Robinwood acquires castle
LANCASHIRE-BASED Robinwood Activity Centres has acquired a 19th century castle in Todmorden in a deal worth £2.1m.
The purchase of Dobroyd Castle, set in 17 acres of countryside, adds a third centre to its existing operation offering outward bound activities and team building for young people on residential courses.
Its other two centres are Barhaugh Hall in Alston, Cumbria, and The Old School, which is also in Todmorden.
Manchester law firm Ralli advised on the deal which will see Dobroyd Castle launch in spring next year offering a range of facilities including archery, climbing, caving, trapeze and a “piranha pool” – a themed problem solving activity.
Young people will be able to test their nerve and agility on a zip wire, a giant swing and an obstacle course in the grounds as well as experiencing canoeing and raft building on a specially designed lake.
Martin Vasey, managing director of Robinwood Activities Centres, said: “With a strong track record and 15 years experience in the educational activities sector, we were quite literally growing out of our existing sites.
“We’ve spent a long time surveying potential sites for the new centre and are thrilled Dobroyd Castle can now meet the needs of schools from across the country.
We aim to retain the site’s heritage and beauty and develop it in a sympathetic way to preserve its historical allure.”
Adrian Anderson, partner and head of the corporate department at Ralli, added : “As a Grade II star listed building, we had to be extremely careful about the detail on this acquisition and the legislation surrounding the history of the site. There were also flora and fauna considerations to take into account.
“The assistance of the planning team at Jones Lang LaSalle was invaluable in this respect. This is an excellent business move for Robinwood which will enable the company to grow. The capacity for the new site allows up to 300 young people on a residential course when fully operational, making the castle the new flagship site within the estate.”
