Historic village school buildings near Crewe go up for auction

The Victorian former ‘British School’ and its original headmaster’s house on a 0.3 acre site in the village of Buerton near Crewe are to be auctioned this month. The historic red-brick buildings, constructed by an educational charity in 1871 to provide access to schooling for poorer children, will appear in the next live-streamed sale to be held by SDL Property Auctions, part of Eddisons, on 22 August, with a guide price of £350,000.

The 2,000 sq ft former school building, which continued to be used as a school until the early 2000s, was extended in the 1990s to create an additional classroom and toilets. Auctioneers say the property, which still retains many of its original architectural and decorative features, could be used for retail, office, or alterative commercial uses, subject to a buyer gaining the necessary planning consent.

The auction lot also includes a three-bedroom house originally built as accommodation for the school’s headmaster.

Andrew Parker, auctioneer and managing director at SDL Property Auctions, said: “These are really unusual buildings for their size, location and rich history and it would be wonderful to see them become an asset to the community once again in the hands of an imaginative buyer.”

He added: “The buildings were given planning consent in 2011 for change of use to ‘mixed use’ and retail and, with redevelopment, we think they could also potentially work well as offices, a health or medical centre, or perhaps as a day nursery.”

Buerton is a sought-after and picturesque village, 11 miles from Crewe, surrounded by open countryside.

For more information about the former British School, or to register to bid remotely online, on the phone or by proxy, go to sdlauctions.co.uk. The auction will be live streamed online on 22 August with bidder registration closing on 21 August.