'We bought the iconic Villa at Wrea Green for £3.6m - it won't become a hotel for illegal migrants'
The Villa at Wrea Green, one of Lancashire’s most iconic leisure venues, has been bought out of administration after six months in bankruptcy.
The property, previously managed by receiver FRP Advisory, has been purchased by the Haythornthwaite family through their property investment company, Dixon Grange, for £3.6 million.
The acquisition adds The Villa to a growing portfolio of leisure and hospitality businesses owned by the group, which already includes Mill Farm Sports Village, home of AFC Fylde, as well as Cark Manor and Aynsome Manor - two five-star properties near Cartmel in the Lake District.
David Haythornthwaite, Group Chairman, said he was “delighted to complete this deal and add this iconic venue to our portfolio.”
“Ever since I was a young man and went there for dinner on my very first date, it's been a place I have coveted. I never thought it would come up for sale but when it did, I was determined we would get it,” he said.
Haythornthwaite confirmed the venue’s future would continue to focus on events and hospitality, adding:
“I'm pleased to confirm that it won't become a hotel for illegal migrants.
“We have more than 100 weddings booked at the venue stretching out to 2027 and it's important we honour these wherever possible.”
He acknowledged that the purchase was complicated by staff departures prior to the sale but said the group intends to invest significantly in the site.
“Our plan is to build on the legacy left and turn it into one of the North West's premier Conference and Banqueting facilities,” Haythornthwaite said.
“It’s a little tired right now but we intend to go straight to work in bringing the existing facilities up to scratch and then adding more over the next two years.
“All in all we expect to invest roughly the same amount we paid for it last week.”
He concluded by thanking everyone involved in the acquisition: “It's not been the easiest purchase we ever made but it's done now.”