TWO industrial estates which have been in family hands for decades have been sold.

The estates in Bridport both have links to the town’s rope making past.

The North Mills Trading Estate was sold to real estate management company Busby & Busby and the Dreadnought Trading Estate was sold to Crowndale Estates (Tavistock).

All 55 tenants at the estates will stay on.

The 25-unit North Mills Trading Estate includes a listed building which is the longest remaining rope walk structure in the market town. The estate has 42,085sqft of accommodation.

Dreadnought Trading Estate, on 3.56 acres of land in the centre of Bridport, consists of 30 units over 50,544sqft.

Law firm Thrings and real estate company Avison Young worked with the Fowler family on the sale of the estates.

They said the estates between them generate a rental income of £480,000 from their tenants.

Charlie Wakefield, legal director of Thrings, who advised the family along with solicitor Alice Paye, said: “Well located, maintained and popular with local and regional tenants, it’s no surprise the estates generated substantial interest. We have enjoyed working with the enterprising Fowler family for many decades and are delighted to have assisted them with their latest commercial transactions.”

Michael Fowler said: “After many enjoyable decades developing and running these enterprises with my family, it was time to pass them on. The team at Thrings, as always, oversaw the complex legal process expertly and diligently, allowing us to progress the deals at a good pace.

“We wish all the tenants, Crowndale Estates and Busby & Busby a very happy and prosperous future.”

Richard Howell of Avison Young, formerly GVA, advised on the marketing of the sites.

He said: “As the sale of the Fowler trading estates shows, we are seeing a rise in demand for well managed multi-let industrial assets in the South West region. With businesses continuing to stockpile in the face of Brexit, the Fowlers sold their prime warehousing space at just the right time.”