A 14-acre area of ancient deciduous woodland at Maltby, near Rotherham, has been put up for sale by auction with a £45,000 guide price. The woods, which are abundant in native tree species and a diversity of other plants, will feature in the next online auction to be held by Sheffield auction house Mark Jenkinson, part of Eddisons, on 4 December.
Auctioneers say that while the woods could be suitable for a variety of uses, including woodland management activities or biodiversity offset schemes, redevelopment of the land is unlikely.
“The woods at Maltby are a really richly biodiverse, large area of land with trees like ash, oak, wych elm, birch and wild cherry all well-established,” said Adrian Little, director at auction house Mark Jenkinson.
“Ancient woodland such as this does not come up for sale very often so for an investor interested in sustainability and environmental projects such as biodiversity offsets, which regulate developments’ environmental impact by compensating biodiversity loss elsewhere, this is something of a unique opportunity.”
He added: “Any prospective buyers should contact both Rotherham Council and Forestry England to discuss the feasibility of their plans for the woodland.”
The woods, off Grange Lane in Maltby, are accessible from a number of different points. The town of Maltby is also a visitor attraction for people who come to see its 12th century Roche Abbey. It is six miles from Rotherham and 10 from Sheffield.
