Valuations & Rural Business Management

Our team provides comprehensive valuations and business management services tailored to the needs of the rural community, ensuring your agricultural enterprise thrives.

Expert Valuations and Rural Business Support

At McCartneys our experienced team of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) qualified valuers undertake valuations for all purposes. Valuations are undertaken in accordance with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors regulations and guidance (The Red Book). We also sit on a number of national banks valuation panels.

We undertake valuation for all purposes, including:

  • Loan/Mortgage security.
  • Taxation, including Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax and Stocktaking.
  • Matrimonial, property division and family matters.
  • Dispute Resolution and Expert Witness.
  • Estate/Business planning and succession.
  • Charities Act (compliant under the Charities Act of 2011).
  • For sale, purchase and letting of rural property and diversified businesses.
  • Pension Funds.
  • Plant & Machinery.
  • Other Asset Valuations.

Stay Updated with McCartneys

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest updates on sales, market trends, and industry insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe

Rural Experts

Introducing the McCartneys team.

Simon Edwards

Chairman

X

Simon Joined McCartneys LLP in October 2009 and currently undertakes professional work from Brecon, Hay on Wye and the Llandrindod Wells Offices of McCartneys.

Simon is a graduate of the University of Manchester, a post graduate of the University of Reading, a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), a Member of the Institute of Revenue, Rating and Valuation (IRRV) and a RICS registered valuer.

Simon began his surveying career working for the Estates Department of Powys County Council undertaking a wide range of estate management activities. In October 2009 Simon joined McCartneys LLP to work as part of the professional team in Hay on Wye & Brecon and has since specialised in the sale and letting of all types of residential, commercial and agricultural property. His other specialisms include Compulsory Purchase & Compensation, Planning Matters, Business Rating, Landlord & Tenant Matters and Valuations for Probate, Security and Taxation.

Simon is married and living in Llanfrynach near Brecon and takes a keen interest in local life and is a keen all-round shooter when he gets the chance.

Katie Davies

Partner and Auctioneer. Rural Chartered Surveyor

X

Katie Davies

Katie joined McCartneys in August 2008 following graduating from Harper Adams University College with a First Class Honours Degree in Rural Enterprise and Land Management, and became a Partner of McCartneys in January 2017. Katie is a qualified member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyor (MRICS), RICS Registered Valuer and Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (FAAV). Based between our Knighton and Welshpool offices Katie undertakes Rural Professional work across Mid Wales and the Borders, as well as being an auctioneer at Knighton Livestock Market. Katie’s daily work includes sales and lettings of land, farms and rural property, valuations, landlord and tenant matters, compulsory purchase and compensation matters, Basic Payment Scheme and grant applications, planning appraisals and livestock auctioneering. Katie is a farmer’s daughter originating from Llangunllo, Radnorshire. When young enough Katie was an active member of Young Farmers! She is proud to have held the position of County Chairman of Radnor Federation. Always willing to have a go she has been lucky enough to achieve success in a variety of competitions. Her proudest moments are her stock judging and public speaking successes with memorable moments including winning the Welsh Black cattle judging and dairy Holstein judging at the Royal Welsh Show, the Butchers Lambs judging at the Royal Welsh Show Winter Fair, twice winning Radnor YFC Senior Stockman of the Year and being a member of the winning Radnor YFC Senior debating team at Wales and representing the county at National. Outside of work she enjoys helping on the family farm.

    Jenny Layton Mills

    Partner & Auctioneer

    X

    Jenny Layton Mills

    Upon leaving Harper Adams University College with a 2:1 BSc (Hons) Degree in Rural Enterprise and Land Management, Jenny joined McCartneys in 1999 at their Knighton Office and Livestock Market. Striving to be one of the first female livestock auctioneers in the country, she quickly began to sell at weekly finished markets, fortnightly store markets and farm dispersal sales.

    While expanding the large range of Rural Professional work within Mid Wales and the borders, she became a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers. Her favourite part of the job is to see a good result for a client. She says “the hardest jobs are always the best when they work out right”. Jenny is also a RICS independent Expert Witness and has acted in Rural Valuations on many disputes. Jenny completes over 120 BPS applications, many of which are cross border applicants together with a large range of Compensation work recently including the Elan Valley Aqueduct Rehabilitation works. Jenny is also a Fellow of the Livestock Auctioneers Association and became an Equity and LLP Partner of McCartneys in 2006.

    She lives with her husband Richard and son Tommy on the family farm at Vowchurch. She enjoys playing hockey for Kington Ladies Hockey Club when times allows and enjoys supporting and judging YFC Competitions.
    Qualifications & Experience

    Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (FAAV), Fellow of the Livestock Auctioneers Association (FLAA) and registered by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors as an Expert Witness, Qualified in the Rural Divisions of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, with in excess of 10 years’ post qualification experience specialising in the RICS faculties of Rural Property, Dispute Resolution and Rural Land & Property Jenny is fully conversant with the RICS Practice Statement & Guidance Notes “Surveyors acting as Expert Witnesses”, the Civil Procedure Rules – Part 35, the “Civil Justice Experts‚ Protocol” and has considerable experience in preparing Expert Witness Reports.

