If you would like us to make an introduction please simply email the Bulletin: Click Here and we shall do the honours.

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Television Project ?

Amilaird, Near Fenwick, East Ayrshire, KA3 6JG

Copyright Space Six Architects Ltd

In the last edition of Unique Property Bulletin we had the television production company True North seeking candidate properties for their programme Homes By The Sea. We also have researchers from George Clarke’s established and popular television series Amazing Spaces with a virtual standing order for unique property referrals. This edition of the Bulletin we are lucky enough to have been contacted by Escape To The Country looking for unique property for future filming.

So it is with some excitement that we revisit a genuinely unique property. It failed to sell at auction a short while ago:-

Old Online Details – Failed To Sell That Time Around

Guide: £55,000

With this property we have an amazing candidate that would suit the format of at least two of these television series.

Just imagine actually living in this incredible house?

If you would like to buy this property for owner occupation, or even as an investment property, please feel free to get in touch with us directly:-

Click Here To Make Contact

Property Summary: A corner site with an existing concrete water tank which occupies roughly a third of the property. The tank is circular and extends to approximately 460 square metres, with a domed roof and internal volume of approximately 2.5 million litres. The tank is largely below ground. The site is surrounded by a post and wire fence around two metres in height with pedestrian access gates. The ground that is not occupied by the tank is mostly of grass. Planning permission has been granted for an extremely interesting two storey house essentially built within the tank. The design will results in a spacious house over two floors. On the lower ground floor there are five double bedrooms all en-suite together with a lounge. The upper floor is largely open plan with a living room, kitchen, dining room and w.c.

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Engine House Prince?

The Engine House, Prince Of Wales & Trewarmett Quarries, Trewarmett, Tintagel, Cornwall. PL34 0HH

Located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is this expanse of amenity land extending to approximately 45.33 acres.

The site, which is situated in a pleasant position within Trebarwith Valley, enjoys a feature waterfall and refurbished and preserved Woolf Engine House. This particular engine house, which would have hauled slate as well as pumping water away, is the only one preserved in North Cornwall and dates back to c1870, having been worked for approximately 20 years.

Guide: £40,000.

Click Here For Online Brochure

Contact – Clive Emson Auctions Tel: 01392 366555 – Katie Semmens or Scott Gray

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London Calling

Don’t Worry It’s Capital

London (c) Christine Matthews

Just in case you are a new reader of Unique Property Bulletin, we need to ensure everyone knows we endeavour to cover the whole of the United Kingdom, and all price ranges.

Recently we have been having a problem with London listings. During the week prior to publication when we are researching and assembling a Bulletin, we have been finding that within a day or two of going live online, that many unique buildings situated within the London M25 Orbital Road become sold very quickly.

So we are looking into putting together an edition soon that has “hidden” properties in the Capital that the rich waters of property buyers may not, currently, be on top of. So hopefully London will have soon have a boost in the Bulletin.

If you are searching to buy a Capital property, we aim to have several unique candidate buildings for you to look at. Just keep an eye on future editions of the Unique Property Bulletin. Better still, ensure you receive an EMAIL REMINDER ALERT so you don’t miss another Bulletin. Just complete the “Alerts & Membership” Subscriber Box to the side of this page. If you are accessing here via a mobile phone or tablet device, the box may appear at the foot of this page.

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The Gadget Man TV HQ

The Limeworks, Faversham Road, Kent, ME13 0SE　

In this edition of the Unique Property Bulletin we seem to have a fair few television connections. So in line with a theme, here is another one. This is a spectacular renovation. Just study the “before” and “after” photographs. You may have seen this building if you watch…

The Gadget Man

…television series, as it is used as a sort of headquarters. We featured this genuinely amazing property conversion a year or so ago at £3,750,000. It then came down to £2,950,000. Further reductions followed to £2,000,000 by November 2014. After this recent auction entry…

Click Here For Limeworks Guide Listing At £1,500,000

…the price is well worth keeping an eye on. CONTRARY to the “Property Removed” advisory on the above weblink – at £1,500,000 – THIS WONDERFUL BUILDING IS IS STILL FOR SALE. Sadly we draw readers’ attention tothe auction wording: “by order of the asset managers”. It is reasonably clear where the price is headed, and Bulletin readers may secure one of the most fabulous conversions we have seen for a decade.

