23rd April 2013

Historic Manor by the Lake sold

Manor by the Lake, a Grade II listed manor house at Arle Court in Cheltenham, has been sold for an undisclosed sum and will be re-launched as a luxury special events venue.  The sale, negotiated by property consultants Alder King on behalf of receivers acting for Cheltenham Studios, secures the future of this landmark building.

New owners Tammy Madge and Michael Chittenden plan to restore the property and re-launch it as an exclusive wedding and conference venue later this year.  Restoration work will focus initially on the ground floor reception rooms of the house and the adjoining West Wing which will become a spectacular ballroom.   

A planning application has been lodged to convert the first floor accommodation, previously leased out as office space, into nine luxury bedrooms.

The new owners have previous experience of running a successful special events venue at Woodhall Manor in Suffolk.

Tammy Madge commented: “We plan to replicate the successful model we used at Woodhall Manor to develop this fabulous property into a luxury exclusive events venue for Cheltenham and the surrounding area.”

Philip Pratt, partner at Alder King, said: “It’s very pleasing to see this unique building transfer to new ownership and to know that once again it will be used and enjoyed to its full potential.”

Arle Court, built around 1854, was formerly headquarters for the Dowty aerospace group.  More recently it has been used as a wedding venue and conference centre, with office space let to a variety of occupiers.

The main house and West Wing provide a total of 13,860 sq ft of accommodation.  The 6.66 acre site includes mature landscaped grounds, a walled garden and lake.