17th Century hotel and restaurant in historic Whitby

3rd November 2008, 2:45pm

A 17th Century character hotel and restaurant in the historic fishing town of Whitby, North Yorkshire has been placed on the market through the Leeds Office of business agents, Christie + Co.

The White Horse & Griffin occupies a prominent position on Church Street in the Old Town, close to the harbour. The property was built around 1680 and was used as a Coaching Inn for travellers and sea Captains; with the belief that both Captain James Cook and Charles Dickens were regular visitors there. A three-storey terrace building, it comprises 10 en suite bedrooms, a front bar bistro seating 14, a bistro to seat 28, a breakfast room, private dining, a function room and a 30-cover restaurant.

There is also a holiday let, known as Perkins Cottage, which adjoins the main property, but has a separate entrance, with two bedrooms, a lounge, a kitchenette and house bathroom. This could also be used as owner's accommodation.

The town of Whitby is located on the east coast of North Yorkshire, approximately 20 miles from Scarborough and around 45 miles from York. High on the East Cliff stands the ruin of St Hilda's Abbey; an imposing landmark in this busy town, which is a maze of alleyways and narrow streets. It is also associated with many historical figures, including Bram Stoker, who took the churchyard at St Mary's Church as inspiration for his famous novel, Dracula.

Christine Cody-Owen, from Christie + Co's Leeds Office, who is handling the sale, commented; "The vendors, Stewart and June Perkins, have operated the hotel for the last 15 years and have built up high levels of repeat business and an enviable reputation, but are selling due to overseas commitments.

The business has been mainly staff run for the past two and a half years as Mr and Mrs Perkins have been overseas managing other projects. Whitby itself, and therefore the business, enjoys a wide variety of income streams, including tourist, recreational and corporate. Whilst the residents will eat and certainly contribute to the food and beverage sales, there is also a high number of non-residents using the restaurant."

Christie + Co is seeking a freehold asking price of £1,500,000 by company share sale. An additional holiday cottage business is available by separate negotiation.