West Heslerton: Entire £20m North Yorkshire village sold a year after it was put up for sale

An entire English village which was put on the market a year ago for £20 million has been sold.

West Heslerton in Yorkshire boasts its own 21-bedroom mansion, 43 houses and 2,116 acres of surrounding land. It also has a pub, sports pavilion and an eight acre playing field.

Its former owner Eve Dawnay inherited the village from her father in the 1960s and kept families living in the village for decades thanks to affordable rents and some clever social engineering.

But when the 84-year-old eccentric spinster died in 2010 she had no heir to pass it on to.

The manor house has 21 bedrooms. Credit: Cundalls
The manor house will need some restoration before it is habitable. Credit: Cundalls
The village has 43 let houses and cottages. Credit: Cundalls

Ms Dawnay had wanted the next owner to carry on her legacy of giving villagers cheap rent and supporting the local community.

Norfolk-based real estate and farming investment firm Albanwise Ltd said it had purchased the picturesque village for an 'undisclosed' fee.

Tom Watson, a director of Cundalls estate agency which handled the sale, said: "In many respects time has stood still in West Heslerton.

"There are now endless possibilities to convert buildings, develop plots and explore commercial opportunities."

The village comes with its own pub. Credit: Cundalls
Cundalls of Fir Tree Cottage. Credit: Cundalls

The estate had been dubbed "a blank canvas ready to be shaped for the next generation" following the death of Ms Dawnay.

The total annual rental and agricultural subsidy income of the farmland is around £388,000 but the property agents believe there is also room for further income growth without spoiling the character of the village.

An Albanwise LTD spokesperson said: "Albanwise Ltd is due to become the new owner of West Heslerton Estate and looks forward to incorporating this within our North Yorkshire Estate."