Mountain peaks in Snowdonia make £1m at auction

Two mountain peaks in Snowdonia have gone under the hammer for £1m as part of a land auction.

The summits of Moel Cynghorion and Foel Goch, which command views over Snowdonia National Park, were sold to an undisclosed buyer.

The remote peaks adjacent to Snowdon come with 1,000 acres (four sq km) of moorland, some derelict outbuildings, a stream and rough grazing.

The auction follows the sale of the Vyrnwy estate tourist spot in Powys.

The parcel of land at Snowdonia is known as Helfa Fawr, and is two miles from Llanberis. It borders the Snowdon mountain railway.

The summits, near Moel Eilio in the national park, include the 2,211ft (674m) Moel Cynghorion and the slightly smaller, neighbouring Foel Goch.

The sale was conducted by agents Kivells in Llanberis.

A view from the stream at Helfa Fawr in Snowdonia

Kivells describe the land as a "remarkable run of mountain, moorland and rough grazing" and says it comprises a number of redundant stone farm buildings or cottages that may be suitable for conversion to residential or holiday use.

Before the sale, Gareth Clubb, director of the Snowdonia Society, said he hoped it would be bought by a farmer sympathetic to the environment of the national park.

He said: "We would like to see this piece of land managed sensitively to accommodate the biodiversity of the area.

"It's a piece of open moorland which is undeveloped.

"It's very wild in winter and likely to be covered by snow for an awful lot of the year so there are limited possibilities for development but we would like to see it retained for farming.

Beauty spot

"I've no idea who can spare £1m for a piece of Welsh highland, but there may be some local farmers who might be interested in buying it or it could be somebody from outside the area who fancies showing off the sight of Snowdon to their friends."

The auction follows another Welsh beauty spot being put up for sale earlier this week.

A 23,00-acre (93 sq km) site around Lake Vyrnwy featuring conservation areas and a nature reserve is being sold by a utility firm.

Severn Trent Water has split the land into four and hopes it will fetch £11m at auction.

In 1998, the National Trust paid £3m for part of Snowdon itself after launching a public appeal to which Sir Anthony Hopkins contributed £1m.