Bare Land, Big Results: Three Small Sites Shine at Claridge’s
Palace Auctions London · Claridge’s, Mayfair · Wednesday 28 October 2026
Our October sale at Claridge’s took place in a cautious market, with many buyers taking their time and post-auction negotiations continuing this week. Three sales stand out, and they show what the right auction can achieve for land that many would write off: a former pumping station, a redundant water works and a parcel of bare land.
The results
| Lot | Site | Area | Price | Buyer’s total outlay* | Price per acre | Total outlay per acre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Former pump station, Hollins Lane, Hampsthwaite, Harrogate – sold in the room | c. 102.59 m² (0.025 acres) | £18,000 + VAT | £26,520 | c. £710,000 | c. £1,046,000 |
| 46 | Baron Fold former water pumping station, Waterfoot, Rossendale – sold prior | c. 90 m² (0.02 acres) | £12,000 + VAT | £19,320 | c. £540,000 | c. £869,000 |
| 64 | Land at White Rose Way, Doncaster – sold prior | c. 2.09 acres (8,463 m²) | £15,000 + VAT | £22,970 | c. £7,170 | c. £10,980 |
*Buyer’s total outlay is the price plus VAT at 20%, about £1,500 in legal fees and the auction fees paid to Palace Auctions (£3,420 on Lots 43 and 46, and £3,470 on Lot 64). Areas are approximate.
Why these figures matter
For context, the Knight Frank Farmland Index puts the average value of farmland in England and Wales at about £8,497 an acre (second quarter of 2026). Measured by what each buyer actually committed:
- Lot 43, Hampsthwaite – a former pumping station site of just over 100 m² with a utility use and no residential consent – sold at a rate equivalent to more than £1 million an acre, well over 100 times the farmland average.
- Lot 46, Baron Fold – a redundant water pumping station on a site of about 90 m² – achieved the equivalent of nearly £870,000 an acre, about 100 times the farmland average.
- Lot 64, White Rose Way – about two acres of land with no planning permission and a possible nature conservation interest – achieved the equivalent of nearly £11,000 an acre, around a third above the farmland average.
None of these sites had planning permission. All three are small, awkward or redundant: the kind of land that rarely suits a high street agent or a private sale. Each buyer paid VAT on the price and met the legal and auction costs on top, and still chose to commit.
Why it works at Palace Auctions
Small sites sell when the right buyers see them. Our auctions bring together local investors, builders, neighbours, land traders and international buyers, in the room at Claridge’s, online, by telephone and by proxy. Every lot has a full legal pack, clear special conditions and its own marketing. Buyers know exactly what they are buying and what it will cost, so they bid with confidence.
That is why sellers of former utility sites, garages, amenity land and other redundant plots come to Palace Auctions. Our job is to turn land with no obvious use into a competitive sale, and on 28 October we did exactly that.
Lots still available
Several lots from the October sale remain available, and we are already in discussions with bidders and interested parties. If you missed out on the day, please contact the auction team now.
Selling small sites or bare land?
Our next auction is on Monday 14 December 2026 at Claridge’s. Entries are now open. For a free, confidential appraisal of your site, please contact:
Palace Auctions London
11 Old Bond Street, Mayfair, London W1S 4PN
T 020 7101 3647 · M 07971 033276 · sales@palaceauctions.com
palaceauctions.com
Per-acre figures are equivalents, calculated by dividing the price, or the buyer’s total outlay, by the approximate site area. They are given for comparison only and are not valuations. Small sites naturally show higher figures per acre than farmland. Past results do not guarantee future prices.