Guess what Cheffins are to auction? The clue is in the lyrics......oh, island in the sun, willed to me by my father’s hand; all my days I will sing in praise, of your forest, waters, your shining sand

Bottisham police station up for sale (Image: Archant)

But now Cambridgeshire-based Cheffins is giving people the chance to join the likes of business mogul Richard Branson or Hollywood A lister Leonardo Di Caprio and buy their very own island – albeit on a more affordable scale.

The auctioneer is selling 8.75 acres of grassland and woodland which includes a plot on the River Great Ouse on the edge of Houghton, near Huntingdon.

It is going under the hammer on December 9 with a guide price of between £100,000 and £125,000.

The island is accessible via a footbridge and is close to the historic Houghton Mill, owned by the National Trust.

Cheffins auctioneer Ian Kitson said he expected the lot to generate plenty of interest.

“People will look at this for their own varying reasons, including simply wanting to own land as an investment, having an interest in nature or wanting land for animals to graze,” he said.

“The land generally comprises a flat parcel of well-maintained grassland in a single plot of around 7.3 acres and is surrounded by a mature broadleaf tree belt and hedgerows.

“At the southern edge of the land, a wooden footbridge leads on to an island comprising mixed woodland and amenity land, extending to approximately 1.45 acres along the River Great Ouse.

“The land is accessible from Thicket Road by vehicle whilst the island has pedestrian access.

“A public footpath along the Great Ouse links the land to the nearby historic Houghton Mill, a popular National Trust property and Houghton Mill camping and caravan site.”

The auction is taking place from 2pm on Wednesday, December 9 at Clifton House, Clifton Road, Cambridge.

Also up for sale is the site of a former police interview facility which now has planning permission for three new homes is expected to fetch more than £400,000 when it goes under the hammer.

The property, in Bell Road, Bottisham, near Cambridge, has a guide price of £425,000 and is being sold by local auctioneers Cheffins on the same day.

The main building on the site was used by officers for conducting video interviews for evidence.

In August Cambridgeshire Constabulary was granted outline planning permission to convert the facility into a three-bedroom detached house. It also includes room for two parking spaces and an enclosed rear garden.

Meanwhile, former garages on the site are to be demolished to make way for two semi-detached houses, each with a small front and rear garden and two parking spaces.

Mr Kitson said they were expecting plenty of interest from potential developers.

“The site, which totals 0.25 acres, is located on the north side of Bell Road in the south west of the village, surrounded by residential properties of varying ages and types,” he said.

“It has outline planning permission for three residential dwellings and is sure to appeal to those who want a high quality development opportunity in a well-regarded village outside Cambridge.”

The former police facility is being sold as part of an ongoing strategic review of assets by Cambridgeshire Police.

“The building itself was not open to members of the public and did not serve the immediate local community or provide any direct police services to the people of Bottisham,” he added.