Brockholes Arms Auction Mart Ltd. was formed in 1927 by a consortium of Farmers on its present site, by taking on a Lease of twenty one years from the Landlord Major Fitzherbert Brockholes. Sales commenced in May of that year. The Market was officially opened by Mr. Fitzherbert-Brockholes on 20th March 1928. On 18th October 1948 it was agreed by the Directors to purchase the land which Major Fitzherbert Brockholes offered to the Market for the sum of £450.00. Since the incorporation of the Market the Auction has been run by a Board of Directors and is owned by Shareholders, the main of which are farmers. About five years ago the Market acquired approximately two and a half acres of land and planning permission has been granted to convert the majority of this area into car parking for the Auction.
Brock Auction conducts weekly sales of Prime Lambs, Cast Sheep, Store Cattle followed by Rearing Calves and Weanlings on a Tuesday. Each week on a Wednesday are sales of Cast Cows & OTM Cattle. Brock have recently started popular monthly sales of Dairy cattle on a Wednesday which have attracted interest from throughout the North of England with purchasers travelling from the Midlands. There are seasonal sales of Breeding Sheep and Store lambs in the Autumn and popular sales of Sheep with lambs at foot in a Spring. Machinery Sales are held twice a year in the Spring and Autumn and Dressed Poultry Sales at Christmas. Brock Auction boasts a large customer base which continues to grow with buyers and sellers travelling to the market nationwide.
The auction boasts very modern facilities for penning cattle and sheep and the market continues to develop recently installing a milking parlour for the ever popular growing dairy sale. The site is very busy with units rented out to Lanes vets, PV Dobson and Son, Malpas Tractors and Armitstead Barnett. The auction mart cafe 'Auction Eats' is known by many to be one of the best auction cafes in the country and regurarly nominated for Farmer Guardian Auction Cafe of the year.
The current Directors of the Market are Chairman – Bill Myerscough, Vice Chairman – David Thistlethwaite, Company Secretary – Richards Eccles
Directors – John Thompson, Tom Garlick, Paul Mason, Robert Fryars, John Singleton and David Hargreaves
The Market currently employs approximately twenty staff, mainly on a part time basis. In June 2023 Brock Auction appointed Ian Atkinson as Auction Market Manager and Auctioneer. Ian oversees the day to day running of the market as well as auctioneering the Prime & Cast Sheep, Calves & Weanlings, Cast Cows, Dairy Cattle, Machinery and On Farm machinery dispersals and Store and Breeding Sheep. Richard Furnival of Armitstead Barnett, is employed as Store Cattle Auctioneer on a Tuesday.