Farmland remains in strong demand across the East of England – buoyed by private sales and rising values for amenity land, said agents.

According to latest figures from the rural research team at Savills there was a 2pc drop in the amount of farmland publicly marketed across the region in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2020.

But Christopher Miles, who leads the rural agency team for Savills in the East of England and is based in the firm’s Norwich office, said this does not necessarily reflect the whole story as much farmland is being marketed privately.

Across Britain as a whole, the supply of publicly-marketed farmland was up 58pc in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2020.

Meanwhile the overall average value of agricultural land has increased 1.7pc during the last six months – however there are regional variations depending on location and type of land.

Mr Miles said: “There is more to the figures than meets the eye. We know from our involvement that the private market continues to account for a large proportion of the farms and estates transacted, building on the trend seen last year.

“Some vendors are choosing to market privately where there is a likelihood of special buyers or they have particular reasons to do so.

"The private market also remains popular for high profile farms and estates where both the vendor and potential purchasers value privacy. However it can often be prudent to set a time limit for such deals so that buyers remain focused.”

Savills said significant rural estates to hit the market in Norfolk this year include Green and Wick Farms at Thompson near Thetford, with 295 to 592 acres being offered at a guide price of price £3m-£6.2m

Meanwhile 276 acres of productive arable land, grazing meadows and woodland at Old Hall Farm in Burgh-next-Aylsham has also gone under offer.

Mr Miles said there are a number of buyers with "rollover funds" to invest, and commercial farmers seeking quality farms.

However, he said the market is also being driven by "buyers looking to acquire land with amenity value, fuelled by the desire for more outdoor space following the pandemic.”