The City & Rural Philosophy
- Stand above all other agents in service to our clients, acting with their interests at heart – not our own
- Sensitively offer independent, professional advice whilst achieving the very best results
- Maintain our well-justified reputation for uncompromising honesty and integrity
City & Rural Property Auctions
The Service
Welcome to City & Rural Property Auctions, the West Country’s auctioneer with a wealth of experience and expertise at its core. City & Rural embrace the latest developments in prop tech, ensuring our auctions offer our clients speed, ease and certainty of sale.
With over 170 years of combined experience, we can deal with everything property or land-related. From random parcels of land to large manor houses, quarries, industrial mills and even the occasional boat and mooring, all sold to the highest bidder.
Principally covering Bristol, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, we also deal with properties in Devon, Cornwall, Worcestershire and Wales. With online bidding forming a fundamental part of the business, we can offer total coverage in England and Wales when required.
We have a strong partner agent network that we work with to attract the broadest possible audience; our digital marketing strategy supports this, and lots are listed across the property portals such as Zoopla and Rightmove.
Our Partners
City & Rural Property Auctions is a joint venture between auction consultants Peter & David Beddoe of Morgan Beddoe Estate Agents and RICS Chartered Surveyors Michael Ashbee and Stephen Morris, Auctioneer. We are the only RICS Auctioneers in the area, which means we operate within a strict code of conduct to ensure all our transactions are compliant.
The COVID 19 pandemic forced the auction industry to evolve rapidly, and we have embraced this by offering virtual tours with all our properties and online bidding. Unlike other auctioneers, we provide both regular live-streamed multi-lot auctions and bespoke online timed auctions, so you can list your property with us at a timescale to suit you. Often the conveyancing process can slow the speed at which you can sell your property with an estate agent; we also offer the modern method of conditional auction as an alternative option for properties that can be mortgaged quickly.
Additional Services
In addition to our auction services, City & Rural Property Auctions also offer a full valuation service, including RICS Red Book valuations and Section 160 of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 compliant probate reports. We also provide planning advice and Bridging Finance options via our third-party providers.
Read Our Useful Guides to Buying and Selling at Auction
David Beddoe
Having been involved in the family estate agency, Morgan Beddoe, since it opened in 1991 at the ripe old age of 9 as chief envelope stuffer and stamp licker (thank goodness we invested in a franking machine), property has played a significant role in my life. Having graduated from university in 2004 with BSc (Hons) in Building Surveying, I opted to join the family business and expand our auction offering to include the whole of Bristol, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, as well as dealing with the occasional holiday home in Devon and Cornwall. In 2012 I became involved with a national Auction company, which quickly became one of the most successful auctioneers in the country. The pandemic saw the auction industry have to rapidly evolve, embracing new technologies and processes from virtual tours, bidder registration and online auctions. Now at the helm of Morgan Beddoe Estate Agents, with dad Peter looking to wind down his working commitments, I am also an Auction Consultant and a Property Valuer for City & Rural. We have a great team here at City & Rural with a wealth of experience, and there is not much we haven't dealt with between us. Stephen Morris, our auctioneer, director and chartered surveyor, brings a high level of skill to the rostrum and is an expert at ensuring the best price has been achieved before the gavel comes down. Our other director and chartered surveyor, Michael Ashbee, brings a wealth of experience in all property-related matters, particularly planning issues and negotiating complicated land deals. By instructing us to sell your property, you will, in the main, be dealing with my colleague Sean Hayward and myself on a day-to-day basis. We are here to help and are always happy to provide advice wherever possible. Outside work, I am an avid rugby fan and can often be found at Ashton Gate cheering (hopefully) Bristol Bears. Derby day in the office is always fun as Bath fans surround me!
Peter Beddoe
Having started my career as an estate agent and auctioneer in the 1970s, I have seen the city landscape, and not least, property prices change considerably over the years. If you had asked me all those years ago if a house in Easton, Bristol (which at the time would have been worth circa £25,000) could ever be worth anything up to £500,000, I would have laughed and fallen off my chair. However, here we are! I opened Morgan Beddoe in homage to my late grandfather in 1991 and, in that timeframe, have seen the business evolve in ways I could not have imagined. Not in my wildest imagination did I ever think it would be possible for bidders to take part in an auction from the comfort of their homes with the simple click of a button. With Covid having forced the idea of retirement on me a little quicker than I might like, I have now taken a step back into a consultancy role with Morgan Beddoe and our new auction venture, City & Rural Property Auctions. I am still available for my old clients and leave the day-to-day running in the hands of my son David. You will find me in the garden or spending time with the family outside the office.
Sean Hayward
I'm usually the first point of contact at City & Rural Auctions and will happily assist with any enquiry. I work closely with our valuer David and auctioneer Stephen daily, especially in the build-up to and day of our Auctions. I regularly communicate with our auction partners throughout the West Country, including Estate, Letting and Commercial Agents, Solicitors and other property professionals. Unlike other auctioneers, we cover the whole of the West Country and, as a result, are unrivalled in experience and expertise. If you are thinking of buying or selling by auction, feel free to call me for a no-obligation chat – talking through your needs could open up several opportunities you didn't know were available. If I had to sum up my colleagues, I would say that David has a memory like an Elephant; whenever I book an appointment for him, no matter the City or Town, he always says, 'we sold one around the corner from there'. Stephen is as steady as a Rock, no auction is ever the same in terms of properties on offer, but Stephen is always there to see it through calmly and professionally. Outside work, I attempt to walk two unruly Lakeland Terriers and follow the mighty (not recently!) Bath Rugby.
Michael Ashbee FRICS
I have been involved in property auctions for my entire career, having qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1970, which probably makes me one of the most experienced property people in the area. Over 50 years have passed since, and during that time, I have been fortunate to act for thousands of clients. I have sold many residential, commercial, and agricultural properties, including investments and development sites. I have also been on the rostrum selling property, plant and machinery and even stamps! These days property is our speciality, and I am always available to guide clients, old and new, through the process of selling by auction.
Out of the office, you will find me at home in the garden or enjoying time with my family.
Stephen Morris MRICS, FNAEA, FNAVA, MARLA
I qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1993, having worked as a property valuer since leaving school sixth form in 1987, so property has been my lifelong obsession! I am also a fellow of The National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers (NAVA Propertymark). I have been auctioning property for over 20 years and get a great buzz from achieving the best sale results from the rostrum, often exceeding expectations. Auction is a pure way of selling and establishing what a property is worth, providing a transparent, quick and reliable experience for sellers and buyers. I have extensive experience across residential and commercial property sales, development and investment, and agricultural property. I have spent my whole career in the Bristol, Bath, Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire areas.
You will probably find me out of the office at a classic car show, taking a trip out in one of my old cars. My automotive interests are broad (I particularly love the Goodwood Revival), and I am especially keen on old Volkswagen, Daimler, and Jaguar cars. I also enjoy attending classic car auctions when allowed but have a terrible habit of coming home with yet another car!
Olivia Anstee
Having worked in the estate agency industry for over 13 years Olivia has a wealth of knowledge of all types of property. In more recent years, Olivia has worked for a building developer and gained knowledge of the building trade from the ground up. Outside of work, Olivia’s passion for property does not stop, now on her third renovation project she has a real passion for interior design and making her vision come to life.
