New owners plan renovation for Old Vicarage
The new owners of the Old Vicarage in Bridgwater are planning to refurbish the site to restore the building and add value to the business.
Husband and wife Peter Starling and Candida Leaver acquired the Somerset property this month from Harbour Lounge and are renovating the Grade II-listed property starting with the restaurant and some of its 20 bedrooms.
The hotel, which dates to the 14th century, will stay open throughout the refurbishment. They hope to have the restaurant renovated and reopened in March and some of the rooms relaunched in April, with the rest to follow in May.
Before taking on the Old Vicarage, the pair owned the Bower Inn, buying it in 2010 when it was a run down country pub and spent seven years transforming it into a pub, restaurant and boutique hotel before selling the business in November 2017 to the Butcombe Pubs chain.
Leaver said: "In time we will be giving all areas of the property a makeover including the entrance ways and the gardens. One of the bedrooms will be converted to create a guests' sitting room.
"At the Bower all our bedrooms featured chic vintage furniture and accessories, some dating back to the 1820s, mixed with all the requirements a modern traveller would expect. We'll be bringing our flair for design and our knowledge of the market and what the discerning customer expects to the Old Vicarage too.
"We have an excellent team in place, but do need some other experienced professionals, so anyone interested with experience should check out our website or get in touch."
