In July 1912 Sir Walter Carlile instructed Brown & Company to sell the Stoke Goldington portion of the Gayhurst estate. The sale took place at The Swan Hotel Newport Pagnell on the 2nd July.
The report of the sale appeared in the local newspaper, (Bucks Standard – Friday July 5th 1912) as follows:-
Important Property Sale at Newport Pagnell.
Keen competition for Stoke Goldington land.
A large company of agriculturists and others gathered at the Swan Hotel, Newport Pagnell, on Tuesday afternoon, July 2, the occasion being the disposal by public auction of the Stoke Goldington portion of the Gayhurst estate.
The property, divided into 21 lots, comprised the greater portion of the parish of Stoke Goldington. Its special features being its compactness and its corn-growing qualities.
In all no less than 1,240 acres were brought under the hammer, including some highly valuable freehold agricultural land in a splendid state of cultivation, farmhouses, sporting preserves, woodland, and also several cottages and small enclosures of land.
The sale was undoubtedly the most important that has been held in North Bucks for some years past, and in submitting this valuable portion of his estate, to public competition, Mr. Walter Carlile showed some:
‘”Consideration for the present tenants, in that the reserve price was put at a figure which would enable them, if they so desired, to become their own landlords.”
Mr. F. Brown (Messrs. W. Brown and Co., Tring and Aylesbury) wielded the hammer, and at the outset mentioned that the sale was called quite freely by Mr. Carlile, and of his own accord.
He strongly advised the tenants to embrace the opportunity of becoming owners of their land. The terms were quite liberal and the prices fixed were such as would stop no one from purchasing. He advised them not to let the opportunity they now had slide, because their position as owners would be quite as good as it was under a landlord.
Agriculture, Mr. Brown proceeded, was in a much better position to-day than it was some years ago. They would never see the low prices of the old days again. This was essentially a corn growing district, and no one would say they would go back to the time when wheat made no more than 20s. or 22s. a quarter. They had got to a higher level, and the prices were likely to keep high for a long time to come. From the consumer’s point of view that must be detrimental. As regards stock, taking things all round stock was never dearer than at the present time. So if they viewed agriculture from all its aspects they could look forward with confidence to the future.
There was keen competition for several of the lots.
Eakley-Lane Farm, with farmhouse, outbuildings, and 82 acres of land, let to Mr. Chas. Clarke at £50 per annum, was sold for £1,225 to Mr. Barker, of Northampton.
Jarvis Wood, described as valuable woodland, adjoining Eakley-Lane farm, and containing 20 acres, 3 roods, 15 poles, was put in at £300. The bidding was quickly taken to £620. at which figure it was knocked down to Mr. W. Peacock, who was understood to be acting for a client.
Church Farm, of 207 acres, 0 roods, 28 poles, with the well-built and convenient homestead and three yards let to Messrs. Nicholls at £185, and two cottages estimated to produce an additional £20;
Stoke Park Wood consisting of 167 acres of oak woodland and under wood with keeper’s cottage and luncheon room, were submitted in one lot. £5,000 was the first bid, and this was taken to £6,250 when Mr. Peacock was declared the buyer.
The next lot, 12.5 acres of land let out to the villagers in one rood allotment plots, was withdrawn at £190. An adjoining piece of land, let as allotments of about one acre each, and comprising 6 acres 3 roods 17 poles, was sold for £145: and a brick and thatched cottage with garden ground and let to Mr Thomas Lucas at an annual rent of £2.16s. went to Mr. Wesley of Stoke Goldington for £65.
Stoke Park Farm, described as a compact small holding of about 70 acres of arable and pasture land, with good set of farm buildings and a dwelling house, in the occupation of Mr. John Roddis, was productive of a single bid of £1,000, and at this price the lot went to Mr. T. Bawden, of Newport Pagnell, who was acting for a client.
The off-licensed beer house and blacksmith’s shop at the north end of the village, the former let at a rental of £13 and the latter at £2 16s. 4d. passed to Messrs. Hipwell and Co. Olney, for £240.
At £330 Mr. George Bull purchased the brick-built and thatched residence with buildings at the rear and a good garden and orchard, tenanted by himself at an annual rental of £15.
The George Inn Farm, Harley Farm, and East Town Farm were first submitted as one lot. The area of these farms is some 512 acres and the rent roll £523.
The farm houses and buildings and also an allotment field, three stone and thatched cottages, and two detached cottages were included in the lot.
The first bid was £7,000, and at £8,250 the auctioneer announced that the reserve price had not been reached, and he would offer the lots separately.
The George Inn Farm, Harley Farm, and allotment field. 300 acres 2 roods 5 poles, let to Messrs. Whiting Bros, at the rental of £268 7s. 6d, and five cottages produced an opening bid of £4,000, and subsequently the figure was taken to £4,750, but it was withdrawn.
East Town Farm of 209 acres, also let to Messrs. Whiting Bros, and two detached cottages and a piece of 1 garden ground, secured an offer of £3,500 but did not sell.
Two stone-built and thatched cottages opposite the White Lion Inn, producing a rental of £6 14s. 4d , were sold to Mr. Thomas Adams, a resident in the village, for £100.
The stone-built and thatched cottages, situate in the main street of the village and let to Joseph Whiting and Henry Botterill at £8 9s. per annum, realised £50.
A pair of cottages, let at £13 to Police-Constable Grace and John Allen, were withdrawn at £140.
A piece of land till recently worked as a brickyard, together with the buildings, a stone and thatched cottage and garden, producing a total rent of £16 14s. per annum, found a purchaser in Mr. Geo. Bull, the tenant of the brickyard, at £300 after a most keen competition.
At £195 a pasture field of just over five-acres, let to Mr. Geo. Bull at £10, was bought by Mr. Clarke.
Four stone and thatched cottages, rented at £13 8s. 8d. sold for £115, and a pair of brick and thatched cottages, rented at £9. 2s.0p, changed hands for £70.
The last lot, the pair of stone and tiled and slated cottages adjoining the village Reading Room, together with 24 poles of garden ground, was knocked down at £125.
Messrs Tippets, of London, were the solicitors concerned, and Mr Carlile was represented at the sale by his estate agent, Mr. H.N. Lea
Although the formal ownership of the village ended with this sale, the close links with the Carlile Family remained significant. For more details of this see under James W Carlile and Sir Walter Carlile
* Copies of the Estate Agents brochures for the 1852, 1882, and 1912 sales are held in the Stoke Goldington Archive