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Guide Price£500,000

East Orchard, Shaftesbury

Land size
2 acres

Key Features

  • Approx. 2 acres in total, adjoining open countryside
  • Approved consent for three dwellings
  • Peaceful location on the edge of the hamlet
  • Rural yet accessible location close to Shaftesbury & Gillingham
  • Ideal opportunity for developer or private builder
  • Large barn with planning potential included

Description

A rural development site on the edge of the hamlet of East Orchard set within approximately two acres of land within easy reach of Shaftesbury and surrounded by open Dorset countryside.

Situation - The property is located in the rural hamlet of East Orchard , 2 miles west of the charming village of Fontmell Magna with a village store, pub, primary school, and church. 4 miles north is the Saxon hilltop town of Shaftesbury offering a range of boutique shops, supermarkets and recreational and commercial facilities. 4 miles south is the former market town of Sturminster Newton and a mainline railway station is at Gillingham, 6 miles away. On the doorstep is a network of country lanes, bridleways and footpaths to enjoy walking, cycling or riding. Melbury Hill and Fontmell Down provide open access for walking and riding. Within an hour's drive is the Dorset Jurassic coast and the larger towns of Bournemouth and Salisbury.

Despite its rural setting, the site enjoys good connectivity to local towns, amenities and road networks, making it highly appealing for future residential buyers seeking countryside living without isolation.

Planning Permission - Buildings at Trapdoor Farm, Village Road to Trapdoor and Henbury Farm, East Orchard, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 0LG - Planning application: P/FUL/2025/05069

The site currently comprises a collection of former agricultural buildings and yard with a planning consent approved by Dorset Council (Ref: P/FUL/2025/05069) for the demolition of the existing buildings and the erection of three new dwellings, together with associated landscaping, groundworks, access and parking.

The site previously benefited from an approved Class Q Prior Approval (Ref: P/PAAC/2024/03521) for the conversion of the agricultural buildings into three residential dwellings, establishing the principle of residential development on the site.

The current full planning consent offers an enhanced approach, with the approved new-build dwellings designed to better suit modern living requirements, while respecting the rural character of the surrounding area.

A large barn is included (surplus to the current consent) within this offering, and subject to relevant future consents could be another dwelling.

Directions - What3words///mistaking.bumps.soldiers

Services - Main water and electricity to site. Buyer to connect to drainage.

Viewings - By prior appointment.

Please note Trapdoor Farm is a former working farmyard. Please take care when viewing and be aware of any trip hazards and / or sharp objects.

Map Location

Property details

Tenure
Freehold
Council Tax Band
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Date Posted
2026-02-07

Market Value Analysis

Compared with 179 Development Land listings in South West England (1+ acres).

This Property£250,000 / acre
Development Land Average (1+ acres) £163,217 / acre
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Utilities & Restrictions

Utilities

Electricity
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Water
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Heating
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Broadband
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Sewerage
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Rights & Restrictions

Public Rights of Way
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Private Rights of Way
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Listed Property
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Restrictions
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Listed status, conservation areas and planning constraints for this location are in the full report.

Property Features

Accessibility
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Parking
Parking Available
Garden
Garden

Beyond the particulars: planning activity, flood history, heritage and ground risks, checked for this exact spot.

Connectivity

Broadband

Fastest speed available at this postcode

1 Gbps

Gigabit full fibre

Suitable for

  • 4K streaming on every screen
  • Full-time home working
  • Online gaming & big downloads

Fixed wireless access may also be an option here.

Mobile signal

CallsDataEE Good GoodO2 Good GoodThree Good GoodVodafone Good Good

Outdoor predictions; indoor signal depends on building materials.

Ofcom Connected Nations postcode-level predictions. Speeds and signal are modelled, not measured, and vary between addresses and providers.

Signal is the easy part. Planning activity, flood history and protected designations here are in the full report.

