Member Article

Sedgefield’s Manor House set to become new County Durham business centre

A historic building at the heart of a County Durham town is set to become a new business centre following a change in ownership.

The 18th Century Manor House in Sedgefield has been purchased by business partners and County Durham businessmen Ean Parsons and Ian Philipson, and has up to 17 rooms available to rent as office space and for meetings and events.

A new business, Manor House 1707, is offering modern facilities and on site business support services in the Grade II listed building.

Built in 1707, the Manor House is prominent in the centre of Sedgefield and over the last three hundred years has served as a home, council headquarters and magistrate’s court.

The building has been well maintained and has undergone extensive internal refurbishments, while retaining many original features.

Available to rent in the Manor House are individual offices ranging in size from 120 sq ft to 375 sq ft and suites on one floor, up to a size of 1,800 sq ft. The total office space in the building is 6,000 sq ft.

Each office comes with an allocation of spaces in the Manor House’s sizeable car park and other facilities available in the building include meeting and events rooms, a modern coffee room, archiving facilities in the cellar and access to a range of on-site business support services – administrative, secretarial, and marketing and PR.

The building has a full telecoms infrastructure in place and fibre optic broadband is now live in Sedgefield.

Both furnished and unfurnished offices are available on flexible terms, with negotiable lease lengths and notice periods.

Managing director of Manor House 1707, Ean Parsons, said: “We are delighted to take ownership of the Manor House, which is a magnificent building, and we have a wonderful opportunity to turn it into a thriving business hub at the heart of the community.

“Sedgefield is a great place to live and work and is well located in County Durham and for the wider North East, with easy links to Tyneside and Teesside.

“The local economy is growing, thanks to developments at the likes of NETPark on the edge of the town.

“Facilities in this building are excellent and firms which take space in the Manor House will have easy access to all local amenities, which include plenty of good food and drink outlets.

“The Manor House is also well set up as a venue for meetings and business events, as well as community and social functions.

“There is quality accommodation nearby, including Hardwick Hall Hotel, and plenty of restaurants and cafés surrounding the village green.

“However, from the outset, our first priority is to let out offices and the early signs are very encouraging.

“One suite and one office have already been taken and there has been strong interest from several other companies and individuals.”