“Before” Renovation: The Limeworks, Faversham Road, Kent, ME13 0SE

Copyright: The War & Peace Collection　

The property pictured above is the Limeworks at Faversham. As indicated it has recently appeared as a backdrop for the television programme The Gadget Man. We featured this property a while back…

Unique Property Bulletin – Earlier Review of The Limeworks

Previously it proved to be a firm favourite with many of our readers. Indeed we sent some up to view who were on the lookout for this sort of exceptional property. But no sale yet. So we are happy to keep Bulletin readers updated. Especially the steady stream of new readers who may have missed this off of their radar.

Current Guide has been reduced from the original £3,750,000 figure to:-

Guide : £2,000,000 – Possibly More Haggle Room For Manoeuvre

Further Details….

The Limeworks Conversion – Online Brochure – Click Here

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Now From The Movies

Whisky Galore

For Sale: Heathbank Hotel, Northbay, Isle of Barra, HS9 5YQ

If you thought we were going for a record with the unique property television this week, we also have a gem of a movie building. The classic film Whisky Galore has the hotel on the the Island of Barra up for sale [Barra stood in for the Islands of Great Todday and Little Todday]. The Barra Isles Heathbank Hotel played host to the cast and crew and featured during the making of the iconic Whisky Galore film has just come onto the property for sale market.

For those readers who are younger than 108 years old and can’t quite remember the first night premiere of the Whisky Galore film, we have a review…

 

Try Before You Buy

The property included within the try-before-you-buy section of the Unique Property Bulletin – is NOT for sale. Our endeavour is to provide a sample, and actual experience of what it would be like to live in any particular genre of unusual abode. This specific listing is for a short-stay break. Our offering for this edition is:-

Windmill Holiday　

The Windmill Bed & Breakfast, Mill St, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO11 1SZ.

Photo Copyright Nicholas Mutton

For all readers who have a soft spot for life lived in a windmill, here is an opportunity to take a few days in round rooms to soak up the ambience of staying under sails, albeit dry land sails.

Price: From £165 for 2 Days – Ratecard: Click Here

Other Details:-

Please Click Here

Contact: Tel 01723 372735

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Unique Property Bulletin Main Article

This Edition’s Feature

Beacons & Bunkers

Point Lynas Lighthouse Compound

One of the nicest things helping with the Bulletin is the many emails that come in. In the past couple of weeks we have had a significant number relating to UKWMO Underground Bunkers. Mostly from prospective buyers, but also from separate owners of two bunker wishing to sell. So we are delighted to exclusively feature these – plus other UKWMO Bunkers for sale [and sold/for review]. For some strange reason these bunkers are extremely popular. Combined with a continually growing list of folk on our UKWMO SALE ALERT system looking to buy. Last year we sold two of these rare bunkers. For whatever reason Unique Property Bulletin is becoming a rendezvous point for people searching the internet and looking to buy or sell these sorts of bunkers. You just need to Google the words “UKWMO Bunker” and the Bulletin frequently hits the top spots on the FIRST page of returned results via the internet. So by popular demand, this edition’s feature was to be about Bunkers. However, we also receive a lot of [very welcome] emails about lighthouse homes too. A close second to bunkers.

Point Lynas Lighthouse (c) Talsarnau Time

So we decided to match the two up and feature: Beacons & Bunkers. The essence seems to sit on the page neatly. The contrast between literal high lights and low places counterpoints well. So this edition we have a sandwich article. Seven UKWMO Nuclear Bunker reviews in the middle, with a lighthouse at the top and bottom. Now we start.

Point Lynas Lighthouse Compound at Llaneilian consists of several individual former lighthouse keepers’ homes.

