Two hotels on the market in Bridgwater and Nether Stowey

Two hotels are currently on the market in the Bridgwater area, including the historic Old Vicarage Hotel, located on St Mary Street. 

The other, Nether Stowey's Apple Tree Hotel, retains period features and is located near the Quantock Hills and Exmoor National Park. 

Both are up for sale because the owners are planning to retire and are on the market with Christie & Co, a specialist advisor for buying and selling businesses.

They are being advertised on Rightmove, the UK's largest online property portal.

Old Vicarage Hotel, Bridgwater, £1,150,000

The Grade II listed hotel and restaurant is ideal for visitors who want to stay in historic surroundings while exploring Somerset, with claims Isambard Kingdom Brunel stayed there while he designed the town's train station and a railway bridge. 

It still has many of its original features such as oak wood panelled ceilings, open Hamstone fireplaces, exposed beams and an original ‘wig cupboard’. 

Last year, the hotel featured in an episode of a Discovery+ documentary series called ’Help, My House is Haunted’ due to reports of paranormal activity. 

The Old Vicarage contains 18 en suite letting rooms, including a family room, five superior doubles, five classic doubles, two twins and four singles. 

The hotel’s restaurant and bar have a great reputation locally and can seat up to 68 guests in total.

A heated patio area provides seating for another 42 guests, with a wood-fired pizza oven overlooking its large private gardens. 

The hotel has also offered weddings under its current owners, Peter Starling and Candida Leaver, who have run it since 2019.

The dog-friendly hotel has 18 refurbished en-suite letting rooms ranging from singles to suites. (Image: Christie & CO)

 In March, they said: “It has been a privilege to have been part of such an iconic building with its warm and welcoming atmosphere.”

Stephen Champion, Hotels Director at Christie & Co who is handling the sale, said: “Since acquiring the hotel our clients have undertaken an extensive and sympathetic restoration that touched almost every single part of the building.

"The property is now presented in excellent order throughout and is in the perfect position for a new owner to take over. 

"We have no doubt this unique hotel and turnkey operation will generate significant interest from both existing operators and newer entrants alike.”

Apple Tree Hotel, Nether Stowey, £950,000

This hotel is located around five miles from Bridgwater and suits guests who are seeking adventures in the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Exmoor. 

The Rightmove listing describes it as “a 16-bedroom relaxed, informal hotel with a bar and restaurant set along a country road in South West England”.

The Apple Tree Hotel comes with a reception, bar, commercial kitchen, conferencing room and orangery, plus storage areas and public toilet facilities. 

Its 16 bedrooms include seven double rooms, two family rooms, two twin rooms, four single rooms and one four-poster room. 

There is also a three-bedroom modern home for the owner, featuring a large kitchen-diner, drawing room, utility room and significant storage space.

There is also a manager's flat in the hotel that could be used as further guest accommodation. The Apple Tree Hotel's owners are retiring after 21 years running the business. (Image: Google Street View)

The listing says: “During our clients' 21 years of ownership, they have painstakingly upgraded and developed the offering of the hotel, achieving AA three-star status and an excellent reputation. 

“The hotel caters for both corporate and leisure guests, and there is a good mix of trade from both of these areas, with guests enjoying a relaxed, informal and comfortable atmosphere.

“Our clients, who are looking forward to their well-earned retirement, currently run the hotel very much as a lifestyle business and there is significant scope to increase trade by increasing opening hours and exploring new markets such as weddings and conferences.”