Property Focus: Historic building in Warwick that used to belong to the Earl of Warwick going to auction

A building that used to belong to the Earl of Warwick is just one of the lots going under the hammer at auction next month.

Number 2 St John’s in Warwick is one of a pair of cottages next to St John’s House, which has been in the Hill family for three generations.

Believed to date back to the 17th century, the Grade II listed three-bedroom home used to be part of the St John’s Estate and spent nearly 200 years in the ownership of the Earl of Warwick before being bought by the Hill family.

William Hill, the most recent owner, had been the head gardener at Warwick Castle. His family owned the Hill Close Gardens near the Racecourse and which are named after them.

With a guide price of £160,000, the property will be featured in the Sheldon Bosley Knight (SBK) sale at Stratford Town Hall on November 29.

SBK’s auctioneer Matt Burrows said: “This is a fantastic and very exciting lot.

"It represents a unique opportunity for the sympathetic redevelopment and restoration of this historic site which extends across two storeys and includes a sizeable garden at the back.

“Although in need of complete renovation and modernisation, and subject to the appropriate planning permission and listed building consent, it would make a lovely family home.”

Both 2 St John’s and number 4 next door have evolved over time and were once part of a tannery, connected with the supply of hides from the cattle market on the site of Weston Court and the flow of water in St John’s Brook, now under the museum garden.

The front elevation of the building is a late 18th century addition to the much older timber-framed structure.

For more information call 01789 867123.