West Heslerton village sale 'end of era' for residents
The sale of a North Yorkshire village has been described as an "end of an era" by its residents.
West Heslerton, near Malton, has gone on the market for a guide price of £20m after being owned by the same family for more than 150 years.
The village has a 21-bedroom mansion, pub, petrol station, playing fields, 43 homes and 2,116 acres of land.
Pub landlady Claire Marshall said: "We've had calls from all the press in the UK, America, Australia, all over.
"It's an end of an era for us, but hopefully we can find a decent landlord that will keep things the same, in the traditional manner that the estate has been run.
"We've been looked after well by the family."
Eve Dawnay owned the estate until her death five years ago, but the Dawnay family have now decided to sell up.
John Myers, who has been a West Heslerton resident all of his life, said: "I've lived in the same house here for 78 years.
"There's nothing you can do about it, as long as the owner who buys it are alright with me, I will be alright with them."
Costs of a home in West Heslerton
Figures from the Land Registry show other terrace houses and semi-detached properties have sold in the West Heslerton postcode for between £95,000 and £116,500, with the nine-bedroom Old Rectory last sold in 2011 for £700,000.
The Office for National Statistics puts the current average house price in Yorkshire and The Humber at £181,000, a rise of 3.9% in the past year.
The estate agents involved in the sale expect it to be on the market for between four and 12 weeks.
Tom Watson, of Cundalls, said: "The rents have always been a reasonably low level.
"Because rents are reasonable, that helps the village to have a good community of all ages."
It is estimated the annual income for the estate is £388,000.
Frank Bruce, who was born in the village, said: "It's beautiful. There are some things money can't buy, the views, the people, it's great. Not much has changed at all.
"As long as things continue more or less as it is, but who knows what will happen."