IT was billed as one of the unofficial attractions of the Ludlow Festival. It ended with applause but many of the audience thought it could have been more exciting. Clearly they had not read the programme properly.

Around 50 people gathered at the Feathers Hotel, for the auction of the Reader's House alongside St. Laurence's Church.

Back on the market for the first time since the 1970s, the house was expected by non-experts to go for £400,000-plus. After all it is a Tudor building with oak staircases, a fantastic porch, a camomile lawn and bags of character. However auctioneer Michael Evans at Nock Deighton had always warned of snags like the lack of vehicle access and the state of the property. His probate valuation for the estate of the previous owner was a more realistic £215,000.

Mr Evans took his first bid at £180,000. As bidding crept up in £10,000 stages, many were waiting for a duel between two buyers with big wallets.

But it all stopped at £230,000 as property investor and developer Robert Hughes became the next owner. "I looked over the house twice and thought I could live in that," he said.

He is buying the house through one of his companies, Alexandra Invest-ments. Another of his companies is seeking planning permission to build five houses next door.

"I plan to make it completely liveable," he explained. I'd be loath to sell it again. It's going to need a lot of work.