Penn Commercial’s is excited to be appointed as the sole agent to market the commercial units at Ipswich’s landmark Great White Horse Hotel to let, on behalf of renowned local developer and entrepreneur, John Howard – a long-standing client of the agency.
John has purchased the former Great White Horse Hotel in Ipswich’s Tavern Street, with ambitious plans to reinvigorate the Grade II* property and breathe new life into Ipswich’s busiest retail throughfare.
The Hotel offers a total of three or four flexible commercial units, under Class E retail / office planning use, with large frontages and a prominent streetside location. The Hotel was open as recently as 2024, and was previously home to a Starbucks café and Cotswolds outdoor equipment shop.
Vanessa Penn, Managing Director of Penn Commercial, commented:
“It is great to see a local developer purchasing this important building and bringing it back to life – preserving its history and significance to the town centre.
“The main commercial units offer interesting space, with period features for a retailer or restaurant, and are close to convenient public car parks."
John’s immediate priority for the building is to get the commercial units back into use as soon as possible, and parts of the building already have planning permission for conversion into flats and a business centre.
The Great White Horse Hotel was once known as Ipswich’s main lodging house, and even welcomed Charles Dickens, helping to inspire his novel, ‘The Pickwick Papers’.
John has previously developed The Winerack – a fully-let residential development on Ipswich’s popular Waterfront – where Penn Commercial is currently marketing the three commercial units for sale or to let.
John has also recently purchased the freehold of The Mill, a development along the quayside that includes a 23-storey tower and several other blocks of flats.
Photo caption: Penn Commercial has been appointed to market the commercial units at Ipswich’s landmark Great White Horse Hotel to let. [PHOTO CREDITS: Main Image - BBC / 2nd + 3rd Images - Penn Commercial]
For further information on Penn Commercial, visit the website at www.penncommercial.co.uk
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Penn Commercial was established by Vanessa Penn in 2007 and celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2022. The agency provides a personal and dedicated service, with over 80 years’ combined property experience in East Anglia.
Reinforced by unrivalled local knowledge across all commercial property sectors, including retail, business space, logistics, warehousing, industrial, land, investment and development, Penn Commercial acts for a range of private and public sector clients.
The Penn team is based at Fox’s Marina in Ipswich.
All commercial enquiries to:
Vanessa Penn / Tel. 01473 211933 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For any media enquiries, please contact:
Rachael Jackson / Tel: 01473 211933 / 07471 083167 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.