10th August 2020
Unique WW2 Control tower is ripe for a Grand Design
If you’re looking for a unique property for a Grand Designs-style conversion, then a former RAF control tower near Newark could be the answer.
Control Tower Farm, North Scarle Road in Wigsley is a three-storey property in large grounds in the heart of the Nottinghamshire countryside, being sold by SDL Auctions this month with full planning permission for conversion to a home and a *guide price of £240,000+.
Commissioned by Winston Churchill and opened in 1942 as a satellite for RAF Swinderby, the control tower and airfield played a vital role in training bomber crews and were used for ‘circuits and bumps’ training up until April 1958. The site was sold off by the Ministry of Defence in 1960.
The unusual building is believed to be the only three-storey control tower within the RAF and auctioneers say it offers a great opportunity for an ambitious developer as full planning permission was granted in May 2019 to renovate and convert the building into a private dwelling.
Nottingham valuer Laura Wiles said: “The potential in this property is staggering. I have seen conversions of other control towers around the country which are truly spectacular and command extremely high prices. We’re looking for a buyer with the vision to create a one-of-a-kind home in a beautiful rural location and are sure there are plenty of people who are keen to seize such a wonderful opportunity.”
The plans allow for an ‘upside-down house’, with a hobbies room, utility room, cloakroom, storage and garage on the ground floor and four bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor, with access to a lower roof garden. The top floor features a substantial living room and large dining kitchen with a second roof terrace/garden and a steel-framed walkway around the building to maximise the far-reaching views across the surrounding countryside.
The property sits on a plot of around 10,000 square metres (around 1 hectare) with easy access by car to the nearby village of Collingham, which has a range of amenities including pubs, shops and takeaways. Supermarkets, including Waitrose, can be found at Newark and Lincoln. Transport links are excellent, with the A1 and the mainline Newark Northgate Railway Station within a 20-minute drive away.
Control Tower Farm is due to be sold by SDL Auctions, the UK’s most successful live-streamed auctioneer, in its national property auction, which will be broadcast from its head office studio on Thursday 27th August. Since the start of lockdown, SDL Auctions has raised more than £75 million for sellers via its national property auctions and daily single-lot online auctions.
For more information about this property, or to find out more about selling your own property with SDL Auctions, please click here or call the team on 0115 958 8702.