Click Here For Point Lynas Lighthouse Compound Details

The compound has been for sale as a whole at a guide of £1,375,000 for well over a year. Whilst we have completed sales of several other lighthouse buildings in the same timespan, helping the agency that is endeavouring to sell Point Lynas has been unusual, though not unprecedented. It is the size and nature of the property that is hindering a sale. We have encountered this problem before. Point Lynas Lighthouse Compound has several buildings in it. Therefore is classified as a “commercial property” for mortgage purposes. So unless you have deep cash buyer pockets – rare in the current finanicial climate – then a set of buildings can “stick” and remain unsold. Million pound cash buyers are not that frequent. Most buyers need a mortgage. Since the banking crisis, and indeed before, commercial finance is often a difficult thing to arrange. Frequently requiring substantial deposits of 30% to 40% and more. This further restricts the number of people who could consider buying Point Lynas.

However, from experience – we hadn’t realised until this article the Bulletin has choreographed as many as seven multiple-property projects – it often makes the seemingly impossible possible if you approach such a challenge with lateral thinking. What we have managed before, is split of title. Where the individual buildings can be distilled from the “head” title to smaller lots, and then available to be bought by a person for their use as a home. Thereby enabling a much more manageable mortgage size and loan-to-value/deposit 10% to 20% of a more affordable £375,000 for a single lighthouse property. Especially if bought with a deposit-assist package that can further reduce deposits to around the 5% mark. We know that land title-splitting and distillation works as it has enabled ourselves and friends to secure what might otherwise be an impossible dream. The Strathy Point Lighthouse Compound adventure being just one such exact example that came to fruition…

　 Strathy Point Lighthouse Compound (c) Russ McLean

In terms of the Point Lynas Lighthouse Compound, what such an approach means is instead of finding a massive £500,000 deposit to buy a £1,375,000 commercial compound of several buildings, a level where there is a rarefied number of buyers, if we follow the established “title distillation” protocol and separate each individual lighthouse building, the entry level becomes around £375,000 in total. Residential mortgage deposit circa £18,750 = 5% for a single residence at Point Lynas! Instead of deposit around £500,000 on a £1,3750,000 overall purchase of the whole compound. This makes for a more positive proposition which many, many more folk are be able to consider.

We communicated this to the owners of Point Lynas Lighthouse Compound and they are game on to explore such an initiative of splitting the compound into single Land Registry title units to enable residential dwelling sales.

The reason for including this lighthouse compound here and now, is we have had a couple who would like to retire to Point Lynas and buy ONE of these lighthouse buildings. So we are looking for like minded folk who would wish to consider buying a single building from the remaining ones on offer at Point Lynas? If this spectacular setting on an island lighthouse [and topically, Jeremy Clarkson off of Top Gear has a lighthouse home on the Isle of Man, so there is a demand from all sorts of folk], then please feel free to get in touch with us and we will see if it is possible to present the owner with an acceptable way to achieve a sale. Our sister website Lighthouses For Sale email is via this link: Click Here.

Also, the writer of this is a little bias. Not just for lighthouses, but many a childhood holiday was spent on the Island of Anglesey also known as Ynys Môn. From crossing the marvel of Telford’s Menai Straits Bridge…

Telford’s Menai Straits Bridge To Anglesey Island (c) Ian Capper

To exploring Anglesey’s unique places such as the evocative and visually magnificent Beaumaris Castle. As a kid, castles were [and still are] a great place to investigate…

Beaumaris Castle (c) Stephen Elwyn Roddick

Perhaps give Point Lynas Lighthouse at Llaneilian on the Isle of Anglesey a thought? It could be the start of an adventure for you too. Next:-

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UKWMO Bunkers.

This edition we feature SEVEN of these underground former nuclear bunker structures. Four actively for sale, and three for reference and photographic illustration. Out of a UK wide total of around 1,500 there are several that have been well maintained and continue to be maintained for private recreation and use.

