Grade II-listed former school in Ironbridge among properties sold at £2m bumper auction

Top seller at auctioneers Halls’ final collective property and land auction of 2025, held on Friday (November 28) at the company’s Shrewsbury head office, was Bank Cottage, Bickley Town, Malpas at £350,000.

The detached cottage has two-bedrooms, gardens and outbuildings situated in 3.4 acres of grounds in a picturesque, rural setting.

Great pre-auction interest in the former Church of England School in St Luke's Road, Ironbridge, known locally as the ‘Blue School’, saw the property sell above its guide price for £125,000.

Described by Halls as an exciting renovation opportunity, the Grade-II listed building comprises a two-bedroomed duplex, one bedroom apartment, studio, spacious former classrooms and two parcels of land with development and parking potential, subject to planning consent.

Racing away from its £150,000 guide price, 38, Diksmuide Drive, Ellesmere, a detached, three-bedroomed, family home with gardens and a garage within walking distance of the town centre, sold for £221,000.

The other results included 2, Rea Bridge, Coleham Head, Shrewsbury, a two-bedroomed house with a courtyard garden within walking distance of the town centre, which sold for £130,000.

Ten properties needing modernisation were sold on behalf of Connexus, a community-focused rural housing group covering Shropshire and Herefordshire.

They were two properties in Cross Bank, Church Stretton, three bedroomed, semi-detached houses with gardens, sold for £140,000 and £160,000, respectively; The Elms in Weston, near Wem, a three-bedroomed, semi-detached house with gardens, sold for £152,000; and a property in Highfields, Market Drayton, a two-bedroomed, semi-detached house with gardens, which went for £125,000.

Halls said parcels of land were again in demand as 8.78 acres of grassland at Ercall Heath, Childs Ercall, sold for £80,000; 6.86 acres of amenity land at Mill Meadow, Weston Rhyn, near Oswestry made £70,000, and a 0.33-acre paddock at Brynffynon, Sarnau, near Llanymynech sold for £38,000.

Jon Quinn, Halls’ managing director, said: “The last couple of years have marked one of the most successful periods in the long history of Halls’ property auctions. As instructions have increased, so too has our ability to match motivated sellers with serious buyers, resulting in more lots being sold than at any point in recent memory.

 “Our collective property auctions have set a new benchmark, regularly delivering sale rates in excess of 90 per cent and proving to be one of the most effective routes to market for a wide variety of residential, commercial and land opportunities.

“Friday’s auction once again demonstrated this strength, with 17 of the 19 lots sold - a clear sign of both market confidence and the effectiveness of the Halls approach. This sustained success reflects not only the expertise of our team but the trust our clients continue to place in us.

 “With momentum firmly behind us, we are excited to build on this performance as we head into 2026.”

 The next collective property and land auction is on Friday, February 27. Owners interested in entering properties or land are asked to contact Halls on 01691 622602.