The planned conversion of historic Groombridge Place into a boutique hotel has been scrapped.
The Pig hotels acquired the Grade 1 listed 17th Century moated manor house in early 2023 with a view to transforming it into its tenth Pig property.
The Initial plans for the house, which was built in 1662, included the creation of 40 bedrooms, but it is thought the project has been held up by planning rules and challenges converting the historic property.
The CEO of The Pig Hotels, which runs nine boutique hotels at locations across the south of England took to social media to confirm the decision.
Kevin Styles said: “They say the right decisions are always the hardest to make. And the news I am sharing with you today is certainly up there!
“After huge amount of consideration, we have decided to accept a private offer for the purchase of Groombridge Place – a stunning Grade 1 listed property and estate, on the border of Kent and East Sussex, that we acquired in early 2023 with a view to turning it into our tenth PIG.”
He said Groombridge Place was “a truly magical place” and that it had been “a privilege to be a part of its story”.
He didn’t explain why the group had decided to pull out of the project other than to add: “The reality is, despite fantastic support from the local authority and planning teams, our investment focus has evolved since we first took it on.”
He continued: “Of course, there is real sadness in letting Groombridge Place go. Projects like this become very personal, and many people across our business and beyond have poured time, energy and imagination into it over the past few years.
The sale of the historic building, which doubled as the Bennet family home in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice featuring Keira Knightley, will raise concerns about the new owner’s plans.
However, Mr Styles said: “The new buyer has expressed a deep appreciation for Groombridge Place’s unique heritage and is looking to sensitively enhance and invest in the iconic estate – we genuinely believe now is the right time for us to be handing over the guardianship of this wonderful property to them.”
The moated manor house was built in 1662 by barrister and architect Philip Packer with the help of his friend Christopher Wren. While the elegant Georgian structure dates to the 17th century, the moat itself reaches back as far as the 13th century.
The Pig Hotels describe themselves as “a bunch of laid-back hotels where the restaurant is at the heart of the house, and, at the time of writing, were still showcasing the Groombridge project on their website.