Farm land

The Croston Estate is one of the largest commercial farming estates in the North West, fortunate to hold some of the most productive soils in England. Sitting on the north eastern edge of the Lancashire Plain; an expanse of Grade 1 and 2 soils that stretch across a large part of West Lancashire, The Croston Estate is a diverse estate offering a number of different land uses and opportunities, located amongst many of the key producers of horticultural goods and vegetables in the UK.

The vendor is Quantil Agriculture Limited, part of the Quantil group of companies. Quantil Agriculture is a well-known grower, processor and supplier of spring and winter cereal seed for the UK market. The Croston Estate, in conjunction with additional land held at Lathom, has been used to grow cereal crops for supplying seed into the company’s mill at Lathom. The company is retaining land on the eastern boundary of the estate to continue to support its ongoing agricultural activities.

In addition to the in-hand farming operations, a large part of the estate has been let on a number of high yielding rental and farming contracts to vegetable and salad growers; crops over the last four years have included lettuce, radish, carrots, onions, potatoes and turf. Some parts have also been strategically managed for countryside stewardship, which together with the rental income, provide a gross income of approximately £158,000 per annum (2021 figure). In addition to which, of the land let on Farm Business Tenancies, 95% of the tenant’s basic payment income is payable to the landlord.

The Croston Estate is of a rare scale and ringfenced layout. It is located between the villages of Croston and Mawdesley and divided into three parts by a network of estate roads, tracks and the Ormskirk railway line.

The estate is for sale as a whole or in up to five lots, as follows:

Lot 1 – Beech Grove Farm
Three-year-old, 2,000t grain store, further modern farm buildings and mostly Grade 1 peat soils
About 556 acres (225 ha)

Lot 1A – Beech Grove Farmhouse
Four-bedroom detached farmhouse with garden and paddock
About 1.4 acres (0.5 ha)

Lot 2 – Moss Farm
A range of farm buildings and Grade 1 arable land
About 149 acres (60 ha)

Lot 3 – Land south of Meadow Lane
A parcel of Grade 1 arable and peat land
About 338 acres (137 ha)

Lot 4 – Gate House Cottage
Two-bedroom detached cottage with garden
About 0.5 acre (0.2 ha)

The Croston Estate is a large, ring-fenced commercial farm situated in West Lancashire – an intensively farmed and predominantly flat landscape stretching west of the M6 between Preston and the Ribble Estuary in the north and Liverpool and the River Mersey in the south.

Moss Farm on the northern boundary of the estate adjoins the historic village of Croston; the estate extends south to Beech Grove Farm at Mawdesley village in the south.

Croston is situated on the River Yarrow and is particularly attractive and sought after owing to its 17th-century historic charm and rural location. The village has two convenience stores, a chemist, coffee shop, a host of pubs and restaurants, a primary school and a large sports club. Croston railway station is on the Ormskirk line running between Liverpool and Preston. Leyland and Preston in the north and Ormskirk to the south offer a larger range of day to day needs. Preston is also located on the West Coast Mainline and provides regular rail services to London Euston.

The estate is highly accessible with its southern boundary and principal farm, Beech Grove Farm, located at Mawdesley which is some 6 miles from junction 27 of the M6.