Clutton History Archive

In 1920 about half his Somerset Estates were sold in auction and in 1945 the remaining Warwick holdings were sold.

Half of Somerset Village Sold – Earl Parts With His Clutton Estate
Saturday 19 May 1945, Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette

The Earl of Warwick has disposed of his Clutton properties, as owing to the distance from his main estates in Warwickshire, he had little or no opportunity of knowing the property or the tenants.

The estate comprises about 800 acres, with a rent roll of nearly £3,000 per annum. It includes several farms, three licensed houses, including the Warwick Arms Hotel situated on the main road, 88 residences and dwelling houses, Greyfield Wood, about 150 acres of standing timber, and the Cloud Hill Quarries.

The estate comprises about half the village, which is 1,698 acres in extent, and at the last census, a population of 1,200.

It is gathered the estate has been acquired by a London syndicate, and that the price was between £50,000 and £60,000.

Catalogue of the Sale of the 1920 Estate Click here

Catalogue of the Sale of Church Farm Clutton Click here

Map 1 of the Sale of the 1945 Estate Click here

Map 2 of the Sale of the 1945 Estate Click here

Catalogue of the Sale of the 1945 Estate Click here

Friday August 27 1920, Bristol Times and Mirror

The Clutton Estate – Sold by Auctioneers in Bristol - £60,000 Realised

A crowded company assembled at the Grand Hotel, Bristol, yesterday, when Mr. Geo. Nichols (Messrs. Geo. Nichols, Young, Hunt, and Co.) brought to hammer, by direction of the Earl of Warwick, the Clutton and Chelwood properties, extending about 1,600 acres, and comprising 12 farms, small holdings, woods, accommodation lands and many cottages and village properties. For the purpose of the sale the estate was divided up into 115 lots of varying size, importance and value.

Mr. Nichols prefaced the sale by some observations. He said that the estate was situated in one of the best parts of the country they could possibly have. It was in the centre of a good mining and general business district, and there was a good railway service from Clutton itself. It was only about seven miles from where they were, and the same distance from Bath. The transit by motor had developed to such an extent that they were only twenty minutes run from those places. The agricultural land was particularly good, some of the best in the district. One some of the lots there was timber which had been valued at low figures; at what it could be valued forthwith. The bidding was very brisk, and many of the lots were secured by the tenants, the announcement of which fact each time elicited hearty applause and cheers. Occasionally good, and in numerous instances high, prices were realised for properties.

The following was the result of the sale :

