UK’s oldest hotel brought to market for £1.4m

Britain’s oldest hotel, The Lowther Hotel, in Goole, East Yorkshire, has been brought to the market alongside neighbouring pub The Drake Inn for £1.4m.

The Grade-II listed property was built in 1824, operating as a hotel since its inception, and was officially named the oldest in the UK in 2016 after the Royal Clarence Hotel burnt down – receiving a Blue Plaque to commemorate this in 2017.

Comprising three storeys, the main building features 12 en-suite guest bedrooms, private functions rooms known as the ‘Mural Rooms’ and two licensed venues, Eddie’s Bar & Bistro and the Voodoo Chilli Nightclub.

Situated on the same street, The Drake operates as a pub and sports bar which offers guest accommodation in the form of 10 guest letting rooms. The fully restored inn features a main trading area with a bar and restaurant seating. Buyers have the option of purchasing just The Lowther Hotel complex, without The Drake.

Both properties were purchased in 2008 and 2014, respectively, by the current owners Julie and Howard Duckworth, who run the Julie Howard Partnership which restores and develops properties.

Both sites also underwent renovation and investment projects aimed at recovering original features and enhancing the buildings. Julie and Howard have now decided to sell due to the ill health of one of the partners and their desire to spend more time with their family members.

Mr and Mrs Duckworth 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.

“Goole represents an exciting opportunity with a host of major firms looking to boost the local economy with significant investment. These include Siemens who are investing £160m to build a train factory, Croda’s recent announcement of a £7m distribution hub and an investment of £10m by Y Pellets for a biomass factory. All this will be on the new industrial park, off the M62 at junction 36 Goole, which is within a mile of the hotel.”

Mark Worley, director at Christie & Co, who is handling the sale, added: “We are very pleased to be able to market two buildings of such historic significance, however from a business perspective, there is also much to be excited about. The Lowther includes several other related income streams which all complement each other, whilst The Drake, although adjacent and opposite, provides further cross selling business opportunities.”