It's a hot property! 250-million-year-old volcano set underneath five acres of Devon woodland goes on the market for £50,000

  • Woodland at Posbury Clump in Devon has gone on the market for £50,000
  • The five-acre site hides a 250-million-year-old volcano underneath it
  • 500-feet high volcanic mound was previously quarried and used for building

A piece of scenic Devonshire countryside hiding a 250-million-year-old volcano has gone on the market for just £50,000.

Unfortunately-named Posbury Clump, near Exeter, pre-dates the existence of dinosaurs and contains mineral-rich materials which act as a perfect building material. 

Extremely affordable by most geological standards, the volcano would prove the perfect hideaway for any James Bond villain.

It is set underneath 4.9 acres of woodland, having long since lost its continuous flows of red-hot lava.

A 250-million-year-old volcano lying underneath the Devonshire countryside has been put up for sale for £50,000 with real estate agents Jackson-Stops

A 250-million-year-old volcano lying underneath the Devonshire countryside has been put up for sale for £50,000 with real estate agents Jackson-Stops

More recently, the 'clump' left behind has been used as a quarry, operating in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The high-quality basalt stone makes up the stone in a local church and was also used to build a manor house in the area.

The elderly volcano is just 500 feet high, providing visitors with 'spectacular views' of the surrounding area, according to estate agents Jackson Stops.      

Unfortunately-named Posbury Clump, near Exeter, pre-dates the existence of dinosaurs and contains mineral-rich materials which act as a perfect building material

Unfortunately-named Posbury Clump, near Exeter, pre-dates the existence of dinosaurs and contains mineral-rich materials which act as a perfect building material

'Posbury Clump is the woodland atop the prominent volcanic outcrop, part of which is a former quarry which was last worked at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries,' said a Jackson-Stops estate agent.

'The hard basalt stone was locally highly regarded and was used in the construction of notable local buildings including Crediton Church and Medland Manor.

'The site extends to about 4.9 acres of which the majority is designated a Site of Scientific Interest to reflect the unusual nature of the rock quarried there.'

The land does not come with any buildings and it is unclear whether planning permission is possible. 

The elderly volcano is just 500 feet high, providing visitors with 'spectacular views' of the surrounding area, according to estate agents Jackson Stops

The elderly volcano is just 500 feet high, providing visitors with 'spectacular views' of the surrounding area, according to estate agents Jackson Stops

While the idea of buying an extinct volcano may seem ludicrous, historically there have been sales of active volcanoes. 

In 1943, a Mexican farmer saw a baby volcano emerge from the ground in his local area.

The volcano, later named Parícutin, swallowed the man's farm and the surrounding forest.

When Robert Ripley, of Believe It Or Not fame heard of the incident, he was determined to buy the volcano, and purchased the land from the man.

There are also privately owned volcanoes, such as the Pisgah Volcano in California and the Newberry Volcano in Oregon.

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