Former South Wales valleys school sells for six times guide at auction

A former Gwent primary school sold for more than six times its guide price when it went up for auction.

Queen Street primary School, Queen Street, Abertillery, has been sold by Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions for £303,500 after being listed with a guide of £50,000-plus.

Gemma Vaughan, of Paul Fosh Auctions, said: “There was phenomenal interest before the sale in the former school site which was reflected in the figure achieved from the online auction. The bidders must have done their sums prior to auction and taken a view on what this site was worth.

“Bidding started at £50,000 and just rocketed from there with five bidders vying for the property who between them made a total of 140 bids.

“The buyer, who is local, hopes to develop the site but hasn’t revealed any details as yet.”

“The former primary school, which closed a few years ago, dates from 1896. We were selling the school, which is located approximately a quarter of a mile south of Abertillery town centre, on behalf of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council.
” The half acre site, which doesn’t currently have planning permission, offers a number of potential of uses including development or conversion, subject to any necessary consents.

“The former school previously suffered vandalism and, as a result, has water damage. There is an overage clause so potential buyers will need to check the legal pack for more information.

“The town of Abertillery offers good local amenities with schools, modern leisure facilities and excellent road links to the M4 and the A465, Heads of the Valleys. There is a direct rail link to Cardiff from the station at Llanhilleth which is just a short drive away.

The next Paul Fosh Auctions online sale starts at 12 noon on Tuesday, January 31 and ends from 5pm on Thursday, February 2, 2023.