Century-old reservoir on edge of Dartmoor with £55k guide price set for auction

A former South West Water reservoir near Ivybridge is due to be sold at an online auction marketed by Greenslade Taylor Hunt next month.

Butterbrook Reservoir, in Harford, was built in 1916 to supply water to Ivybridge but has not been in use since 2006. 

The site includes 8.03 acres of woodland and open land on the edge of Dartmoor National Park.

The land lies just over three miles north of Ivybridge and around 15 miles from Plymouth. 

READ NEXT: Three Dartmoor towns named among best places to live in Devon 2025

The property is being sold freehold and will be offered by timed online auction on Wednesday 8 October 2025, closing at 1pm. 

A guide price has been set at £55,000.

The reservoir is reached by a gravel track over open moorland, with a right of access across neighbouring land included in the sale.

No services are currently connected to the land, and the site has no buildings apart from the former reservoir structure. 

ABOVE: Aerial view of the site. Credit: Greenslade Taylor Hunt

A representative from Greenslade Taylor Hunt Ivybridge said: “The reservoir is a unique property which is still owned by South West Water and has been since its construction in the early 1900s. It is being disposed of as it is surplus but has had bags of interest expected to perform well at auction.”

Due to reservoirs can be hazardous, owners say viewings must be arranged by appointment, with no access allowed outside scheduled times.

A reserve price has been set, and a buyer’s fee will apply to the successful bidder.

The sale marks the latest change for a site that once played a key role in Ivybridge’s water supply before modern infrastructure made it redundant.