An historic County Durham hall which has been closed for two years is poised for a new lease of life as The Apartment Group’s latest luxury wedding venue.
Grade II star listed Lartington Hall dates back to the 1600s and was once destined for the wrecking ball, until an airline pilot rescued it from demolition in the 1970s. Now the hall, near Barnard Castle, has been snapped up by the Newcastle leisure firm – owners of hotels including Newton Hall and Runa, and bars across Newcastle including As You Like It and ChaChaBuchi – which is set to invest around £1m in upgrading the 17th century property.
Around 30 new jobs are being created at the venue, which was previously in private ownership and had been shut for the last two years as a result of the impact of the pandemic. It’s the second wedding venue to be acquired by The Apartment Group this year, following the purchase of the Croft Hotel at Croft-on-Tees in January – and the company is continuing to work on further similar acquisitions, with plans in place for future expansion into Yorkshire and along the M62 corridor.
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Set within 75 acres of peaceful parkland, Lartington Hall has 12 luxury double bedrooms, as well as a stylish grand ballroom, spectacular ornamental gardens and a private chapel. The earliest part of the property dates back to 1635 and had been scheduled for demolition in 1973 until it was saved by an pilot called Robert Rackham who sealed its future on a 30-year lease. An extensive restoration of the building was carried out in the 1980s in conjunction with the Historic Buildings Council.
In addition to having a Grade II star listing, which denotes it as being a particularly important building of more than special interest, Lartington Hall’s ornamental garden, garden wall, entrance gates and garden steps are all separately Grade II listed. The Apartment Group also owns Runa Hall, on the eastern side of Barnard Castle, which opened last year, while its other wedding venues around the North East include Newton Hall near Alnwick, Le Petit Chateau in Northumberland and the Grade II listed Whitworth Hall in County Durham.
Apartment Group founder Duncan Fisher said: “Lartington Hall is a unique destination set in a heart-stoppingly beautiful place and fits perfectly into a growing portfolio of wedding venues that each have their own stories to tell. We believe that we’re only the sixth owners of Lartington Hall in almost four centuries, and we’re very grateful to John and Shona Harper-Wilkes for entrusting us with the future of this magnificent property.
“We have a range of plans in place to enhance what Lartington Hall offers to our guests, and will be working closely with the heritage and planning authorities to ensure everything we do is wholly sympathetic to its history and character.”
Stuart Bailey, CEO of The Apartment Group, adds: “Our concept of offering affordable luxury in a series of unique venues is proving extremely successful and we plan to continue widening our presence in select locations across northern England. NatWest’s backing for this latest project is clear recognition of the commercial strength of our business plan, while Hay & Kilner’s advice and guidance is a central part of our continuing growth strategy.”
The Lartington Hall acquisition was completed with the support of a financial package from NatWest, while Hay & Kilner worked with The Apartment Group management team on the deal.
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