A disused water tower near Stevenage was the subject of a bidding war at Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers’ biggest sale of the year.

The concrete Aston Water Tower at Aston went under the hammer for a sky-high price of £190,000 at the September auction after fierce competition from bidders.

Located on a 0.07-hectare (0.17-acre) site, the towering structure boasts countryside views and was sold as an investment acquisition. It is currently let to phone companies EE and BT for telephone mast purposes, but there may be future alternative uses, subject to all necessary consents being obtainable.

The property was just one of many highlights as Clive Emson reported sales in excess of £20 million from the auction – the sixth of eight sales this year which took place across five days in five venues from September 9-13.

The auctioneer achieved a sale rate of 70% at the sale after cataloguing a year-high 170 lots.

James Emson, managing director of Clive Emson, says: “The water tower is one of the more unusual lots to have featured in a Clive Emson auction, but it is an excellent example of how a property a little out of the ordinary can capture the imagination of the public.”

“The tower may be a little bit different from the vast majority of our properties, but the business of promoting it, arranging viewings and auctioning is exactly the same with every lot we handle.”

Other highlights of the September auction included:

• Mid-19th century character cottage Jasmine House and six acres at St Just, Cornwall, immortalised in a painting by acclaimed contemporary artist Kurt Jackson, sold for £400,000.
• The attractive Plough Inn, a pub on a plot of 0.22 hectares (0.55 acres) in the picturesque village of Grateley, near Andover, Hants, went under the gavel at £360,000.
• A toilet block and land with potential on an approach to the sea at Birchington, Kent, was sold for £52,000 on the instructions of Thanet District Council.
• Brickmakers Arms pub, located on a good size plot of 0.10 hectares (0.24 acres) on the outskirts of Uckfield, East Sussex, sold for £334,000.

The firm holds a regional auction at five locations every six weeks. The seventh sale of 2019 starts at 11am at the following venues:

Essex & North and East London – Monday October 28 at the Chelmsford City Racecourse, Chelmsford.

Kent & SE London – Tuesday October 29 at the Clive Emson Conference Centre, Detling, Maidstone, Kent.

Sussex & Surrey – Wednesday October 30 at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, Brighton.

West Country – Thursday October 31, at the St Mellion International Resort, Saltash.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight – Friday November 1 at the Solent Hotel at Whiteley, near Fareham.

Online-only auction – Thursday November 7.

Full details of the upcoming sales can be found at www.cliveemson.co.uk.