Hotel linked to Oliver Cromwell to reopen next year

2 hours ago

Alex PopeNorthamptonshire

News image — The Hind Hotel is a 17th Century former coaching inn in the centre of Wellingborough

Prop-Search The outside of a hotel, all lit up. It has an animal above a canopy and there are lots of windows in the old stone building. There is a large door at the front, in the middle of the building. — The Hind Hotel is a 17th Century former coaching inn in the centre of Wellingborough

A Grade II* listed hotel with links to Oliver Cromwell that closed unexpectantly in January has been sold and is due to reopen next year.

The Hind Hotel, a 17th Century building in the centre of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, is thought to have been used by Cromwell in the days before the Battle of Naseby in 1645, according to Prop-Serve.

The Hind Group, a family-run Northampton-based business, has bought the property and said it plans to spend "tens of thousands of pounds" on updating the building that was "important" to the regeneration of the town.

It was previously owned by Hind Wellingborough Ltd which went into liquidation.

Prop-Search A bedroom in a hotel, showing a room decorated mostly in grey and silver, showing a bed, small chaise longue, a desk, with items on it, a four-poster bed, window to the right, door to the left and mirrors. — The new owners say they want to keep the "historical significance" of the hotel

Jabeer Miah, 42, from the Hind Group, said his family had taken over the hotel, and he was working with his brother Jay Miah, 44, on the project, along with other family members.

"It's almost a relaunch, a revamp. We want to keep the historical importance of the hotel but there will be lots of community and business activity, we want to welcome back local groups who used to use the meeting rooms.

"We want it to be a hub for the community.

"It had a wedding licence, so we want to bring that back."

Prop-Search The outside of an old building, showing a wooden gable, with small windows on it and brick work around it. — The hotel "holds a pivotal place in the history books, famous for its connection to Oliver Cromwell and the English Civil War", Prop-Search says

Jabeer said all the bedrooms had been recently renovated so wanted to concentrate on the restaurant, bar and Cromwell coffee shop and introducing beauty and spa facilities.

"We want more of a boutique feel and will be spending tens of thousands on the revamp, we're really excited.

He hoped the hotel would be reopened by early 2027.

"It's a very important, iconic building that is integral to the regeneration of the town.

"A good hotel, in the centre of town, is important," he added.

Prop-Search A golden statue of a hind deer, outside a building, showing buildings behind it, and a green tree to the left. — The hotel is on Sheep Street in Wellingborough

The hotel was put up for sale by Wellingborough-based Prop-Search with a guide price of £1m.

The company said it had previously "benefitted from a £1.3m external refurbishment, in partnership with Wellingborough Borough Council [since absorbed by North Northamptonshire Council] and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and a reported £600,000 refurbishment of bedrooms and circulation space.

"A further £300,000 has been spent on modernising the ground floor public areas and replacing old equipment throughout the property."

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