For Sale By Auction
The Battery – Observation Post,
Bawdsey, Suffolk, IP12 3AP.
You will need to scroll down this page
to get to the Battery Building!
Pretty much 31 years ago, in 1992, the owners of this publication, Unique Property Bulletin Ltd., clubbed together with several friends and made a bid to buy the former RAF Bawdsey Manor base. Special because it was the birthplace of Radar in World War 2. In the end, we were pipped to the post by a school. Much though we were smitten with the awesome Bawdsey base, the right result was for the buildings to be deployed for educational use.
Bawdsey Manor, Suffolk. Birthplace of Radar.
Photo (c) 1/10/1992 Russ McLean Click Here
When you see the magnitude of this former coastal Manor House from the next drone photo, with 172 acres and dozens of buildings, it becomes understandable why the Air Ministry decided to purchase the place for the princely sum of £26,000 (twenty-six thousand pounds) in 1936 and the start of World War II ~ less than 3 years away in 1939.
Bawdsey Manor, Suffolk. Birthplace of Radar.
Photo (c) 7/8/2014 John Fielding Click Here
Can you see the Battery Building on this photo?
So besotted were we the the Victorian buildings and the history (British Telecom’s fore runner was also invented here (10th March 1991), that when anything comes up for sale around Bawdsey in Suffolk, we are drawn to such buildings like moths to the proverbial flame.
So today’s offering for you to consider is an old “Battery Building”…
Guide: £160,000
The Battery – Observation Post,
Bawdsey, Suffolk, IP12 3AP.
The Battery – Observation Post,
Bawdsey, Suffolk, IP12 3AP.
The Battery – Observation Post,
Bawdsey, Suffolk, IP12 3AP.
The Battery – Observation Post,
Bawdsey, Suffolk, IP12 3AP.
The Battery – Observation Post,
Bawdsey, Suffolk, IP12 3AP.
The Battery – Observation Post,
Bawdsey, Suffolk, IP12 3AP.
The Battery – Observation Post,
^^ The Location ^^
^^ Title Plan Excerpt ^^
Our Licence - HM Land Registry: 100026316 & Ordnance Survey Licence: 100052015.
The Battery – Observation Post,
Bawdsey, Suffolk, IP12 3AP.
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The Battery – Observation Post,
Bawdsey, Suffolk, IP12 3AP.
The Battery – Observation Post,
Bawdsey, Suffolk, IP12 3AP.
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What To Do Next?
1].Well don’t despair if you miss this! There will be more. We list former military buildings regularly. Just keep an eye on our Unique Property Bulletin front page.
2]. Always remember our favourite acronym: FTSAA. This stands for Failed to Sell At Auction. About 20% of what our sister property renovation company purchases are FTSAA. If something does not sell at auction it almost always places the buyer in a GOOD position. You can haggle the price down a smidge.
3]. PLEASE do some due-diligence. Even if it is just to research what the local planners allow and disallow?
=> Ideally you should be making one of these fast-track “pre-planning” enquiries BEFOREHAND to see if there are any fatal elements to getting some form of planning permission.
But knowing numerous of our scarier readers who cannot help but stick their paw in the air to wave at the auctioneer with a bunch of five pound notes (and naughtily NOT having viewed the building), but taking a “punt” ~ we would strongly suggest AT LEAST having a look at the online public domain planning portals for the specific planning authority BEFORE YOU BID. We think this Battery Building is in the Suffolk Coastal planning area.
We just had a quick look about (online) this and found two unique properties close to this old Battery building.
The first is a listed building. The planners have allowed quite a dissonant structure on top of this Martello Tower…
The Least You Should Do Is Research
Similar Brave Planning Applications.
Plus Background Material…
Click Here
This often can happen when you get a decent council and a thoughtful Listed Building officer. Better to have a building lived in and maintained than go to a magnificent ruin, inexorably to become just a neatly arranged pile of bricks on the ground!
The second unique building is spookily similar to the Battery structure (with a house on top).
Now it is an iconic structure…
^^ The House In The Clouds ^^
This might help support your plan and permissions
to bring the Battery Building back to life.
You can actually holiday at this place.
Maybe have a chat with the owners
as well as study the building.
Click Here
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Advice From Old-Timer!
From this end of the keyboard we would offer a few words. This is from a fact that we were buried under TWO substantial planning applications over the past six months. The old phrase…
“Do you think I got this grey hair laughing” comes to mind.
Having said that, both planning officers were brilliant and helpful (on to sites far distant from each other and the planners).
So for our tuppence worth, if the planners agree that the Battery Building is NOT listed and does NOT hold too much histroical merit, then we would suggest a softer approach.
Currently the building has attracted a lot of vandalism…
^^ The Battery Building ^^
Is this art or vandalism?
Also, this property does NOT provide any Council Tax for the local authority. Worse, if/when the Battery deteriorates further, the council will have to spend money making the site safe.
So in the remit to obtain planning permission, we reckon another “House in The Clouds” would be too far (and also a bit plagiaristic).
=> Maybe go for something a little gentler.
A building along these lines might work? You just need to add a bit of height to the Battery Building and top it off with a gorgeous observation lounge…
^^ The Battery Building ^^
Could Be Gentrified.
Better than being a blot on the landscape!
We have linked more photos,
plus the architect’s contact details…
Click Here
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Please can you let the Unique Property Team know how you get on (click here). Many thanks and good luck.
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The Battery – Observation Post,
Bawdsey, Suffolk, IP12 3AP
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Battery Details
Click Here
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