A Norfolk fishery and wildlife haven has been sold at auction for £260,000 after a bidding war broke out for the rare lot.

Fen Lakes Fishery in the rural village of Carleton Rode, near Attleborough, was among 159 lots in the auction held by auctioneers Clive Emson – which conducted the sale online because of coronavirus.

The fishery went under the gavel for £20,000 more than the guide price and the sale was live video streamed on the internet.

Because of the precautions over coronavirus, bidding could only be done remotely online, by proxy or telephone rather than having anyone in the saleroom.

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Senior auction appraiser Martin Hardy said: “This rare opportunity to acquire a 3.54 hectare (8.74-acre) county wildlife site comprising a fishery with planning consent for the addition of a dwelling and shop generated a lot of pre-sale interest which translated into good bidding.

“We are not aware of the purchaser’s intentions, but there is a great deal of potential here, with planning permission granted for a single building comprising a home, shop, store, offices and public toilets. There is also planning consent in place for coarse fishing lakes to be used for angling.”

The fishery, situated about five miles south-east of Attleborough, comprises four main lakes and a series of ponds connected by pathways. There are two entrances from the road that the land borders with – the main entrance accessing a clearing for parking and the area for the approved building of the dwelling and shop, for which work has already begun.

Owned by Bryn and Joanna Chetwynd, it is being sold due to personal reasons. The Chetwynds fought a major legal battle costing millions four years ago in the High Court against a neighbour claiming ponds had been dug out without permission and killed hundreds of their fish. Although they initially lost the case a year later the neighbour was ordered to fill in one of the lakes by South Norfolk Council.

The next Clive Emson auctions takes place in May.

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