VIRGINIA WOOLF BEACH IS SOLD FOR £80,000

A BEAUTIFUL STRETCH OF BEACH OVERLOOKING A LIGHTHOUSE WHICH INSPIRED ONE OF VIRGINIA WOOLF'S FAMOUS NOVELS WAS BOUGHT BY A SECRET BUYER FOR £80,000 AT AUCTION RECENTLY. THE 76 ACRE UPTON TOWANS BEACH IN GWITHIAN, CORNWALL, OVERLOOKS THE LIGHTHOUSE SITUATED ON THE HEADLAND AT NEARBY GODREVY ISLAND, AND BOASTS GOLDEN SAND, COZY DUNES THAT GIVE RESPITE AGAINST THE WINDS AND A VISTA WITH A VERY FAMOUS LITERARY CONNECTION. VIRGINIA WOOLF HAD SPENT MANY HOLIDAYS THERE WITH HER FAMILY AS A CHILD AND THE WATCH TOWER BECAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HER FAMOUS 1927 NOVEL 'THE LIGHTHOUSE'. THE STUNNING BEACH HAS BEEN OWNED BY DENNIS ARBON, A TRUSTEE OF THE HALL FOR CORNWALL, A PERFORMING ARTS VENUE IN TRURO, FOR THE PAST 19 YEARS. BUT ARBON AUCTIONED OFF THE BEACH IN ORDER TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE HALL. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE ESTATE AGENTS COLLIERS CRE SAID: "THERE WAS A LOT OF INTEREST IN THE BEACH, WHICH SOLD FOR £30,000 ABOVE ITS RESERVE PRICE. THERE WAS PARTICULAR INTEREST BECAUSE OF THE LINK WITH VIRGINIA WOOLF AND THE LIGHTHOUSE NEARBY" THERE WAS A FIERCE BIDDING WAR BETWEEN THREE TELEPHONE BIDDERS AND THE PRICE CREPT UP ABOVE THE GUIDE PRICE AND WHEN THE FINAL BID WAS ANNOUNCED THERE WAS A LOUD CHEER AMONG THE AUCTION PARTICIPANTS. AN AUCTION SPOKESPERSON SAID THAT THE NEW OWNER IS CORNISH, BUT DID NOT LIVE IN CORNWALL, AND HAD OTHER PROPERTY IN THE COUNTRY, "HE DOES NOT PLAN TO DO ANYTHING WITH THE BEACH OTHER THAN SIMPLY OWN IT. HE EXPLAINED THAT A PROPERTY LIKE THIS WAS SIMPLY A "TROPHY" PIECE THAT SOMEONE COULD TAKE PLEASURE IN LOOKING AT AND SAY "I OWN THAT".