PLEASE NOTE: Whilst the UKWMO Bunkers we list and have previously featured are generally well maintained, there are some bunkers that have been left in a deteriorating state. PLEASE be careful when going anywhere near an UKWMO Bunker. Please ensure you have the owner’s permission to go anywhere near any of these bunkers. Also it is a very good idea for you to have a friend go along with you and REMAIN above ground in case you get stuck below in an untested environment, and maybe get stuck in the bowels of the earth!

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The first bunker is the most recent to be listed with Unique Property Bulletin. We are happy to report that it is in good condition:-

UKWMO Brundall Norfolk

For Sale:

Guide £18,000

　

　Going Down !

UKWMO Brundall East of Cuckoo Lane, Brundall, Norwich, Norfolk [Nearby NR13 4JA]

Further Details: Click Here – UKWMO Brundall, Norfolk

Steve Scanlon has an excellent and very informative website to help anyone who would like further information on these underground places and the reasons they were built:-

Click Here For UKWMO History

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The next underground bunker we have for sale exclusively at Unique Property Bulletin is:-

UKWMO Ashwell Hertfordshire

For Sale:

Guide: Offers Invited Over £20,000

 

Wow That Was Quick – NOW SOLD

We have just heard that a couple saw UKWMO Ashwell on Unique Property Bulletin, and after emailing us for an introduction, drove up to meet the owners and view this former nuclear bunker. The owners advise that as a result of receiving an acceptable offer from the couple, UKWMO Ashwell is now SOLD. We need to respect the honour with which the owners wish to proceed on an exclusive basis with the current buyers. However, we know from experience elsewhere that sales do sometimes hit the rocks. So if you are interested in UKWMO Ashwell, and would like us to keep you updated if it comes back up for sale. Just email us and we will put you onto our special UKWMO Ashwell Email ALERT list – Click Here.

UKWMO Bunker, Ashwell, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 5RA.

Further Details: Click Here – UKWMO Ashwell, Hertfordshire

The owner of UKWMO Ashwell has had many years of family fun with this bunker. Going on camping trips with tent above ground, and lots to explore in this genuinely unique place below. The kids have now grown up, hence the sale. But what a nice way to spend weekends camping. With that extra special element to explore. Especially if it gets wet and cold up top in the tent, Dad sorts out electricity, warmth and television for the den beneath! When you think about this weekend holiday setup it is either comparable, or cheaper than a caravan. Certainly a lot more interesting!

The owner of UKWMO Ashwell has been kind enough to let us have the original MoD Estates Information Pack from 1992 [ Click Here ].

Due to copyright reasons, you will need to obtain a PASSWORD to access this webpage. Just email us via:-

PASSWORD – Click Here

…and we should have the password back to you asap, and usually within 2 to 24 hours.

Further information about UKWMO Ashwell from a favourite website:-

Click Here For SubBrit Website UKWMO Ashwell Page

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UKWMO Hoo

For Auction – Guide: £15,000*

Land & Former Nuclear Bunker, Peninsula Way (A228), Hoo, Rochester, Kent, ME3 8QD

*Guide: £15,000. Auction guides are often lower than the end result. From experience, we would be very surprised if this UKWMO Bunker at Hoo went for less than £15,000, and if you do bid, perhaps have a margin available at a ballpark of £20,000 so you won’t be disappointed. Also, please be aware, this particular UKWMO Bunker is not in the most pristine of conditions, so PLEASE exercise caution if you venture down the verticle ladder. Do NOT visit this site on your own. Ensure there is someone on the surface to call for help if needs be.

Further Details: Click Here For UKWMO Hoo, Rochester

Also please remember that as this UKWMO Bunker is being sold at auction, it is a good idea, if you happen upon this webpage after the auction, to study whether it actually sold.

