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25
May
Social group finally purchases Ripley Town Hall
A social group that manages Ripley Town Hall has officially purchased the building.
Ripley Star Club last year set out to buy the grade two-listed building, which was awarded asset of community value status last October, for £400,000.
News of the fundraiser came just days before the Stray Ferret revealed The Ripley Castle Estate was up for sale.
The building has been in constant use since it was built in 1854 and is now used by more than 20 community groups – including Ripley Live, which runs a live music programme – and is used to serve school dinners to pupils at Ripley Endowed Church of England Primary School.
Sir Thomas Ingilby, whose family has owned The Ripley Castle Estate for more than 700 years, last year agreed to sell Ripley Town Hall to Ripley Star Club for £400,000.
The Stray Ferret reported in August the group’s fundraising efforts had reached the halfway point, but Andy Herrington, club secretary, confirmed the sale finally completed last Friday (May 16).
He told the Stray Ferret the group bought the site for £400,000, plus £9,500 in stamp duty.
Mr Herrington declined to disclose how much was spent on solicitors’ fees.
The bulk of the funds came from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which awarded the group £225,000 for the purchase.
Ripley Social Club is set to receive another £25,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to go towards repairs.
Mr Herrington said he believes the repairs bill will be around £50,000 and will cover the costs of cleaning and pointing the building’s stonework, external joinery work and work to the roof.
He added:
A man named Peter Turton has also awarded us £100,000. Half of that is a donation and the other half is an interest-free loan.
We are still fundraising for repairs and anyone who would like to donate can email andy@ripleyblues.com.
Mr Herrington told the Stray Ferret nothing will change operationally at the club now the site is under new ownership, adding it will “continue as it always has”.
Ripley Star Club was formed in 1948 for soldiers coming back from the war.
The building, which was envisaged to resemble a French town hall and is often known as hôtel de ville, was refurbished and restored in 2003.
The makeover was funded by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and with help from Sir Thomas.
Mr Herrington thanked those who donated to the fundraiser and said the purchase of the building has “secured the future of the hall for community purposes”.
Ripley Castle. Pic: Carter Jonas
Sale of The Ripley Castle Estate
The Ripley Castle Estate went on the market for £21 million in January, as revealed by the Stray Ferret.
The estate can be bought in its entirety or as nine separate lots, which include the sole purchase of The Boar’s Head and the castle itself.
Current castle owner Lady Emma Ingilby suggested to ITV — perhaps not entirely seriously — that two rather more high profile Americans could be among the bidders for the family's 14th century country seat.
Asked on ITV in January to address the “wild rumours” circulating Ripley about who could be interested, Lady Emma said:
Donald Trump for one. I thought he was quite busy but now he’s actually in (as US President), he’s welcome. There’s a helipad. Come and have a look!
My granddaughter’s favourite one is Taylor Swift.
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