Bidding war pushes Ardwyn auction into hundreds of thousands

It may have only had a reserve price of £85,000, but online bidding for the former Ardwyn School site has already gone beyond £350,000 with the auction set to close at 6pm (Thursday).

Owners Powys County Council will be rubbing their hands after more than £200,000 was added to the price in just three hours last night, and at 10am this morning the highest bid stood at £355,000 with eight hours still to go.

An opening bid of £82,000 was made with Paul Fosh Auctions on Tuesday lunch time, and that same unnamed bidder is still in the running albeit they were just outbid late last night. A total of nine bidders have joined the race so far.

The school is surplus to requirements having closed several years ago to become the town’s Welsh speaking school before it was then moved to its news site at Maesydre earlier this year.

It was the first school built in Powys post-war and is a Grade II listed building, making it tricky for developers to do too much with it. However, the promotional material says it would be ideal for four bungalows.