Maypole Farm, 9½ acres – £1,300 (timber £35) the tenant.
Arable land, 2r. 32p. – Mr. Dawson.
Lower North End Farm, 37 acres – £2,250 (timber £54), the tenant.
North End Farm, 57¼ acres – £3,000 (timber £55), the tenant.
Taylor’s Farm, 85½ acres – £4,000 (timber £283), the tenant.
Church Farm 85 acres – £4,900 (timber £77), the tenant.
Hartsmead, pasture, 2a. 2r. – £280, the tenant.
Dwelling – £200, Mr. W. Maggs.
Pasture .963a. – £110, Mr. W. Bailey.
Curtis, pasture 1a 0r. 17p – £125, Somerset County Council.
Pasture, 11a. 1r. 17p – withdrawn at £590.
Pasture, 9a. 1r. 21p – £500, Mr. Hutton.
Bubbin’s Brake, 8a. 2r. 31p – £390 (timber 218), Mr. Purnell.
Brewery Farm, 107½ acres – £4,300 (timber £135), the tenant.
Pasture and arable land, 84½ acres – withdrawn at £2,600.
Residence and 1a. 2r. 14p – £940, the tenant.
Three cottages – withdrawn at £380.
Two cottages – withdrawn at £210.
Roger’s Close, 2a. 3r. 12p. – £210 (timber £8 10s.), Mr. Carter.
Garden, 2a. 1r. 21p – £115 (timber £5 10s.) Mr. Maggs.
Two Cottages – £160 Mr. John Beacham.
Two Cottages – £185 Mr. Tyley.
Honey Gaston 18 acres – withdrawn.
Pasture and arable land, nearly 42 acres £1375 Mr. Chislett.
Detached cottage and 2½ acres – £580, the tenant.
Two cottages and acres – £1,040 (timber 18 10s.), the tenant.
Arable land, 5¼ acres – £210. Mrs. Young.
Pasture, 8a. 0r. 36p – £370 (timber 14), Mr. Slocombe.
Pasture, 10a. 1r. 38p – £380, Mr. Oram.
Dairy land, 5a. 3r. 20p – £275, Mr. Oram.
Three cottages and pasture 3a. 0r. 21p – £380, Mr. Preddy.
Garden, 1r 37p – £50, Mr. Maggs.
Pasture, 2r. 31p – £55 (timber £3 10s.), Mr. Maggs
Four cottages – £300, Mr. Brookman.
Pasture, 3. 1r. 19p – £55 (timber £13), Mr. Dawson.
Shop and two cottages – £60, the tenant.
The Laurels—not offered.
Cottage – £300. Mr. Bailey.
Cottage – £l10 Mr. Ford.
Three cottages – not sold.
House – £350, Mr. Westcott.
Three cottages – £350, Mr. Challenger.
Building plot, 575 yards – £350, Mr. Ford.
Garden. la. 2r.; garden. 1a. 1r.; garden 3r. 15p.; and garden. 1a. 1r. 7p. sod previously to the Clutton Council.
Four cottages – not sold.
Four cottages – £225. Mr. Bailey.
Three cottages – not sold.
Three cottages – £320, Mr. C. Tavender.
Two cottages – £200, Mr. Raikes.
Cottage and 2 acres – £320, Mr. Hughes.
Four cottages – not sold.
Two cottages – £200, Mr. Tucker.
Two cottages – £200, Mr. Richards.
Lockyer's Paddock, la. 2r. 13p. – £90 (timber £7 10s); Mr. Purnell.
Allotment gardens, 3a. 2r. 24p. – sold to Clutton Council before the auction.
Cottage – £230, Mr. F. Blacker.
Cottage – £160, the tenant.
Cottage – £260, the tenant.
Cottage – £205, Mr. F. Blacker.
Cottage – £160, the tenant.
Cottage – £260, the tenant.
Three cottages – not sold.
House, shop. etc., £300, the tenant
Church Farm, Chelwood, 120¼ acres – £3,900 (timber, £374), the tenant.
Malt House Farm, 184 acres – £4,950 (including timber), Mrs. C. Jordan.
Small holding, 1a. 0r. 13p. – £700, Mr. Brooks.
Chelwood Post Office – £580., Mr. Melhuish.
Two cottages – £450, Mr. Lippiatt/
Moore’s Farm 57¾ acres – £2,899 (timber £160), the tenant
Clutton Hill Farm, 57a. 3r 7p – withdrawn at £2,600
Small holding, Clutton Hill Cottage, 9½ acres – £1,000 (timber £73), the tenant.
Pasture 6a. 2r. 21p. – £370 (timber £11), Mr. H. Perry.
Pasture and copse 8a. 1r. 7p. – £306 (timber £9 16s.), Mr. H. Berry.
Pasture 1a. 2r. 5p. – £103, Mr. P. Taylor.
Pasture 4a. 3r. 7p. – £200, Mr. G. Maggs.
Pasture and arable lands 18½a. – £730 (timber £10 10s.), Mr. H. Perry.
Pasture 6a. 1r. 18p. – £325, Mr. A. James.
Pasture 24a. 1r. 1p. – £980, (timber £40)
Cottage and outbuildings – £500, the tenant.
Greyfield Farm. 54 acres and cottage – £2,300 (timber), the tenant.
Five cottages and 3a. 0r. 21p – £400, Mr. H. Brimble, the oldest tenant.
Pasture and arable land 21½ acres – £856 (timber £8), Mr. Oram.

Fifty six cottages in Maynard Terrace were lotted in groups of three, four, and five but as there were no offers the auction closed and negotiations took place privately for the houses. Several of them together with some of the other lots were withdrawn, were disposed of, and negotiations are proceeding in regard to the others.

It should be stated that all the properties are occupied and none of the tenants are under notice to quit. The total realised in the auction room was nearly £60,000.

The land agents are Messrs. H. G. Godfrey-Payton and Son. Warwick; and the solicitors are Messrs. Frere, Cholmeley, and Co. Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London.

Friday 24 August 1945, Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer

The Auctioneers had no Hammers – Clutton Cottages Bought for £60 – Earl’s Estate Sold

Most of the village of Clutton came under the auctioneers' pencil; they had no hammers, when the whole of the Earl of Warwick’s estate there was offered for sale at the Grand Hotel, Bristol, on Thursday, and, in just under three hours, £60,100 was realised. The majority of the 69 lots were disposed of and the few that were not will be sold by Private treaty.

A number of people who went to the saleroom as tenants left it as owners, having bought their own homes, gardens and fields.

The Clutton estate, which covers in all about 619 acres, with a rent roll of £2,758 a year, contains among other valuable freehold property, four licensed premises, three pasture farms, three large residences, some 80 cottages, and various small holdings an enclosures of accommodation land.

Stone-built tiled cottages, in good condition, were sold at £60 each to £130 each, which brought the auctioneer's comment. "You could not build one house at the price being offered for three or four of these cottages."