    Jenny also has the practical experience of Livestock, both cattle and sheep, from selling on a weekly basis at Knighton market.

    Joanna Wall

    Head of Rural Department , Associate Partner, Rural Chartered surveyor

    X

    Joanna Wall

    Joanna graduated from Harper Adams University College with a 2:1 Honours Degree in Rural Enterprise and Land Management in 2012, and is a qualified Member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), an RICS Registered Valuer and a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (FAAV). She has also sat the exams to become a Member of the National Association of Estate Agents (MNAEA), the Association of Residential Letting and Property Management(MARLA) and the National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers (MNAVA).

    Having been back at McCartneys since March 2018, and became Associate Partner in January 2021, she is now solely in charge of the Craven Arms office undertaking all aspects of residential sales and lettings, and a wide range of rural professional work to include agency, landlord and tenant matters, agricultural licences, compulsory purchase and compensation, grant schemes, environmental stewardship and subsidies, valuations for a variety of purposes and general practice.

    Joanna is a local farmer’s daughter hailing from near Bishop’s Castle in rural south Shropshire. In her spare time, she enjoys walking with her beloved Labrador, Gin, traveling and socialising with friends.

    John Uffold

    Consultant

    X

    John Uffold

    John Uffold was the Chairman of McCartneys and partner in charge of Ludlow Livestock Market, having joined the partnership some 44 years ago, previously working in private practice in the West Country and East Midlands and, for a time, as a senior surveyor for the Land Service (formerly part of the then Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food – at the time John was the youngest senior surveyor appointed by the Ministry since the war). He is now a consultant with the business carrying out professional work.

    Graduating from Reading University with a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Estate Management and being the last winner of The Estates Gazette Cup for the student of the year, John is a member of The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, a fellow of the Livestock Auctioneers Association and member of the National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers. (John won the Society of Valuers and Auctioneers National Competition for young auctioneer of the year more years ago now than he cares to remember).
    Whether a Lord or a smallholder, John treats everybody the same and has acted for both in his time at Ludlow, firmly believing it is the job of professional men to help the vulnerable in society and not just those that can pay a good fee.

    John is married to Mary and has two children, Oliver and Ruth. He is a member of a small family farming partnership breeding Pedigree Texel Sheep.

    Formerly a keen young farmer himself, winning a Gold Medal at Smithfield for beef cattle and carcass judging, John also representing England at the European Rally for Tractor driving and fencing.
    John has been associated with the Y.F.C. since moving to Shropshire and was instrumental in McCartneys apprenticeship scheme aimed at bringing young people into the firm and giving them professional training, a career and a job for life. An outdated concept to some but not to McCartneys.

    Traditional values and principles, coupled with modern efficient service and keeping the business in its widest sense relevant to the world in which we live, have been and still are John’s core principles.

    Field of Expertise
    Family disputes? Divorce? Probate? Partnership disputes? Then read on.

    It is a truism that experience is something that you can sell but never buy. Thirty two years of experience, in private practice and government has given John a wide range of experience in all rural professional work and livestock auctioneering. His specialisms, as regards professional work are:

    Valuations for tax planning
    Divorce valuations
    Valuations involving tenancies and legal issues
    Livestock valuations of all types
    As Chairman he has been involved in disputes concerning umpires, arbitrations, court cases and is known in the locality as being able to broker a deal between parties even where they are, to start with, intransigent and emotionally involved. The ability to see both sides of the argument in a pragmatic, rational and businesslike manner is the key to his success. This is particularly important when dealing with divorce cases and partnership disputes.

    T. Wyn Jones

    Consultant

    X

    T. Wyn Jones

    Wyn is qualified in both the Rural & General Divisions of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors with in excess of 30 years post qualification experience specialising in the RICS faculties of Residential, Rural & Commercial Property together with Dispute Resolution.

    A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS), a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb) and a Member of the Expert Witness Institute (MEWI) Wyn is registered by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors as an Expert Witness, Accredited Valuer, Arbitrator, and Independent Expert. Wyn also holds office as a Chair on the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber, Ministerial appointed Chair (and Governing Council member) of the Welsh Valuation Tribunal and appointed member of both English and Welsh Agricultural Land Tribunals.

    Josh Balsdon

    Rural Chartered Surveyor

    X

    Josh Balsdon

    lore ipsum dolor set amet

    Ellie Hopkins

    Rural Chartered Surveyor

    X

    Ellie Hopkins

    Ellie returned to McCartneys in 2021 after graduating from Harper Adams University with a first-class honours degree in Rural Enterprise and Land Management, after previously completing her placement year with the firm in 2019/2020. Ellie is a qualified member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), a RICS Registered Valuer and a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (FAAV).

    Based in the Brecon and Hay-on-Wye offices, Ellie undertakes a wide range of professional services to include rural property sales, landlord and tenant advice, Red Book valuations for Inheritance and Capital Gains Tax purposes and compulsory purchase and compensation matters.

