Historic Lakeland coaching house changes hands

An historic five-storey Lakeland coaching house has been sold to Newcastle pub company The Inn Collection Group, for an undisclosed sum.

Property adviser, Christie & Co, achieved the sale of Churchill Inn, in the South Lakeland town of Ambleside in Cumbria.

Churchill Inn is a coaching Inn with 18 en suite guest rooms that sits in a five-storey detached property dating back to around 1854.

To the rear of the property there is also a separate cottage comprising a manager’s flat and an eight-bed holiday apartment.

The business has historically provided strong profits, with good growth levels over recent years.

It sits in the village of Ambleside, a honeypot location in the heart of the Lake District National Park, which is renowned for its local attractions and numerous walks.

The village is ideally situated for tourists and marks the head of Windemere, England’s largest natural lake.

The inn has been run for the past 24 years by brothers Mark and Craig Routledge and their families, who have decided to sell to pursue retirement.

Mark Routledge said: “After almost 25 years of ownership it was the right time for our two families to retire.

“We hope The Inn Collection Group enjoy it as much as we have over the years.”

Inn Collection Company group managing director, Sean Donkin, said: “We will be looking to get the site reopened in as short a time as possible whilst we review the potential over the coming weeks with a view to a full redevelopment of the site early in 2021.”

Tom O’Malley, senior business agent at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, said: “It’s not often that something of this size comes to the market in this desirable part of the Lake District, so it was a pleasure to act for brothers Craig and Mark and their families.

“After taking it to the market confidentially, and after several interested parties, I believe that The Inn Collection Group have the right vision to unlock its full potential.”