A York pub that shut suddenly after the owners went away is on the market.
The Old Grey Mare, the historic coaching inn on Clifton Green, has been put up for sale.
This news emerged after the pub closed without warning late last month.
As we reported, the pub was left in an untidy state after it shut, with tables containing half drunk glasses of beer and wine visible through the window.
Mark and Kasia Caulfield had reopened the Old Grey Mare after a major refurbishment in 2022 and ran it ever since.
They told YorkMix that they had been forced to close it while they went away on holiday. They didn’t respond to questions about when it might reopen.
Since we published the original story, there have been more changes at the pub. As part of the redevelopment, a glazed extension was added, fitted with a retractible roof.
Much of this has now been removed.
And much of the remaining furniture inside the pub has gone too.
‘Residential development scheme’
The lease of the Old Grey Mare is now up for sale for £60,000 with agents Ernest Wilson.
Running for 17 years, the secure lease includes an option to buy the entire pub “at a very attractive price, well below its actual market value”, the sales details say.
They go on: “This is a large property on a site of circa 934 sq m (10,000 sq ft) with potential for a residential development scheme (subject to planning) to the rear car park.
“The option to buy the freehold would be favourably considered by the landlords who have expressed a wish to sell the property.”
As we previously reported, the Old Grey Mare was bought on 14 March 2019 for £646,988 by Tavern Propco Ltd, a company registered in Jersey.
The lease sale details say an investment of more than £400K transformed “this tired old pub into a chic and contemporary venue with outstanding internal and external areas”.
These included “a glazed atrium providing covered and heated outdoor seating with electronically retractable awning”.
However the atrium has mostly been removed from the Old Grey Mare. Both the glazed walls and the roof are gone. The metal structure is still in place.
The rent for the Old Grey Mare is £82K per year, and the annual turnover £410,000.
The details add: “Given the very short time the business has been operating since its refurbishment, no formal accounts are available, although the owners can provide evidence of the capital invested in the refurbishment of the property.
“This is an outstanding opportunity for hospitality professionals to finish the scheme and take advantage of the substantial investment already put into the property.”
We asked Mark and Kasia what their plans were, but have yet to receive a reply.