Symonds & Sampson finished the first half of the year in style with a complete sell out at their 29 July sale in Sherborne and auctioneer Mark Lewis selling his 2000th lot ‘under the hammer’.

Mark, Head of Agency at Symonds & Sampson said “We thought that we were going to have a good day when we saw the number of legal packs downloaded from our website and the record number of proxy bids received from people who could not be at the sale. It ends a very good auction month with over £3million worth of auction lots falling under the gavel.

The lots included paddocks at Leigh near Sherborne and Stembridge near Martock, Somerset selling for up to £12,800 acre showing that there is still plenty of interest in farmland throughout the region.

A development site in Marnhull, North Dorset with very good views and planning permission for 3 dwellings sold for £335,000 whilst a flat in Poole High Street was popular at £80,000. A thatched cottage at Bloxworth near Wareham sold for £325,000.

The day before we were involved in the auction of a trout farm near Honiton at £260,000 and Bridle Farm near Wincanton a Grade II Listed farmhouse in need of renovation with 50 acres sold prior to auction.

Mark Lewis will however never forget his 2000th auction lot as it was one of the most sought after lots for many months. A flat in Queen Street Weymouth in need of complete renovation attracted 5 proxy bids and 3 telephone bids as well as 6 people bidding in the room. The guide of £40,000 was easily exceeded and after frenetic activity (34 bids) the hammer fell at £85,000.