Two former chapels included in 11 lots sold at Shropshire auction for £1.65 million

Northwood Methodist Church, Northwood, near Shrewsbury and Moors Methodist Chapel, St Martins Moor, near Oswestry smashed their guide prices to sell for £132,000 and £210,000, respectively at the auction held at Halls’ headquarters in Shrewsbury.

Both chapels were sold on behalf of the Shropshire & Marches Methodist Circuit.

Northwood Methodist Church, which had guide price of £30,000 to £40,000, is believed to date back to 1860 and retains numerous original features, including a vaulted ceiling.

Moors Methodist Chapel, which had a guide price of £50,000 to £70,000, dates to around 1829, sits within grounds of around a quarter of an acre and was sold with an adjacent single-storey hall.

Situated on the outskirts of St Martins village, the chapel retains a range of interesting features, a private rear garden and off-street parking.

The auction was conducted by Allen Gittins, Halls’ chairman, who said: “This was the biggest and most successful collective auction that Halls has ever had, with all lots attracting great interest and viewings.

“We had a very large crowd in attendance and competitive bidding, resulting in some excellent prices being achieved. It’s essential that suitable properties only are selected for auction and that they are marketed and valued correctly.

“The residential properties that we sold on Friday were marketed for only five weeks and are now definitely sold. Contracts are exchanged, so there will be no backing out or changing of minds by purchasers, as often happens with a private treaty sale.”

Most of the properties in the auction required improvement, renovation and modernisation and sold above their guide prices.

They included Mere Cottage, Hollins Lane, Marbury, near Whitchurch which was sold on behalf of the Duchy of Lancaster for £360,000, the auction’s top price.

The 18th century, three-bedroomed cottage with large gardens is part of the Marbury Estate and centrally located in the village.

Woodfield Cottage, Northampton Lane, Ombersley, an attractive, timber framed, black and white, Grade ll listed cottage and a detached garage and workshop, with conversion potential, sold for £300,000.

Number 7, Queens Road, Whitchurch, a mature, semi-detached, three-bedroomed house with a rear garden and garage, sold for £205,000, while 2, Rockwell, Rockwell Lane, Pant, near Oswestry, a mature, semi-detached, two-bedroomed cottage with a rear garden, found a buyer at £89,000.

Two Ellesmere properties in the auction were 11 St Johns Hill, a three-bedroomed, Grade II listed, period town cottage, which sold for £140,000 and 3 Swan Hill, a two-bedroomed period cottage, which sold for £120,000.

Number 26, Bull Ring, Ludlow, an attractive Grade II listed, mid-terrace, three-storey commercial property with a basement, sold for £79,000 while Flat 2, 17, Benyon Street, Castlefields, Shrewsbury, a well-proportioned, first floor apartment with a garage, was snapped up for £19,000.

Strong competition for the only agricultural land in the auction saw just under an acre to the rear of Church Cottage, Bryn Villa Road, Isycoed, near Wrexham, sell for £50,000, 10 times its guide price.

Halls are now accepting entries for the next collective property and land, which will be held on July 25.

People can contact the company’s Ellesmere office on 01691 622602 for more information.