A piece of Cotswold prime estate in the village of Broadway has been bought by a Cheltenham family investment company after the business it housed went bust and it was marketed for £1.25m.
Chartered surveyors and valuers John Truslove, who are based in Worcestershire, say they have sold Trinity House, a Grade II-listed former art gallery in Broadway that dates back to the 1500s and sits opposite the landmark Lygon Arms, for close to £1m.
It has been bought by family investment company Bo Pop FIC Ltd, which is run by Cheltenham couple Luke and Tania Fryer. Bo Pop specialises in both purchasing and leasing property and account files show that the company’s tangible assets climbed from £1.25m in 2022 to just under £3.5m for the following year.
John Truslove, who acted as joint agents with Lambert Smith Hampton, were instructed by Philip Armstrong and Philip Watkins, who had been appointed joint administrators of Trinity House Paintings Ltd in June 2023 after the business folded.
The gallery, which was founded in 2006 and run by Steven Beale, was the focus of controversy last summer in the wake of joint administrators being appointed on May 25, after which the business ceased training and all staff were made redundant.
One art collector, who owned three artworks in the gallery, reported the loss of his pictures to the police.
Ian Parker, joint MD of John Truslove, told Punchline-Gloucester.com: “Understandably, there was a significant amount of interest in this property, standing as it does in the centre of the High Street in one of the Cotswolds’ most popular towns.
“Freehold properties in this location and of this quality do not come onto the market often and we are pleased to have secured a sale to a local investor.”
Trinity House, which dates from the mid-18th century, was renovated around 1900. The three-storey property is built with traditional Cotswold limestone and has single-glazed timber framed windows, with a stone-tiled pitched roof.
Although listed as a mid-18th century property, the building originally dates from the early 1500s and is thought to have been a wheelwright’s premises for the 14th century Lygon Arms Hotel across the road.
The property extends to approximately 3,251 sq ft across the three floors with a single storey garage, accessed via a gated side driveway, to the rear. To the rear is a stone paved, terraced garden which features a currently unused swimming pool.
● A spokesperson for Bo Pop FIC Ltd said they were yet to confirm plans for the property and were currently assessing options.