'A Clean Sweep at John Earle & Son's April Land and Property Auction'

Advertising for the 5 Lots included in the 15th April auction commenced at the beginning of March. The Dial House in Wootton Wawen, formerly two Victorian cottages, with it being turned into one house, it is believed, in 1910 by the late Mr Fieldhouse who built, just south of the village a property that has recently been sold called Austy Manor. There were other alterations and changes in the 60's and 70's but in recent years the property had fallen into disrepair and the gardens had "gone to pot".

               
THE DIAL HOUSE                                                                                         215 HIGH STREET

In the auction room, Richard Abbey, one of the two partners of the practice, finally knocked the gavel down on this property at £395,000 with the bidding commencing with a modest £250,000. He also sold the 0.5 acres with a large outbuilding at Rowney Green for nearly double the guide price at £44,000 after fierce competition from various interested parties. The 3.17 acres of pasture land and timber stables at the southern edge of Ullenhall Parish realised £54,000, comfortably above the guide price. Two other Lots, being the old Bookmakers Shop, formerly a cottage, sold prior to Auction in substantially excess of the guide price of £135,000 and the timber stables and 4 acres of land near Shrewley also sold pre-auction for a very attractive figure of nearly £15,000 per acre.

Richard Abbey, after the auction when discussing results with his various clients, expressed his pleasure that some good sale values were achieved, that the auction room was packed with over 250 people and that the property market generally is far from dead when interesting and varied Lots are offered for sale.