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Next: This UKWMO Bunker is being sold by Savills at what may appear to be an eye watering £75,000. There is an extra field included, but the current ballpark for what we have seen UKWMO Bunkers go for is between £16,000 and £26,000. Though the first time we bid for one ourselves in 1993 was around £6,000, so they do appreciate in value over the years. Maybe £75,000 is a feasible price. We leave it up to your own reckoning:-

UKWMO Burton Joyce

Guide: £75,000

UKWMO Burton Joyce, Off Bridle Road, Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire, NG14 5FQ

The price of around £75,000. Also includes approximately 6.535 acres of bare arable land.

Details: Click Here: UKWMO Burton Joyce Nottinghamshire

Further information about UKWMO Ashwell from a favourite website:-

Click Here For SubBrit UKWMO Burton Joyce Webpage

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Three final UKWMO Bunkers we include are for reference – all having been sold. We retain the details on our Unique Property Bulletin pages for folk to study, and also to give an idea of ballpark price figures. With regards to UKWMO Ticehurst, we understand the sale figure was somewhat in excess of the lower figure being sought. Though to find the definitive figure, you will need to follow the advice given within the Unique Property Manual　

UKWMO Machynlleth

Guide: £18,000

FOR SALE

　

ROC UKWMO Post, Gasworks Lane Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8BY

Archived Details: Click Here – UKWMO Machynlleth

Further information about UKWMO Machynlleth from a favourite website:-

Click Here For SubBrit UKWMO Machynlleth Webpage

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UKWMO Ticehurst

Guide: £14,995- £24,795 – SOLD

　

UKWMO Ticehurst Bunker, Stonegate, Wadhurst, East Sussex, TN5 7DT.

Archived Details: Click Here UKWMO Ticehurst

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Plus, again for reference, a bunker recently sold by our homeland Arran Estate Agents…

UKWMO Kildonan, Arran

Guide: £25,000 – Under Offer

　

ROC UKWMO Nuclear Bunker Kildonan, Isle Of Arran, KA27 8RW

Archived Details: Click Here For UKWMO Kildonan Arran

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Hopefully, the above selection provides the information that so many of our readers have been emailing into us about. If we can be of any further help, please feel free to contact us: Click Here.

For readers who don’t yet know what UKWMO means, or the purpose of these underground bunkers, here is a short summary: UKWMO stands for the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation. A British organisation operated by the Royal Observer Corps [ROC] between 1957 and 1992 to provide UK military and civilian authorities, in the event of war, with data about nuclear explosions and fallout profiles via a network of approximately 1,500 underground bunkers across the entire United Kingdom. The ROC was administered by the Ministry of Defence but mainly funded by the Home Office. The peak of use and alert was during the Cold War and also the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

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If you fancy looking at the “Big Brother” of the regular UKWMO posts – and possibly buying one – we have featured these larger Sector HQ structures, then please visit our friends over at the 28 Days Later website for some excellent photographs of a restored Sector HQ…

Click Here For 28 Days Later Webiste Regional HQ Photos and History

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Moving onto our last unique property featured in this Bulletin – back to the beacon variety: Strathy Point Lighthouse Bothy – formerly the Occasional Keepers Dwelling. This has had a significant refurbishment, and a very nice picture patio window installed. The Bothy has a guide of £45,000 and is decent value for money. Just look at the seaview out of your patio doors in this interior photograph…

Strathy Point Lighthouse Bothy

Though a number of enquirers have mentioned the fact that Strathy Lighthouse Bothy has limited accommodation. Interestingly we have just been advised that the immediate next door neighbours have indicated they would consider selling one of their spare bedrooms. Subject to planning permission and building warrant, it would be eminently possible to brick up their old bedroom doorway, and open up a new bedroom doorway to The Bothy. Thereby giving it a significant extra room. The cost? We are guided at around £15,000 for an extra bedroom to join The Bothy. So for a total of around £45,000 + £15,000 = £60,000 plus a modest budget for building works you could have a very nice home in one of the most amazing places in the country.

Food for thought?

That concludes this edition’s Beacons & Bunkers feature. Hopefully you have found it illuminating as well as having some depth 🙂

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