Crook and Bishop Auckland-based Broadley & Coulson Chartered Surveyors has sold Greenwell Farm in Lanchester, as well as its prestigious Limousin cattle – one of the UK's best herds.
The sale of the farm, which sold above its guide price, was coordinated by David Coulson, senior partner at Broadley & Coulson. David has worked with the farm owners, the Nattress family, since leaving school in 1973.
The Nattress family farmed the land since 1966, with John Nattress first going to live and work on the farm when he was 18, before taking over a tenancy granted by the Greenwell family.
Significant changes were experienced at Greenwell Farm when the National Coal Board used part of the land for the Ragpathside Opencast site, and British Gas laid a gas main across the land. After the land was restored and returned to farming, the family farm expanded with purchase of further adjoining land.
Some adjacent land was purchased at Ragpathside and at Biggen near Quebec. The family was also eventually given the opportunity to purchase Greenwell Farm from the landlord. At one time, they purchased Click-em-inn Farm and turned their hands to arable farming, but Broadley & Coulson later sold off this farm to allow the family to concentrate on the management of top quality livestock farming.
Along with son Ian, the Nattress family changed their original farming system in 1979 from Dairy Cattle with the purchase of two calf Limousin heifers and a French bred cow with bull calf at foot. The calf was sold in Carlisle in October 1980 for 2,500 guineas and after that the Pedigree Greenwell Limousin herd was formed initially using AI and later purchased stock bulls.
The herd developed into one of the best in the country, selling bulls to leading breeders throughout the UK including Greenwell Major (15,000 guineas) and Greenwell Manager (9,000 guineas) in October 1997, Greenwell Ronick (18,000 guineas) in May 2002, Greenwell Caspian (12,000 guineas) in February 2009 and Greenwell Dreamboy (27,000 guineas) in October 2009.
David recalls meeting Ian at Newcastle airport while waiting for his luggage, after Ian had returned from travelling to Limousin in France to individually select his pedigree bulls. In the spring of 2010, 10 daughters of stock bull, Vagabond were sold in Carlisle and won Female Champion and Reserve Female Champion, which had never been achieved by any breeder.
Following the retirement of John and Jean Nattress, a dispersal sale of the Greenwell Herd took place on Friday 20th August 2010 at Borderway Mart, Carlisle. The herd was auctioned by David Thomlinson of Harrison & Hetherington in conjunction with land agent and auctioneer David Coulson of Broadley & Coulson Chartered Surveyors.
The herd, comprising 98 lots, sold well with top prices achieved for Ulna (born 2003) a French bred cow with heifer calf Greenwell Fashion (born June 2010) at foot 12,000 guineas and Greenwell Amy (born 2005) with her bull calf Greenwell Fieldmaster (born May 2010) at foot selling for 23,000 guineas. The renowned stock bull Vagabond, who has been a tremendous influence on the quality of the herd, sold for 8,800 guineas while the other stock bull, Casimir sold for 10,500 guineas.
David says: "I am very proud to have been asked to act for the Nattress family and coordinate the sale of their 227 acre farm, livestock dispersal and farm machinery auction sale.
"It was especially a privilege to be associated with the sale of a herd of this quality, and it was good to work in association with David Thomlinson of Harrison & Hetherington - who is a well respected auctioneer and a true professional."
Broadley & Coulson will be holding the machinery dispersal sale at Greenwell Farm Lanchester on 14th September in conjunction with Harrison & Hetherington.
David finishes: "The quality of the implements for sale is one of the best this area has seen for many years.
"Tractors and implements have been maintained in top condition by the family and this reflected in the successful sale of the farm and land, which was farmed to a very high standard making it probably one of the most productive in the area."
To view the sale catalogue and for more information on Broadley & Coulson, please visit www.broadleyandcoulson.co.uk.
ENDS
CONTACT
DAVID. W. COULSON
BROADLEY & COULSON CHARTERED SURVEYORS
5 SOUTH STREET, CROOK, CO. DURHAM. DL15 8NE.
T. 01388 766676
M 077796203371
E dwcoulson@btconnect.com
