3 bedroom cottage on the market with a guide of £327,000. Here the family could enjoy both countryside and coast as it is minutes from the sea at Lyme Regis, with its historic Cobb and stunning Jurassic coastline. Will the family decide to fall for its charms?
The show is to be broadcast later in the year and will showcase two other Symonds & Sampson properties, Old Priory Meadow (see right) in Chardstock and Amelia Cottage in Axminster, which are at either end of the property spectrum. Old Priory Meadow is a newly built detached house of character and contemporary design, enjoying stunning views and is on the market at a guide of £720,000. Amelia Cottage is a charming 2 bedroom cottage not far from Axminster's town centre with a private enclosed garden and a guide of £139,500.
All three properties are for sale through Axminster office tel:01297 33122.
S&S Girls Make Site Foreman’s Day We are delighted to report that we will soon be marketing Casterbridge Place at Templecombe which is a development of 12 properties including seven 3 bedroom houses and five 2 bedroom apartments.
The development is being built by the highly regarded Morrish Builders and is on the site of the redundant Edwardian hospital building which was demolished to make way for the new development. Morrish Builders were delighted to salvage the distinctive chimney pots and other features for future use where possible and they have retained the character associated with the much admired facade of the building.
Situated close to the village centre and a short walk from the station (Exeter to London Waterloo line) and with a bus stop closeby, this is an ideal development that will suit all ages.
In the photograph, Lucy Wrigglesworth, Manager of the Sturminster Newton and Negotiator Julie Baker, are seen outside the Casterbridge Development with the Site Foreman, Pete Gollop.
London Marathon for Weldmar Hospicecare Trust Jon Summers(pictured right after finishing the London Marathon) of our Bridport Office ran the London Marathon on April 13th with his father and brother. Between them they have raised in the region of £8,000 for the Dorset Charity Weldmar Hospicecare Trust in memory of Jon's mother who died in January 2007.
Jon's report on the Day
I would recommend the marathon to anybody of any age, what a fantastic experience. The atmosphere was electrifying from the time I boarded the Docklands Light Railway at 7.45am Sunday Morning to running through the finish on The Mall in the afternoon.
I started at the red start in Greenwich Park so I took the packed train to Greenwich, on leaving which I joined the thousands of other runners on the 1 mile walk through the town to the park. The park was a mass of people and this was only one of three starts with all the runners almagamating at the 3 mile mark. It seemed quite daunting.
After taking in the atmosphere I found my start pen and changed, ready for the off, depositing my kit bag along with the thousands of others on the correctly numbered lorry thinking will I ever see it again. Apprehensive about what lay ahead I waited for the start. I began to relax in the knowledge that there were a lot of other first timers.
As 9.45am approached we started walking forward dodging the disgarded clothing, drinks bottles and banana skins! As the start line approached the addrenelin rush started, the road sides were packed with spectators from start to finish, with many bands playing upbeat music, people of all ages giving kind words of encouragement and offering drinks and energy sweets as you passed by.
The first 6 miles were thoroughly enjoyable running at close quarters with other competitors and the crowd through built up residential areas before reaching our first landmark the Cutty Sark. After rounding the famous old ship the weather suddenly changed and I endured a very wet 6.5 mile trip towards Tower Bridge.
Approaching the bridge, the noise from the crowds increased and I felt good both physically and mentally as I approached the half way mark. My wife Karen was waiting, and as I passed she provided me with a further supply of energy drink as I headed towards Canary Wharf. The three to four mile journey was mentally the toughest part of the race with further outbreaks of heavy rain and having to keep focused while watching the elite runners passing on the other side of the road some 9-10 miles ahead.
On entering Canary Wharf I felt a masive lift, the atmosphere there was fantastic as we were greeted by more enthusiastic spectators and
after circling the district it felt good to turn and start heading back towards the city. My legs were beginning to ache as I was now very much in unkown territory having never run in excess 20 miles before. Experienced runners say the half way point of the marathon should be 20 miles; it is as hard to complete the last 6 miles as it is to complete the first 20 ! I can confirm their view.
From the 20 mile mark I managed to keep running all be it at a slower pace for the next 3 miles at the 23 mile mark along the embankment I hit the wall. I had no feeling in my legs nor my arms as well as feeling dizzy and suffering from blurred vision. This continued for about 1.5 miles until in the distance I could just make out the The Wheel and Big Ben. Knowing I was now only 1.5 miles from the finish where Karen and my family were waiting I found an extra burst of energy running along The Embankment, through Parliament Square and up The Mall to the finish in 4 hours 55 mins.
Once I crossed the finish line it felt a bit of an anti climax. Surrounded by thousands of runners in the finish area all of whom I didn't know, all I wanted to do was to find my family, but before I was able to do that, I had to have my time chip removed and finishers photo taken. We were given a finishers pack with a foil blanket and ushered towards the kit lorries. Amazingly as I passed the lorrys a bag handler (not one from terminal 5!!) passed me my bag! The organisation at both the start and finish was impecable. I
Everybody keep's asking would I do another marathon, and I have to say yes!
Anybody still wishing to sponsor can do so by visiting www.justgiving.com/summers08. Cheques made payable to the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust can also be sent to Mr J W Summers, Symonds and Sampson, 23 South Street, Bridport, Dorset, DT3 6NU
Milestone for Auctioneer The latest property auction at The Sherborne Hotel on 24th April was a 100% success rate with a full room and properties sold in Dorset and Somerset.
