1. The History
Situated in the Hope valley between Hope and Bamford, The Rising Sun was a four-star 12-bedroom hotel and public house with a restaurant and function room. It Closed its doors back in March 2017 and since then has been targeted by metal thieves and vandals. Its claim to fame was that it was once visited by the then pop-star lovebirds Taylor Swift and Harry Styles in the run up to Xmas 2012!
Although parts of the building date back as far as the 18th century, it will be demo’ed in the next few weeks. It’s then set to be replaced by a much larger new, 3/4 star three-stories 60-bedroom hotel. Operated by the Bike & Boot chain, the new hotel is set to open March 2020. Peak Architects have designed the new-build hotel and the details can be found HERE
In the past the Rising Sun received a string of good reviews by its customers:
• Brilliant food, good service, great pre-Xmas Sunday lunch. 10/10
• Attended a wedding reception here. Excellent location and we'll kept traditional building. Friendly staff and excellent food and drink.10/10
• Great location in the Peaks and delicious food for a wedding reception. Thank you. 8/10
However, the business suffered a number of business failures prior to its closure and the new planning document stated that “The current accommodation, nature of the hotel and food/beverage offer is not a viable proposition in the current market in the Peak District”. The company that owned the pub was wound up in November 2016 and the pub traded on under the liquidator, Sheffield-based firm Begbies Traynor, until its final closure. When you look at the liquidation documents post closure, that is when you realise just how financial non-viable/poorly run the place was. On liquidation, the furniture was sold off for £15,000 and after the liquidator’s fees and other costs of £14,571, only £423 was left. Additionally, a £75,000 loan to a director from company funds had to be written-off during the winding-up process as they were ‘untraceable’. The upshot of all this was the various trade creditors who were owed in excess of £69,000 (including £26,000 owed to British Gas!) got diddly squat. Even the HMRC didn’t get a penny of the £125,000 they were owed in back PAYE and VAT payments. The company’s lawyers had to write off just under £21,000 of their fees and The Rising Sun (Hope Valley) Ltd was finally dissolved in February 2020.
The hotel in happier times:
2. The Explore
More setting sun, in two senses, rather than rising sun. Know this place well and have eaten Sunday lunch here on several occasions. So, sad to see the place close and get stripped and smashed up. Look at @MotionlessMike and his report from September 2019 HERE to see have quickly the place has gone down hill.
When you see how poorly the place had been run, financially, it comes as no surprise as to the place’s fate. Reminded me of the equally soul-destroying Ram Jam on the A1 south of Grantham.
I’d seen this place a number of times since it closed, but not gotten round to having a shufty. It’s on a busy road and parking is hard. But it’s a few weeks off demo now and totally open, so I popped in for a look. It’s like most urbex pubs – completely stripped and trashed and thus pretty crap to be honest, and the back story more interesting. However, it does has an impressive frontage, and it was nice to take some snaps and bid farewell to this long-established Hope Valley institution.
3. The Pictures
Some frontage:
Better than round the back (note the roof faeries have been at work):
Energy drink fridge urbex!
And in we go:
Bar definitely lowered:
The Kitchens:
Ex-fireplace:
Depressing:
Lonely is the lonely bear:
And up-stairs:
Un-suite:
Situated in the Hope valley between Hope and Bamford, The Rising Sun was a four-star 12-bedroom hotel and public house with a restaurant and function room. It Closed its doors back in March 2017 and since then has been targeted by metal thieves and vandals. Its claim to fame was that it was once visited by the then pop-star lovebirds Taylor Swift and Harry Styles in the run up to Xmas 2012!
Although parts of the building date back as far as the 18th century, it will be demo’ed in the next few weeks. It’s then set to be replaced by a much larger new, 3/4 star three-stories 60-bedroom hotel. Operated by the Bike & Boot chain, the new hotel is set to open March 2020. Peak Architects have designed the new-build hotel and the details can be found HERE
In the past the Rising Sun received a string of good reviews by its customers:
• Brilliant food, good service, great pre-Xmas Sunday lunch. 10/10
• Attended a wedding reception here. Excellent location and we'll kept traditional building. Friendly staff and excellent food and drink.10/10
• Great location in the Peaks and delicious food for a wedding reception. Thank you. 8/10
However, the business suffered a number of business failures prior to its closure and the new planning document stated that “The current accommodation, nature of the hotel and food/beverage offer is not a viable proposition in the current market in the Peak District”. The company that owned the pub was wound up in November 2016 and the pub traded on under the liquidator, Sheffield-based firm Begbies Traynor, until its final closure. When you look at the liquidation documents post closure, that is when you realise just how financial non-viable/poorly run the place was. On liquidation, the furniture was sold off for £15,000 and after the liquidator’s fees and other costs of £14,571, only £423 was left. Additionally, a £75,000 loan to a director from company funds had to be written-off during the winding-up process as they were ‘untraceable’. The upshot of all this was the various trade creditors who were owed in excess of £69,000 (including £26,000 owed to British Gas!) got diddly squat. Even the HMRC didn’t get a penny of the £125,000 they were owed in back PAYE and VAT payments. The company’s lawyers had to write off just under £21,000 of their fees and The Rising Sun (Hope Valley) Ltd was finally dissolved in February 2020.
The hotel in happier times:
2. The Explore
More setting sun, in two senses, rather than rising sun. Know this place well and have eaten Sunday lunch here on several occasions. So, sad to see the place close and get stripped and smashed up. Look at @MotionlessMike and his report from September 2019 HERE to see have quickly the place has gone down hill.
When you see how poorly the place had been run, financially, it comes as no surprise as to the place’s fate. Reminded me of the equally soul-destroying Ram Jam on the A1 south of Grantham.
I’d seen this place a number of times since it closed, but not gotten round to having a shufty. It’s on a busy road and parking is hard. But it’s a few weeks off demo now and totally open, so I popped in for a look. It’s like most urbex pubs – completely stripped and trashed and thus pretty crap to be honest, and the back story more interesting. However, it does has an impressive frontage, and it was nice to take some snaps and bid farewell to this long-established Hope Valley institution.
3. The Pictures
Some frontage:
Better than round the back (note the roof faeries have been at work):
Energy drink fridge urbex!
And in we go:
Bar definitely lowered:
The Kitchens:
Ex-fireplace:
Depressing:
Lonely is the lonely bear:
And up-stairs:
Un-suite:
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