Quirky hotel and 18-acre estate near Barnstaple back on the market a year after being sold

Less than a year after it was sold the former Broomhill art hotel and estate near Barnstaple has gone back on the market.

Savills is handling the resale of the 18-acre Broomhill Estate at Muddiford on behalf of NAKO Modular, which bought the hotel and grounds last summer for an undisclosed sum.

This time it is up for sale with a guide price of £1.15million but there is no indication on what has prompted the quick resale.

Savills says the freehold estate presents a rare redevelopment opportunity to either turn the hotel and outbuilding into residential accommodation or to reinstate it as a hotel and potentially add holiday lodges to the grounds, all subject to gaining planning permission.

READ MORE: Art hotel near Barnstaple sold to new owners

Broomhill was operated by former American owners Alex and Michele Kleiner as seven-bedroom hotel with a fine dining restaurant, bar, lounge and conference facilities, while estate has mature gardens, open meadows and established woodland. The grounds also feature a tennis court and walking trails.

Above: The former Broomhill art hotel was well-known for the many sculptures and artworks decorating the buildings and grounds.

The quirky Broomhill Art Hotel and Sculpture Garden was bought by the Kleiners in 2020 from Dutch couple Rinus and Aniet van de Sande.

With its grounds full of weird and wonderful sculptures from many different artists, it is well known locally and hosted the prestigious National Sculpture Prize contest for many years.

The Kleiners continued the hotel’s quirky format, which included an eclectic array of attractions such as a collection of authentic Hollywood movie props, music memorabilia, taxidermy and various artworks.

READ MORE: American couple selling Broomhill Estate art hotel hope new owners ‘take it to the next level’

Due to the Covid pandemic and citing ‘escalating costs’, they chose to sell Broomhill early in 2024, with a guide price at the time of £1.3m.

NAKO Modular, which bought the property, is an international development company which says it creates ‘luxury residential and holiday retreats across the UK and Europe’.

The company website says it currently has two developments in Poland, one in Glasgow and Broomhill in North Devon.

Launching the sale of the estate today (Thursday, July 17) Savills said: “Pre-application feedback from North Devon Council supports returning the former hotel to residential use.

“Subject to planning, up to nine units may be delivered through conversion alone, including the existing hotel and two outbuildings. This creates a potential fall-back position for redeveloping the site with nine new build units.

“For those looking to reinstate the hotel, North Devon Council has confirmed via a separate pre-app they are supportive of increasing the number of letting rooms within the existing building; introducing new lodges within the grounds; and adding additional amenities such as a spa and gym.

Harriet Fuller, associate director for Savills Hotel Capital Markets, added: “The Broomhill Estate offers strong value add potential, whether through reinstating the hotel or pursuing residential conversion in a sought-after part of North Devon.

“Hotel investment in the South West totalled over £147m in the first half of 2025, a 95% increase on the whole of 2024, reflecting rising investor demand for assets outside London and the South East.

“As a result, we anticipate high levels of interest in this unique opportunity.”