A former village school has been sold for conversion into a home after more than 100 people expressed an interest in buying it.

Pupils moved out of the 126-year-old Grewelthorpe Church of England Primary School, near Ripon, several months ago after a purpose-built complex was built on a hillside overlooking the old school.

The school has now been sold by formal tender with a guide price of more than £125,000.

The building was sold by agents Strutt and Parker, of Harrogate. They would not reveal the final price, but it is believed the figure was closer to £150,000.

Charles Yeoman, a partner in the agents, said: "We showed round in excess of 100 people and so there was a lot of interest in the sale."

Mr Yeoman said he had not been too surprised by the amount of interest in the building, which is in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

"It is in a nice village and opportunities like this are very scarce," he said.

The former school has outline planning permission for a single property.

Villagers in Grewelthorpe waited almost 40 years for its new school, which cost £410,000.

In the end governors decided to embark on a successful go-it-alone fundraising initiative to secure the move.