A large block of top tillage land is on the market in Co Louth. It’s 196ac at Little Grange on the north side of the River Boyne, which makes it midway between Slane and Drogheda.

It goes for auction and is being guided by Raymond Potterton auctioneers at €2.4m or €12,250/ac.

This area is within that long curve of the River Boyne where Newgrange, Dowth and a number of other ancient sites are on the south side.

Fertile and high-yielding

Back in the day, the builders of those settlements had their pick of the country and they generally went first for the good land.

This 196ac is fertile and high yielding, having benefited from slurry from an adjacent pig farm.

The holding sits on both sides of the N51 – the Slane to Drogheda road - and has about 1.5km of road frontage. The land is laid out in some nine divisions.

The majority of the farm is under tillage with approximately 32ac under grass. It slopes downwards to the Mattock River, which in turn flows on into the Boyne.

The farm goes for auction on 20 October. It will be offered in two lots. Lot 1 will be 79ac and Lot 2 will be 117ac. The land will be sold with crops already sown in the tillage fields for the purchaser.