The Old Rectory care home at Langton Matravers near Swanage in Dorset has been listed for sale after the company running it went into liquidation.
The company Hantona, which also owned another care home, Delph House in Broadstone in Dorset, called in the insolvency firm at the beginning of January 2024 after what it called “financial difficulties”.
The 32 room care home was the village’s former rectory
Asking price of £1.5 million
The Grade II listed former rectory in the High Street, next door to St George’s church has been put on the market for an asking price of £1.5 million by property auctioneers John Pye. Delph House in Broadstone is also up for sale with a guide price of £1.65 million.
The news of the collapse of the 32 bed care home company came as a surprise to both staff and residents. The first that employees knew of any problem was when they didn’t get paid at the end of December 2023.
Residents and relatives were informed of the care home’s closure by Hantona on Wednesday 3rd January 2024, although the company had continued to take on new residents up to mid December 2023 – just a few weeks earlier.
The property (right) is opposite St George’s church (left) in the centre of the village
Mortgage with Union Bank of India (UK)
In a statement issued at the time, Hantona company director Jacqueline Haigh said:
“Financial difficulties and circumstantial factors have laid heavily into our trading ability, hence we have moved to close the home and cease trading.”
Information from Companies House show that Hantona mortgaged its property in 2022 with the Union Bank of India (UK) Limited. Its accounts reveal that it was insolvent as far back as 2020.
The Old Rectory could become a care home again
“Ready supply of new residents”
In the John Pye sales information it suggests that the property is still suited to continue as a care home. It states:
“We are advised that as trading has only recently ended, the local authority, who funded the majority of places, are likely to be in need of a local care provider and to be willing to enter into a care contract with any purchaser.
“This will provide an opportunity for a new operator to continue trading the property as a care home, with a ready supply of new residents who are on the local authorities waiting list.”
Unfortunately the opportunity will be too late for the staff who lost their jobs and the elderly residents, some with dementia, who had to face the huge upheaval of moving to another home.
It is unclear why the well respected and popular care home wasn’t sold as a going concern.
Further information
- The sale details of the Old Rectory and Delph House are on the property website Rightmove