Nearest Schools

Primary

  • St Andrew's Church of England Primary School2.1 milesOfsted: Good *
    Ages
    4 to 11
    Pupils
    101
    Type
    Academy sponsor led
    Faith
    Church of England
  • Stower Provost Community School3 milesOfsted: Good *
    Ages
    4 to 11
    Pupils
    92
    Type
    Community school
  • St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Child Okeford3.3 milesOfsted report card · Mar 2026
    Ages
    4 to 11
    Pupils
    125
    Type
    Academy converter
    Faith
    Church of England
  • St Gregory's Church of England Primary School, Marnhull3.3 milesOfsted: Requires improvement
    Ages
    4 to 11
    Pupils
    51
    Type
    Academy sponsor led
    Faith
    Church of England
  • St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull3.4 milesOfsted: Good
    Ages
    2 to 11
    Pupils
    82
    Type
    Academy converter
    Faith
    Roman Catholic

Secondary

  • Sturminster Newton High School3.2 milesOfsted report card · Apr 2026
    Ages
    11 to 18
    Pupils
    605
    Type
    Academy converter
  • Shaftesbury School3.8 milesOfsted: Good
    Ages
    11 to 18
    Pupils
    782
    Type
    Academy converter
    Faith
    Church of England
  • Gillingham School5.7 milesOfsted: Good
    Ages
    11 to 18
    Pupils
    1,684
    Type
    Voluntary controlled school
  • The Blandford School7.3 milesOfsted: Good
    Ages
    11 to 18
    Pupils
    1,103
    Type
    Voluntary controlled school
  • King Arthur's School11 milesOfsted: Requires improvement *
    Ages
    11 to 16
    Pupils
    450
    Type
    Academy sponsor led

* Latest graded judgement covers quality of education only; no overall grade was issued under the 2024-25 inspection framework.

Distances are straight-line from the advertised location. Source: the national school registers (DfE, Welsh Government, Scottish Government) and Ofsted.

Schools are just the start: sold prices nearby, planning activity and any flood history are in the full report.

Amenities

Supermarket

Spar Child Okeford, Child Okeford3 miles
Co-op Station Road Sturminster Newton, Sturminster Newton3.5 miles
Spar - Marnhull, Marnhull3.5 miles

GP surgery

Blackmore Vale Partnership3.5 miles

Pharmacy

Marnhull Pharmacy3.3 miles

Hospital

Westminster Memorial Hospital3.7 miles

Straight-line distances from the advertised location. Sources: NHS records, Geolytix supermarket locations, OS Open Greenspace and the national trails registers.

The area stacks up? Now check the location itself: planning nearby, protected designations and past flooding.

Getting Around

Nearest station

Gillingham (Dorset) Rail Station5.5 miles

Nearest bus stop

Bowling Green Farm164 metres

Typical drive times

Gillingham18 min · 8.6 miles
Stalbridge21 min · 11 miles
Shaftesbury9 min · 4.4 miles
Salisbury (city)43 min · 25 miles
Sturminster Newton9 min · 4.4 miles

Straight-line distances from the advertised location; drive times are typical free-flow times over OpenStreetMap road data, so allow more at peak. Public transport locations from DfT NaPTAN.

Easy to reach matters. So do planning activity, flood history and ground risks: all in the full report.

Flood Risk

From Environment Agency flood map open data, checked around the advertised map pin and allowing for the listed acreage where known. This summary comes from LandSale, the advertising platform, not from the listing agent, and is not part of the agent's particulars. Risk can vary across a single holding, so verify anything critical through your own searches before committing.

Rivers and the sea

Flood Zone 1Lower risk

Surface water

Outside the mapped risk bandsVery low risk

The detail behind these bandings

The full report pinpoints where this location sits on the flood maps, and runs the deeper checks that usually only surface after an offer.

  • Exact flood zones & annual chances (included in the full report)
  • Any recorded past flooding (included in the full report)
  • Planning activity nearby (included in the full report)
  • Heritage & conservation (included in the full report)
  • Protected nature designations (included in the full report)
  • Ground risks (included in the full report)
  • Sold prices nearby (included in the full report)

£14.99 · one-off purchase

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Important notice: Information, maps and tags on this page are drawn from the advertising agent's marketing materials or generated automatically. LandSale has not verified them. Relying on these details is at your own risk, always carry out independent checks before committing to a purchase.

Contact Symonds & Sampson, Sturminster Newton

Agriculture House, Market Place, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1AR

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