Oldest hotel in the UK on the market for £1.4m
The freehold of the oldest hotel in the UK, the Lowther Hotel, has been brought to market with the nearby Drake Inn for £1.4m.
Owners Julie and Howard Duckworth run property development and restoration firm the Julie Howard Partnership. They bought the 12-bedroom Lowther Hotel and the 10-bedroom Drake pub with rooms in Goole, East Yorkshire, in 2008 and 2014, respectively.
Both properties have since undergone massive renovation and investment projects.
The Duckworths, who were awarded the Heritage Angels Award for best rescue of a heritage site by Historic England for their work on the two sites, have decided to sell due to ill health and their desire to spend more time with their family members.
They said: "After much soul searching, the family have decided that with Howard's illness and with Julie being past retirement age, it has become evident over the last year or so that the Lowther and the Drake deserve someone else with the passion and drive to take them forward to the next level."
The Grade II-listed Lowther Hotel was built in 1824, operating as a hotel since its inception. It was officially named the oldest purpose-built hotel in the UK in 2016 after the Royal Clarence hotel in Exeter burnt down earlier that year, receiving a blue plaque to commemorate this in 2017.
Comprising three storeys, the main building features 12 bedrooms, private functions rooms, and two licensed venues, Eddie's Bar & Bistro and the Voodoo Chilli Nightclub.
The cobbled courtyard to the rear of the hotel leads to the Coach House, a bar and events space which is often utilised for private parties, the Coco Havana Bar, and the JD Grill diner and takeaway.
Situated on the same street, the Drake operates as a pub and sports bar with guest accommodation. It was originally built as a bank in the 1880s and was owned by Barclays, before falling into disrepair in recent years. The Lowther Hotel complex is available to purchase without the Drake.
Mark Worley, director at Christie & Co which is handling the sale, said: "We are very pleased to be able to market two buildings of such historic significance."
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