A RARE chance to become a Lord or Lady of the manor has arisen as an ancient Lordship title dating back to the 13th century has gone on sale for £7,000.

The Lordship of Ayle, which is around a mile and a half from the village of Kirkhaugh, near Alston, is available to buy through Manorial Auctioneers.

In 1209 the Lordship was granted by King John to William de Veteripont, but by 1258 it had passed out of that family’s ownership to that of William de Kirkhaugh. In 1376 the Lordship was granted to John de Claxton, but after 1441, Kirkhaugh’s descent is obscure and appears to have returned to the line of the Verteripont family.

It is known that Elisha Fisher sold Kirkhaugh on a date before 1807 to Joseph Salkeld, for the enormous sum of £9,500.

He in turn sold the Lordship to the Lords of the Admiralty and it was held on behalf of the Governors of Greenwich Hospital. Reforms in the 1960s of the old War Office resulted in changes and the governors of Greenwich Hospital were placed directly under the Secretary of State for Defence, and Greenwich Hospital remained a Crown charity.

The conveyance to the present owner will include the executed Seal of the Secretary of State, dated 2007.