Sunny Hill, Bruton, Somerset, BA10.

* Former school comprising a range of buildings last used for boarding, teaching, administration, staff accommodation and sport/recreation

* Potential for redevelopment/alternative uses to residential, senior living and/or hotel, subject to obtaining the necessary planning consents

* 5 miles from Castle Cary, with fast direct links to London Paddington and Bristol

* Principal Buildings: in all approx. 125,000 sq ft (11,613 sq m) GIA

* Land: in all approx. 34 acres (13.76 ha)

* Freehold

* Vacant possession available across the majority of the site being sold

* Available as a whole or in lots

Description
The property comprises a substantial former independent boarding and day school for girls aged 2 to 18. The buildings extend to approximately 125,000 sq ft (11,613 sq m) in grounds extending to approx. 34 acres (13.76 ha). The buildings comprise a mixture of general and specialised teaching space, boarding and residential accommodation, theatre, music school, office space, playing fields, full size Astro and tennis courts.

Bruton School for Girls was closed permanently at the end of the 2022 academic year.

The site occupies an elevated position with far reaching views west across the Somerset countryside, with Glastonbury Tor visible on the horizon. The school centres around the 'Old House' that fronts Strutter's Hill Road (A359). Most of the school buildings fall in behind and are perched on the gentle slope that runs down towards Mill Lane with the Astro dominating the other side of the road.

The site can be accessed via multiple entrance points. Depending on the specific location, entrances are off Strutter's Hill, Mill Lane, and Sunny Hill. The two main car parks are accessed off the A359 and have capacity for approximately 100 cars.

Sunny Hill Nursery is currently operating on the site. The nursery will remain open, however there may be the possibility of relocating the nursery to another building on the site or relocating elsewhere in Bruton with improved facilities. A list of the accommodation found on site can be seen in the schedule of accommodation in the data room.

The site benefits from extensive lawns, wooded enclaves in the old railway cutting and grass sports pitches. In addition to the Astro, at the centre of the site are additional hard surfaced netball or tennis courts.

Away from the former school site and within the redline boundaries are areas of pasture leased to local farmers for grazing, details of which can be found in the data room.

Situated in the Somerset countryside, the property is set just outside the highly sought-after and reputable town of Bruton, perched on the border of the small settlement of Pitcombe and Bruton. The town provides an abundance of artisan cafes, restaurants and shops that can provide for the day-to-day needs.


Arts and Crafts flourish in Bruton. With its terraced streets of historic houses, it's one of Somerset's local centres of creativity, punching far above its humble size. In conjunction with the local artistic ventures, Bruton now boasts the exciting Hauser and Wirth gallery as well as the Durslade Farm Shop, ingeniously installed in a restored farm just outside the town, with constantly changing exhibitions.


The site sits within close proximity of The Newt, a headline sponsor of the recent Chelsea Flower Show. The highly exclusive countryside retreat opened in August 2019, and is contained within the landscaped gardens that have been entirely redesigned by Patrice Taravella.


Slightly further away, but equally exclusive is Babington House part of the Soho House Group.


With views over the Somerset countryside Glastonbury is in eyesight, with Glastonbury Tor visible from most of the site. The beautiful spa city of Bath is approximately 26 miles north whilst Bristol, Exeter, Yeovil and Taunton are easily reachable from the site.


Bruton is surprisingly cosmopolitan because it's easily reached from London, by rail (Castle Cary station) and from the A303.


Transport

Despite its rural aspect within the beautiful Somerset countryside, it remains extremely well located in terms of transport connections.


National rail services run from both Bruton and Castle Cary stations. Bruton Station provides local connections to Bath Spa, Frome, Weymouth, Salisbury, and Gloucester. Castle Cary provides high speed direct access to London Paddington and Bristol. London is commutable along with other major UK cities.


Located just to the north of the A303 and east of the A37 allows the site reasonable access to the major arterial roads that filter east to London, north to Bristol, Bath and Cardiff, south to Bournemouth and west to Exeter.


Bristol and Southampton Airports are about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes from the opportunity. Both airports have a full roster of daily departures to multiple European destinations. Heathrow Airport, UK's largest airport, provides access to hundreds of destinations across the world and can be accessed via car in approximately one hour fifty minutes.