An historic engine house in Cornwall is set to go up for auction with a freehold guide price of £50,000.
The Engine House at Wheal Kitty in St Agnes was formerly part of a tin mine and is now among the commercial properties at the Wheal Kitty Business Park.
It is among 165 lots listed in the latest auction being held by Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers.
Before its life as a commercial property, The Engine House was part of the significant mining activity in St Agnes.
According to the Cornish Mining World Heritage website, following the 1874 crash in tin prices, there was a gradual decline in the scale and output of mines in St Agnes.
The website states that Wheal Kitty was one of four mines which survived after the 1874 crash in tin prices.
Wheal Kitty was one of the mines that managed to survive into the 20th century, operating alongside a few others until the 1920s. By the 1940s, mining activity in the area had ceased entirely.
Senior Auction Appraiser Katie Semmens said: “This is a rare opportunity to acquire the historic former Wheal Kitty Engine House.
“It occupies a decent sized plot with its most recent use being commercial offices and is now in need of improvement works throughout.
“The property enjoys fantastic views from the upper floors and is amongst a selection of commercial properties within the popular Wheal Kitty Business Park, with the sought-after north coast village of St Agnes being approximately one mile away.”
There are offices on The Engine House’s three floors and the property also has a ground-floor storeroom and parking.
Elsewhere in the Duchy, Cornwall Council has also instructed the auction of “overgrown” land in Gunnislake starting at just £500.
The parcel – measuring 0.01 hectares 0.03 acres – is located next to Gunnislake Health Centre in The Orchard.
Auctioneer David Henwood said: “Occasionally these types of parcels of land come for auction.
“They may offer appeal to several different purchasers, such as nearby residents. This parcel, although overgrown, is on a corner where some may envisage some form of use, subject to all the necessary consents.”
Clive Emson Auctioneers holds auctions eight times a year.
Bidding for the current auction, the fifth of the year, goes live on Monday, July 22 and ends on Wednesday, July 24.
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