Is it possible to buy an entire town? Yes, but you need to get to England, North Yorkshire. This is where West Heslerton Estate is located, a village of about 375 inhabitants put up for sale last April for 20 million pounds (over 23 million euros). And after a few months on the market, according to reports from the Guardian, an offer has finally arrived.
Whoever wins the deal will take home a package of real estate which includes 46 houses, a stately home with 21 bedrooms, a pub and over two thousand acres of land, of which 1.500 are cultivated and 112 are forested.
The history of West Heslerton is linked to the Dawnay family, who for over 150 years owned this village which the Guardian defines as "the quintessence of Yorkshire: a place where time has stopped".
The last owner belonging to the family was Eve Dawney, who had received the village from her father and passed away without heirs in 2010. The village thus passed to his in-laws, who eventually decided to sell.
But in West Heslerton, one can bet, they will continue to miss Mrs Dawney for a long time. It was she who ensured that this corner of Yorkshire remained a vital place, securing jobs and low rents, but also funding the primary school as well as local football, cricket and bowling clubs. Who knows if the new owner will have the same attentions.
