A FORMER Army drill hall on the Isle of Wight has been sold for £248,000 in auction.

Standing on half an acre, the property was among 105 lots listed across southern England in the November 3 auction by regional land and property auctioneers Clive Emson.

Scroll through our gallery of pictures above to see the other properties...

The building is located at the rear of 53 St Johns Wood Road, Ryde, and is held on a 999-year lease from 1871, the year trade unions were legalised and annual bank holidays were created by Parliament.

Isle of Wight County Press:

Braunstone House in Newport was also sold.

Rob Marchant, Clive Emson’s Isle of Wight auctioneer, said: “We aren’t privy to any plans the new owner may or may not have but hopefully new life will be breathed into the building.

“As previously mentioned, the existing building may be suitable for other uses, including residential conversion with potential for redevelopment of the remainder of the site, subject to planning consents.

“Alternatively, the purchasers may wish to consider redeveloping the whole site, again subject to planning permission.”

Braunstone House in Newport dates back to 1905, when suffragettes held their first public protest in London in the fight for women’s votes and this former schoolhouse sold freehold for £95,000. Situated in Lugley Street, it has consent for conversion into two residential apartments.

A two-bedroom leasehold apartment on the fifth floor at Osborne Court, The Parade, Cowes, with stunning views of The Solent, sold for £167,000 in a bidding war — the final bid was £42,000 more than the guide price.

The Lodge, a leasehold ground floor studio flat in the same building, which is adjacent to Cowes harbour, also sold for more than the estimate; £98,000 was paid, which was £13,000 above the lower end of the guide price.

Clive Emson’s next auction takes place on December 15; entries for lots close on November 22 and the catalogue is online from November 26.