With plenty of wit, Messrs. H. Jackson Stops and Mr. L. Waite, Yeovil, conducted the auction, which began promptly at two o'clock with the calling for bids for the Warwick Arms Hotel., Clutton, of the famous old Coaching inns on the main road from to Wells.

Bidding started at £5.000 and rapidly rose, first in £250 bids and then in £100s, to £10,500, when it was down to Mr. E. C. Sutton of Frome. He went on to buy Railway Hotel, Clutton, for £6,000 the Cross Keys Inn for £2,600 and the small free house, the Hunter’s Rest, for £3,750.

Mr. Jackson Stops, asking bids for the Hunter’s Rest, said: "When I went I found an old gentleman of 98 running it, and he told me he means to be over 100! It's just the sort of place where the
lads and lassies will go and have a glass of beer and enjoy life."

The property next door to the Warwick. No. 38, Bristol Road. was sold to Mr. Sutton for £1,350. "The only complaint we have had it that the rent is too low!" Mr. Jackson Stops said.

Batch Farm. a dairy holding with 84 acres. was bought by the tenant, Mr. J. Austin Maggs for £4,000.Mr. Jackson Stops' comment was: “No wonder you look so happy."

"It has great possibilities other than agriculture. because I believe the Government will take part of place, as a good lot of stone can be worked." was Mr. Jackson Stops's preface to the sale of Cloud Hill Farm, a 175-acres dairy holding, adjoining the long established Pennant Stone Quarries near Temple Cloud. Mr. J. H. Sheppard and Sons, Chilcompton, bought it for £6,000. On the farm are large deposits of pennant stone.

It was stated that the Air Ministries were willing to buy Cloud Hill stone quarries, but had not made up their minds, so that property was offered on special terms; If requisitioned within 12 months the contract to be annulled. It was however, withdrawn at £2,750.

When the lawn tennis court, near the Clutton Institution. was offered, there were roars of laughter when Mr. Jackson Stops, encouraging bids, said: “It's worth more than £25 just to have a game there with a pretty girl!" It was bought for £45.

About 22¼ acres of land, near the Temple Inn at Temple Cloud, fetched £1,050."It is suitable for a playing field and the local authority would like to purchase part of lt." said Mr. Jackson Stops.

Oak Dene, Greyfield, High Littleton, went for £1,900.

A 17th century residence, Hillside Clutton, with a Chippendale staircase, was sold for £1,500 to the tenant Mrs. A. B. E. Snow.

Greyfield Wood Farm, Clutton, said by the auctioneer to have some of the best land on the estate, was withdrawn at £2,900.

Hartley Wood, Clutton, with 16.726 acres, was sold for £1,900 (including timber valued at £l,064) to Messrs. Snow and Sons, timber merchants. Fry's Bottom Wood, including £663 worth of timber, fetched £1,000.

The Zion Chapel, Bendall's Bridge, used by the Boy Scouts' Association, was sold for £290.

A house and cottage, 156 and 157 Greyfield, with the former Greyfield Colliery and fir plantation of about eight acres. realised £1,350. Greyfield sawmill and house was withdrawn at £275.

Prices of other dwellings sold were : 174, Clutton Hill, £160; 152, Clutton Hill, £450; 154, Greyfield £500; 192 to 197, Greyfield, £1,800; Woodlea, Greyfield, £1,000 paid by the tenant, Mr. R. J. Lawrence; 175 and 176, Frys' Bottom Cottages, £275; 35 and 37, Clutton Flat, £385; 42 and 43, Upper Bristol Road, £500; 44, 45, 46 and 48, Upper Bristol Road, £250; 88, 89, and 90, Cooks Lane, £230; 109 and 110, Station Road. £390; 116, 117, 118, 119 and 120, Station Road, £270; 122 to 130. Station Road (five cottages), £250; 133, 134 and 135, Station Road, £900 paid by one of the tenants, Mr. Arthur Jas. Maggs. 136, 137 and 139, Venus Lane, £310; 79, The Batch, £200; 168 and 169,
Cuckoo Lane, £210; 181, 182 and 183, School Lane, Chelwood £390; and 188 and 189, Chelwood, £250.

A small builder's yard, opposite the Railway Inn, Clutton. fetched 360. Over 145 acres of land were sold for a total of £8,785 and only one field, 28 acres. was reserved, the highest being £1,200.

Dwellings, with the price when withdrawn, were : 153, Greyfield Wood (no offer); 198, 199, 200 and 201, Greyfield, £950; 202, 203, 204, and 205, Greyfield, £900: 158, 159, and 160, Greyfield, £500; 131, Station Road, £360; 140 to 144, Greensbrook. £220; 145, 146 and 147, Greensbrook, £200 and 47 to 56, Maynard Terrace (10 houses), £2,100.