5 bedroom property with land for sale

An exceptional dairy and arable farm within a desirable location

Description

Sandyford Farm is a well presented dairy and arable farm within an accessible location, situated just off the A77. Sandyford Farmhouse sits centrally to the farm, adjacent to the farm buildings. An attractive courtyard of stone and slate buildings splits the farmhouse from the main workings of the dairy farm. There is an extensive range of farm buildings including a modern 30:30 rapid exit milking parlour, cubicle accommodation for 280 cows, silage pits, slurry store, an 8,000 litre milk tank and feed stores. A pair of semi-detached cottages are located a short distance from the farmyard.

The land is dissected by two public roads and extends to 302 acres. Historically the land surrounding the core of the farm has been used for summer grazing and / or silage production, with the remaining land utilised for growing cereal crops such as wheat, barley and maize.

Until 2023 Sandyford was farmed by the same family for 23 years who milked a herd of 300 high yielding Ayrshire cows which grazed the land for 150 days of the year. The herd at Sandyford had one of the oldest prefixes in the Ayrshire breed, dating back to the 1870s. The family had great success in both the Ayrshire and Holstein show rings with many awards and rosettes presented over the years, including four Royal Highland Show Championships and two Agri-Scot Dairy Heifer & Cow Championships, making Sandyford renowned UK wide.

Sandyford Farmhouse
Sandyford Farmhouse is an attractive red sandstone farmhouse under a slate roof, set within the traditional courtyard of buildings which provide privacy from the working farm. The private tarred driveway leads from the public road and forks to access the farmhouse and courtyard or the farm buildings. To the south and west of the farmhouse is a well maintained garden area, mostly laid to lawn with a greenhouse and borders filled with mature plants and shrubs, along with a pleasant patio area for outdoor dining. In addition, there is a gated driveway to the front of the house, flanked by established hedgerows, leading directly from the road.

The farmhouse benefits from spacious accommodation over two floors.

A south facing sun room sits to the front of the farmhouse and provides access into the main hallway and the accommodation beyond. There are three reception rooms offering ample space for socialising and relaxing. There are many traditional features such as wooden panelling and wood floor within the hallway, staircase and landing, together with picture rails, cornicing and decorative ceiling roses. The drawing room, with open fire, joins the dining room through triple glazed doors. Both rooms benefit from dual aspect windows framing views of the garden and countryside beyond. The sitting room has a press and open fire and looks out into the courtyard. In addition, this area of the house has a modern family bathroom with bath, toilet and wash hand basin.

To the back of the house is the large dining kitchen with a range of wall and floor units complemented by a traditional AGA. There is a utility room lying off the kitchen with a Belfast sink and space for laundry appliances. The hallway to the back door, which leads out to the courtyard, provides access to a small toilet and generous office with a large storage room.

A staircase leads from the main hall to a landing on first floor, off which lie the five bedrooms, a box room and a shower room. The farmhouse benefits from a mixture of single and double glazing.

Sandyford Cottages 1 and 2
A pair of semi-detached cottages of brick and slate construction located approximately 100 metres northwest from the farm steading, just off the public road. The cottages have mirrored layouts. The accommodation of each comprises a large sitting room with southerly aspect, a kitchen with rear hall and back door out to the garden area, three bedrooms and a bathroom.

Cottage no.1 has been occupied by a dairyman at Sandyford Farm and is now vacant; no.2 has been let on a Short Assured Tenancy for a period of approximately 18 years.

The cottages have a garden and driveway to the front and drying lawns to the rear.

Farm Buildings
The farm buildings at Sandyford are purpose built or adapted for dairy farm use. Of particular note is the ability to leave the farmhouse and travel on foot to the parlour / cubicle shed with minimal need to step outside. The modern farm buildings are well thought-out with a state of the art milking parlour, cubicles for 280 cows, a slurry tower with capacity for 360,000 gallons and two silage pits all accessed from a concrete yard area.

Farmland
The land extends to 302 acres and comprises 285 acres arable and 11 acres of pasture which is classified as Class 2 and 3(1) by the James Hutton Institute for Soil Research. The farm lies between 19 metres at its lowest point within field 1 and 44 metres above sea level at its highest point within field 16. The land is generally flat lying and well suited to being worked. The soil is a mixture between mineral gleys and brown soils.

Typically the land at Sandyford has been used to graze cattle and produce silage. In previous years potatoes have been grown. Following the dispersal of the dairy herd in 2023, more
cereals have been grown on the farm. Typical average yields are 3 to 4 tonnes per acre for winter crops and 2.5 to 3 tonnes per acre for spring crops.

The land is generally southwest facing and access to the fields is either via the hardcore track leading from the farmyard or direct from the public roads. The majority of field enclosures benefit from field troughs. Fields 1,2 3, 10 and 11 benefit from a culverts below the road to connect slurry pipes.

Vacant possession will be given on entry which will be by arrangement. Please note that entry to field 2 will not be until
after the maize crop has been harvested.

Location

Located within an accessible and popular area of South Ayrshire, Sandyford Farm sits adjacent to the A77 with views towards the Isle of Arran and the Mull of Kintyre beyond. The local area is renowned for its productive farmland due to the land quality and the mild wet climate, creating the perfect combination for grass based farming.

The village of Monkton is about 3 miles west where there is a primary school, fuel station with Marks and Spencer food hall and post office. Prestwick (4 miles) is the closest town, where there is a greater choice of shops, supermarkets and professional services, as well as secondary schooling.

The county town of Ayr adjoins Prestwick to the south and is well known for its first class racecourse and the long established livestock market. There is a wide range of local facilities including shops, supermarkets, leisure and professional services as well as nursery and primary and secondary schooling (including Wellington independent school). The racecourse is home of the Scottish Grand National meeting held annually in the spring. Ayr United, formed in 1910, is the local football team and there are both rugby and cricket clubs in the town. Ayr also has a swimming pool, ten pin bowling, an ice rink and a choice of golf courses as well as river and park walks. The Scottish Rural University College (SRUC) has a campus in the town and the nearest livestock market, Craig Wilson Ltd sits on the outskirts.

Travel connections in the area are good with excellent access to the A77, linking the ferry port at Cairnryan (near Stranraer) to Glasgow. Within Ayr there is a railway station providing regular services north to Glasgow as well as services to the south, terminating in Stranraer. Prestwick Airport is a short drive from the farm (5 miles) and Glasgow International Airport is 38 miles to the north and offers a wide range of domestic, European and international flights.

South Ayrshire is a picturesque mixture of rolling countryside, extensive woodlands and rugged coastline, making for an especially attractive setting and providing a wealth of opportunities for outdoor pursuits including golf (several courses around Ayr, Prestwick and Troon), shooting, cycling, hill walking and water sports.




Acreage: 302 Acres

Directions

From the north or south, travel on the A77 signposted for Ayr. Sandyford Farm is located off the Sandyford Toll roundabout on the B742, signposted for Mossblown. The farm entrance is on the lefthand side.

For sat nav purposes the postcode for Sandyford is KA9 2SP.

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Additional Info

Viewing - Strictly by appointment with Savills -[use Contact Agent Button]. Given the potential hazards of a working farm, we request you take care when viewing the property, especially around the farmyard.