For Mark Lewis it was a particular milestone as it took his personal total of auction properties sold to over £150million. “It was a great feeling” said Mark. “I had worked out before the auction that I was getting close to this figure and afterwards I realised that after the sale of some land at King’s Stag, it had taken me over the £150million figure. The most satisfying part of the day, however, was to sell every property especially when the national average is standing at around 80%, so Symonds & Sampson really have bucked the trend.”
On offer were parcels of land at Holnest near Sherborne selling at £7,000 an acre, a smallholding at King’s Stag at £404,000 (see right), a cottage for renovation in Marnhull at £175,000 and a semi-detached property in Templecombe for £130,000.
May Property Auction Could Be The Biggest Yet Our property auction at The Digby Hall, Hound Street, Sherborne on 30 May promises to be a bumper event with properties for sale throughout Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Devon.
Mark Lewis is excited at the prospect: “We have some wonderful lots, mainly from Deceased Estates and The Court of Protection, many of which are coming to the market for the first time in decades. Townsend Farm at Powerstock (see right), is already attracting interest. A farmhouse in need of renovation it has 38 acres and river frontage and is offered for sale in 7 lots.
“Conegar Farm at Broadwindsor is a detached three bedroom house with 16 acres and there is further land available at Westbury in Wiltshire and Middlemarsh near Sherborne.
“Always popular at auctions are the cottages for renovation and building opportunities; there is a stone store/workshop with planning permission to convert into a two bedroom cottage at Beaminster, a barn for conversion at Broadwindsor, a delightful Grade II Listed cottage at Chideock and a detached cottage in need of complete renovation at Thorncombe.
“We then have bungalows at North Cadbury and Owermoigne near Dorchester, a cottage at The Cross, Shillingstone and a cottage subject to a Protected Tenancy at Powerstock.
“Also included in the catalogue is a property at South Molton, Devon being a semi-detached cottage with lovely views and about 10 acres including lakes.”
The BBC cameras will be at the auction to record everything for their daytime programme, Homes Under The Hammer, and we look forward to seeing you there.
For further details please telephone 01258 473766
On the Market after 100 Years Trooper Farm, Marnhull (pictured right)comes to the market for the first time in over 100 years. Situated in the heart of Marnhull at the top of the romantically named Love Lane itwas built in about 1745. The property was an Inn in the 1900s and there are still wide doorways characteristic of old inns where large barrels were trundled in from the brewers dray. There was also an off licence known as the Jug and Bottle where people brought their own containers to take home and enjoy.
The Inn was owned by Matthews Brewers who were a very big firm in the area and in 1913 the publicans were Arthur and Kate Bastable who passed the licence to their son Cyril in 1945. Cyril managed to buy The Trooper Inn in 1956 from the brewery and he was able to concentrate on his farming activities.
Cyril recently died and we are now instructed to market Trooper Farm which includes the farmhouse, cottage, all the traditional and modern outbuildings and about 6 acres of land.
Mark Lewis says “This is a lovely package and a rare opportunity to purchase an interesting property which is in need of some modernisation but contains a wonderful history.”
The guide price is £695,000 and viewings are every Tuesday and Saturday between 11.30am and 1pm.
Further information from Sturminster tel:01258 473766.
18.04.08 Mark Lewis
Grass Keep in DemandWe held our first Annual Collective Grass Keep Auction at The Exchange, Sturminster Newton recently and are pleased to report that all lots sold to an average of £82 per acre. The prices ranged from £70 to £115 per acre which included 84 acres of organic grass at Fifehead Magdalen which averaged £90 per acre.
For all lots the Single Farm Payment was not available to the purchasers and no artificial fertiliser had been applied.
Commenting on the sale Auctioneer Andrew Tuffin said “I was delighted that the vendors who supported this inaugural auction achieved higher than predicted prices and it demonstrates there are plenty of farmers pushing their production”.
Two weeks before 219 acres were offered on two farms near Wincanton making an average of £80 and £72 per acre.
If any landowners have surplus grass please contact Andrew Tuffin on 01258 472244 or Lester Williams on 01935 382902 as we have several people seeking grass. Likewise potential purchasers please contact us to register your requirements.
Failed To Catch A Cab But Bought a House As we celebrate 150 years in business you would think that the firm would have seen it all but a most unusual story has emerged from The London Office.
Mark Lewis, Head of the Residential Division, explains “A gentleman was trying to hail a cab just outside The London Office in Pall Mall a few days before Christmas and with no taxis available he turned around to look in the shop window of The London Office where a large photograph of Madjeston Farmhouse (pictured right)caught his eye. He went into the office and our man in London, Bob Bickersteth, sat him down, made him a cup of coffee and talked him through the property. After reading the particulars, he telephoned our Sturminster Newton office and said that he was “going to buy it whatever happened”.
Madjeston Farmhouse is a fine Grade II Listed house with 6 bedrooms and a self contained flat together with outbuildings, a courtyard, gardens, paddocks and grounds of 3.5 acres. On the market for £1.3million our London buyer viewed and made an offer on the same day and exchanged contracts on the 29th February.
“This is a marvellous example of how important The London Office can be and although they have introduced many buyers to us over the years, this was quite a coup.”
Home Information Packs (HIPs)For information on Home Information Packs (HIPs) please go to our Residential Page or Property Search Page and click on the link under Sales
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