Equestrian venue Porlock Vale House up for sale for £2m
Former hotel and Olympic equestrian training ground Porlock Vale House is up for sale for just under £2m.
The Somerset site includes a stable block, riding school and 23 acres of land (including pasture, paddocks and orchards) within the Exmoor National Park, and is currently being run as a self-catering complex. Property agency Colliers International, which is marketing the site, has suggested it could work well as a hotel or B&B.
First built in 1904 as a hunting lodge, the property was run as a successful hotel with a £500,000 turnover until 2008, when the owners decided to change direction and let the main house as a self-catering property, alongside two other self-catering flats and a cottage. The land and stables were retained for private use.
The main house features 15 en-suite bedrooms, a lounge, dining room, a games room, wood-panelled bar and wine store, plus a hall with original features, grand staircase, covered veranda, croquet lawn, lawned gardens, and unspoilt views of the countryside, plus direct access to the single beach and the South West Coast Path.
There is also a separate three-bedroom house on the grounds, converted from part of the Edwardian stables, with its own landscaped garden and views.
The riding school comprises a cobbled courtyard, two stable yards and a large indoor teaching area with viewing gallery. There is also a workshop with a tack and feed room, hay barn, log storage, and paddocks.
With a strong equestrian reputation, the property was also the training ground for the 1952 British Olympic equestrian team, who went on to win a gold medal in Helsinki.
Simon Wells, hotels director at Colliers International, said: "For sale in its entirety, the opportunities at Porlock Vale House are truly unique. The new owners can choose to continue to run the property as a self-catering house, re-open it as a hotel, run a wedding venue or capitalise on the strong equestrian offering.
"This is a fantastic chance to own a piece of equestrian history and prime leisure destination."
Buying a hospitality business >>
Hotels in Exmoor and Dartmoor are counting the cost of extreme weather >>
