Christie & co instructed to sell major property investment

The decision to bring the hybrid investment opportunity to the market after over 25 years of ownership and significant investment follows a strategic review of St. Modwen’s core business.

Strategically located between Greater Manchester and Birmingham and c. 1.75 miles from junction 15 of the M6, Trentham is highly accessible to significant population centres. Around 3.25m visitors, including over 760,000 paid for visitors, come to Trentham each year, placing the estate in the top five paid-for garden attractions in the UK.

Trentham’s business is underpinned by the significant property investment business which incorporates 85 third-party leasehold occupiers predominantly located in the Outlook Shopping Village, as well as restaurants and a Blue Diamond Garden Centre, which is currently on a 35-year lease. Trentham also features a Monkey Forest attraction, a Treetop Adventure high ropes course and water sports centre - a multi-sports hub encompassing canoeing and rowing and home to Trentham Canoe and Trentham Boat Clubs. 

Complimenting the award-winning gardens which include a 65-acre lake with fully accessible walkways and extensive and natural landscapes, “Trentham Live” holds a year-round series of events which attract significant visitor numbers, ranging from tours, a series of summer concerts (which this year will include McFly, Steps and Craig David) and charity events, as well as Trentham’s Christmas spectacular.

Key for many investors will be the exceptional ESG (Environment, Sustainability and Governance) credentials and biodiversity initiatives that Trentham offers with rare British breed livestock as well as otters, voles and beavers all introduced to the estate.

On a day-to-day basis, Trentham has highly experienced on-site management and operational teams which will transfer with the sale of the business, ensuring operational continuity for an incoming investor/purchaser.

St. Modwen CEO Sarwjit Sambhi commented, “We are proud of the investment and commitment we have made to The Trentham Estate over many years, bringing the gardens back to life and creating a highly popular shopping and leisure destination. Over recent years, St. Modwen has focused on the core areas of housebuilding and developing logistics property and last year confirmed plans to sell Trentham. We are now targeting an organisation or individual that can continue to invest in the business and act as custodian to support its ongoing success.”

Jon Patrick, Head of Leisure & Development at Christie & Co who is overseeing the sale process added, “Trentham is a unique asset in that it combines a mix of very stable investment income, as well as revenue from the gardens and events, whilst delivering numerous opportunities for further development. Having one of the busiest garden centres in the country, a vacancy rate of only 2% in the Outlet Shopping Village and an easily accessible location with 7.5 million people living within an hours’ drive-time, mark Trentham out as one of the most exciting assignments we’ve worked on in recent years.

“We anticipate that the British public’s increasing interest in all things “outdoors” as well as investors’ focus on long income opportunities with further potential for development and exposure to operational real estate, will see interest in Trentham coming from a diverse buyer group.

“Add this to the environmental and sustainable real estate credentials on offer and Trentham is very much a one-off opportunity not to be missed.”

For further information on this press release, contact:

Fiona Fieldhouse, Director – Head of Corporate Communications

P: 020 7227 0793 or E: fiona.fieldhouse@christie.com

Bronte Hughes, Corporate Communications Executive
M: +44 (0) 7721 420 656 or E: bronte.hughes@christie.com