Crown sells off majority of Savernake Estate in Wiltshire
The majority of the Savernake estate in Wiltshire has been sold by the Crown to a private owner for an undisclosed sum.
The buyer of the 8,700 acre estate already has significant land holdings in the county, including the county's Ramsbury Estate.
The estate, which consists of mainly agricultural land, comes complete with 25 farmsteads and 31 homes.
Savernake, southwest of Marlborough, was originally bought by the Crown from the Marquess of Ailesbury in the 1950s.
According to a Crown spokesman, the estate's tenants were informed of the sale last week.
"It is important to note that under the terms of the sale, the rights of tenant farmers and residential tenants under their current tenancy agreements will be safeguarded," he said.
Only about 100 acres of Savernake has been retained by the Crown.
Ken Jones, director of the rural and coastal portfolio for the Crown, said the buyer was a "well-respected local landowner".
Steve Humphris, from the buyer's agent, from Countryside Solutionsm, said with local holdings it will "provide continuity of estate management".
He said: "This purchase compliments our client's established local land holdings and will provide continuity of estate management."
The Crown Estate is the largest commercial rural landowner in the country, by area.
Its 360,000 acre portfolio includes farmland, forestry, housing and minerals.
All net revenue made from the Crown Estate is paid to the Treasury.