Owning an entire village seems like a scenario that only plays out on television, with shows like Schitt’s Creek or Downton Abbey. But that fantasy is now reality — West Heslerton, a quaint village in North Yorkshire, England, can be yours for the sum of £20 million, or roughly $28.2 million.
The purchase of the village will include more than 2,000 acres of agricultural land and a 112 acre woodlot. There’s also a primary school, playing field with pavilion, gas station, church and a pub called The Dawnay Arms. All 43 of West Heslerton’s houses are rental properties, which will earn its future owner around £388,000 annually.
For those looking for the real Lord and Lady Grantham experience, a 21-bedroom historic mansion is yours for the taking. West Heslerton Hall, as it is known, has a grey stone façade and expansive gardens, although it has not been occupied in three decades and is in need of renovations.
The village was formerly owned by Eve Dawnay, who died in 2010 at the age of 84. The Oxford-educated proprietor inherited the estate from her father in 1964, but West Heslerton has been owned by the family for 150 years. Dawnay kept rents low for the villagers, which helped the close-knit community of 375 to thrive.
Dawnay, who was never married and had no children, did not leave the estate to a single heir. It was divided among a number of beneficiaries, who enlisted Cundalls, an estate and letting agency, for the sale.
“It would be perfect for somebody wanting to build up and leave a legacy,” said Tom Watson, a director of Cundalls, in an interview with The Yorkshire Post. “The estate has been very much untouched in the past 50 years and is now a blank canvas ready to be shaped for the next generation.”
Sold on the idea of owning the entire village? Check out more listing photos of West Heslerton below.
