English farmland values paused for breath in 2011, according to estate agents Knight Frank, but they continue to boast stronger returns than traditional asset classes over the last decade.

In the final quarter, UK farmland fell in value by 0.8%, pushing the rise for the year down to 4.0%. Andrew Shirley, Knight Frank's head of research, said: "The annual growth might be considered slightly disappointing compared with recent performance, but it is still robust, given the economic situation." Over the year, the FTSE World index dropped by 8% and the FTSE All Share fell nearly 6%.