Army volunteer headquarters buyer to be decided

A Grade II listed building that used to serve as military headquarters and records office is set to be sold to the highest bidder.

Yeomanry House in Castle Hill, Reading, was purchased by the army in 1906 to be used as the headquarters of the British Army volunteer Berkshire Yeomanry unit.

Its current owner, Reading Borough Council, is advertising it for sale both through Reading Voluntary and AH Lansley Estate Agents.

A bidder is due to be selected by a council policy committee on 7 April.

The council bought the building for £39,000 in 1967.

During its ownership, a drill hall was demolished and replaced by the Berkshire Records Office, with Yeomanry House being used for registrar services to store records of births, deaths and marriages.

In May 2022, plans were approved for its conversion into a nursery serving 85 pupils.

The project could have restored the historical use of the building, as the site was marked as a nursery in a map from 1802.

However, the plans appear to have been sidelined as a result of the council's decision to put Yeomanry House up for auction.

The building has now been up for sale for eight weeks.

An online advert states it offers "an extraordinary opportunity for a range of uses".

"The property sits within spacious, well-maintained grounds, providing an oasis of calm while being just minutes away from Reading's bustling town centre," the advert adds.

It also states that bidders should outline their proposals for the property including its intended use.

The Labour administration at the council has decided to sell it to the highest bidder after five offers were received.

Details of the bidders, including the preferred one, are confidential, with the selection being made in private.

No price level has been revealed either, as the advert states that is "price on application".

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