The building that once housed Bruton School for Girls is up for grabs.

The school, which closed its doors in 2022 due to a decrease in enrolment, is now on the real estate market with a £9 million price tag.

The sale is being handled by the education and charities team of Knight Frank, a leading global property consultancy. The site that's on offer is Sunny Hill, Bruton - a place that carries the echo of countless success stories and is ensconced in the remarkable tranquillity of rural Somerset.

Potential buyers are welcome to place their bids either on the entire site or individual sections. Spread over 34 acres, it boasts over 125,000sq ft of diverse infrastructure, including teaching spaces, boarding and administrative facilities, staff accommodations, and leisure areas.

Sunny Hill is poised at a high vantage point, offering its occupants a captivating westward view of the surrounding countryside. Its charm is further enhanced by its proximity to The Newt, a famous hotel, restaurant, and garden site located a mere two miles away. Notably, The Newt was once the residence of the Hobhouse family, the founding patrons of the school.

The school stopped functioning at the end of the summer term in 2022. However, the Sunny Hill Nursery, an establishment under the Bruton School for Girls charity and situated within the premises, remains operational and will not be affected by the sale.

Sunny Hill is located just a stone's throw away from the hotel, restaurant, and gardens of The Newt, a previous residence of the Hobhouse family - the founding lineage of Bruton School.

Emma Cleugh, head of the education and charities team at Knight Frank, highlighted the property's potential, saying: "This is the rarest of opportunities for an incoming purchaser to acquire a beautifully situated collection of buildings with potential to create something really special in the future."

advertisement

She also noted that the property could be open to various uses and developments, given the necessary planning consents.

Bruton School for Girls has been a cornerstone of the community, and its sale will undoubtedly have a significant impact. A spokesperson on behalf of the school's trustees emphasised their awareness of the site's local importance. They confirmed that all bids would be thoroughly considered within this context, with the sale's proceeds furthering the charity's objective of promoting education in Bruton.