    Ellie is a farmer’s daughter from Breconshire and lives near Brecon with her husband on a mixed beef, sheep and arable farm. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time on the farm, cycling, running and socialising with friends.

    Other Departments

    McCartneys provides diverse services, including estate agency, property management, fine art auctions, rural professional services, and planning and development. Our expert team offers tailored solutions to meet your specific needs, ensuring exceptional service across all our departments.

    Read More property-img

    Property

    Delivering expert guidance and support for all your property transactions and management needs.

    Read More
    Read more Livestock carousel image

    Livestock

    Providing comprehensive livestock services, including weekly primestock sales, store sales, pedigree sales, and private dairy cattle exchanges.

    Read more
    Read more Antiques carousel image

    Fine Art & Antiques

    We hold monthly auctions and offer free item valuations by appointment, with no obligation to sell.

    Read more
    Read more Equine carousel image

    Equine

    Join our premier horse sales in Brecon and Worcester, featuring top facilities and convenient access for buyers and sellers.

    Read more
    Read more Rural carousel image

    Rural

    Offering a wide and comprehensive range of services across the Midlands and throughout Wales, McCartneys has a large, dedicated team of professional experts specialising in all aspects of rural property, planning and business advice.

    Read more
    Read more Survey carousel image

    Planning & Survey

    Delivering expert solutions for all your residential, commercial, agricultural, and rural planning and surveying needs.

    Read more

    Latest Insights

    Stay informed with the latest insights from McCartneys.

    Read more

    Charity Auction

    What an incredible achievement for two very worthwhile causes. On 26th July, we were delighted to be part of the Mochdre Moments charity auction, helping to raise an amazing £10,500 for Parkinson’s and Pentre Chapel.With Lloyd Humphreys doing a fantastic job as auctioneer, the generosity of everyone who donated, bid and supported the evening made […]

    Read more
    Read more

    Charity Walk

    This Sunday Hayley, Adleis, Eloise, Katrina & Ellen, all from the Knighton office are walking a Half Marathon around Elan Valley to raise money in aid of MIND. We are walking, along with 18 other ladies, from Trefy Ladies Running & Walking group. We have been walking after work every Wednesday for the last 2 […]

    Read more
    Read more

    Brecon Show

    Find us at Brecon Show this weekend!   If you’re visiting Brecon Show this Saturday, be sure to pop by our stand, you’ll find us by the Main Ring! Whether you’re an existing client, thinking about working with us, or just fancy a chat, we’d love to see you. Come and say hello, meet the […]

    Read more
    Read more

    Trade Stand Applications

    Trade Stand Applications Are Now Open Put your business in front of hundreds of Welsh Pony & Cob enthusiasts from across the UK at the WPCS Official Autumn Sale on 17–18 October 2026 at the Royal Welsh Showground. Whether you offer equestrian products, clothing, tack, feed, or specialist services, this is your chance to connect […]

    Read more
    Read more

    Shetland Ponies

    Entries are now open for the Shetland Pony Stud-Book Society Autumn Show & Sale   Join fellow breeders, exhibitors, and enthusiasts at the Autumn Show & Sale of Registered Shetland Ponies, proudly hosted by McCartneys Equine under the Auspices of the Shetland Pony Stud-Book Society. Worcester Livestock Market WR4 0SQ SHOW: Saturday 24 October 2026 […]

    Read more
    Read more

    Project Progress

    Always good to see a project underway. Residential Development Scheme for 4 dwellings on outskirts of village. Planning Permission including architectural design, together with detailed technical drawings undertaken by McCartneys Planning and Survey. Have any projects in mind? Contact us to discuss further: Geraint 07872 222 835 geraint.jones@mccartneys.co.uk Matthew 07534 687 170 matthew.evans@mccartneys.co.uk planning@mccartneys.co.uk  

    Read more
    Read more

    Hedgerow Management

    Hedgerow Management Rules in England No cutting or trimming hedgerows from 1st March – 31st August unless an exemption applies. Exemptions include: • Public/Private rights of way • Dead or diseased hedgerows • Required works by a statutory body • Private garden boundaries • Risk to plant, animal or human health • Weed or pest […]

    Read more
    Read more

    Welsh Pony & Cob Society Official Autumn Sale

    Entries Now Open   Entries are now open for the 2026 Welsh Pony & Cob Society Official Autumn Sale, taking place at the Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October 2026. The Official Sale is one of the highlights of the Welsh Pony & Cob calendar, attracting vendors and purchasers from […]

    Read more
    Read more

    DPJ Foundation Anniversary Dinner

         

    Read more
    Read more

    SFI26 Window 1

    Don’t miss your opportunity Defra has confirmed that approximately 75% of the £60 million budget for the first SFI26 application window has now been allocated. The Secretary of State for Defra has also confirmed that the £60 million budget for Window 1 is fixed and will not be increased, regardless of demand. With funding becoming […]

    Read more