West Yorkshire holiday village hits the market for £1.35m

Westfield Lodge, a luxury holiday village and farmhouse in West Yorkshire, has been placed on the market with a guide price of £1.35m.

Blacks Business Brokers, the national business transfer agent with a base in Leeds, has been appointed to find a buyer for this tourism business set in the heart of Brontë country.

The property is comprised of 20 self-catering apartments and a fully-modernised 2,500 sq ft four double-bedroom farmhouse, set in 4.5 acres of gardens and surrounded by open moorland.

Westfield Lodge, which as a five-star rating on TripAdvisor, has operated as a holiday village for more than a decade.

It is currently owned by West Yorkshire businessman Dennis Pagdin, who acquired the property in 1988. The owner of a construction business, Mr Pagdin went on to build 20 new apartments on the site adjoining the farmhouse and establish it as a holiday lets business.

Mr Pagdin also founded Rotherwood Recruitment in Keighley in 1976. His daughter, Jo Pagdin, is now managing director of this £6m-turnover family business.

Westfield Lodge is currently run by three members of staff, two of them full-time.

The business currently takes bookings online via Wowcher, Groupon, Travelzoo, TripAdvisor and Booking.com, as well as through its own mobile-responsive website, which is included in the sale. In the most recent financial year its turnover was £160k, generating a gross profit of £110k.

Westfield Lodge is located a mile from Haworth and along the route of the eight-mile Brontë Way, a trail that takes in Top Withens, the ruined farmhose believed to have provided the inspiration for Wuthering Heights.

Mr Pagdin said: “I have always thought this was the perfect lifestyle business for someone who wants to get away from it all. Every morning I wake up to fabulous views over the valley; I am right out in the countryside but also only a mile away from Haworth and its fantastic restaurants and facilities.

“The business runs itself at the moment but there is also real potential for new owners to expand into camping or glamping and to make further inroads into the market for accommodating organised groups. There is nothing quite like us around here: we have 20 self-catering apartments on one site, and that’s unique in the area.”

Nikki Jones, customer information manager at Blacks Business Brokers, added: “This is a beautiful property in a stunning location but it’s also a fabulous business. Westfield Lodge has established a strong client base, particularly among dog owners attracted by its proximity to the moors and pet-friendly features.

“The accommodation is all of a very high standard and the location is incredible. Opportunities to buy a really well-appointed, unique tourism business set in a hiker’s paradise just a stone’s throw from one of the most popular cultural sites in Britain don’t come up every day.”