Prolific local developer acquires historic Great White Horse Hotel in Ipswich

Why it matters: The acquisition comes at what many see as a pivotal moment for the town centre. It's hoped that the restoration of this iconic landmark could be the catalyst for the regeneration of Ipswich's high street.

Oliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

The details: Howard, who also runs a popular property development channel on YouTube, says he is "open minded" and "exploring all options" for the building, which has been largely vacant since closing as a hotel in 2008.

• His immediate priority is getting the commercial units back into use as soon as possible

• Parts of the building already have planning permission for conversion into flats

• A historic planning application has also been approved for parts to be converted into a business centre

• Howard wouldn't rule out turning it back into a hotel if the interest was there, but described this as "very unlikely"

A brief history: The Great White Horse Hotel stands on the corner of Tavern Street and Northgate Street, where a hotel has existed since 1518.

• The site had previously been used as a tavern in medieval times, when it would have hosted pilgrims visiting the nearby shrine of Our Lady of Grace

• The current structure is a 16th or 17th century timber-framed building that was refronted in the early 19th century

• Between 1815 and 1818, during the widening of Tavern Street, the original timber-framed front was replaced with the current facade of Suffolk white bricks

• It became a Grade II* listed building on 19 December 1951 and is located within Ipswich's Central Conservation Area

• The hotel is currently on the Heritage at Risk Register with a priority A status

The Dickens connection: The hotel achieved literary fame through Charles Dickens, who stayed there several times and featured it prominently in his debut novel The Pickwick Papers (1836).

• Dickens described it as having "such labyrinths of uncarpeted passages" and "such clusters of mouldy, ill-lighted rooms"

• Thanks to Dickens' popularity, the Great White Horse became world famous, with a full-size replica constructed for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago as an example of an archetypal British inn

Oliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

Recent troubles: The building has faced significant challenges in recent years.

• The hotel closed its doors to visitors in 2008

• In April 2023, the Great White Horse Hotel Community Interest Company (CIC) received a £99,400 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore the building

• At the time, the CIC stated that essential surveys and reports would be carried out over the next 12 months, with hopes that activity programmes would begin in winter 2027 and full refurbishment completed by 2030, but nothing came to fruition

• In November 2023, it was placed on Heritage England's Heritage at Risk register due to its deteriorating condition

• Dayal Motels Ltd, the previous owners of the property, went into liquidation on December 11, 2024, leaving over £16,000 in unpaid business rates

What they're saying: Howard's investment in the Great White Horse reflects his deep connection to Ipswich and belief in its potential.

"This is my hometown. You have more heart and passion when a project is local, and you know you'll have more people willing to help and support you," Howard explained.

He sees the acquisition as part of a broader positive trend for the town: "Footfall in the town is up 6% since the start of the year – it feels like Ipswich is at a turning point. We need people to believe in and invest in Ipswich, and that's what I'm doing."

The bigger picture: This acquisition comes amid other positive developments in Ipswich town centre:

• The former Grimwades building was recently acquired by Ipswich Borough Council, who have secured cafe franchise Jamaica Blue as a tenant for one of the ground floor units and expect a second to follow shortly

• The Lloyds Avenue redevelopment has been cleared and is set to commence soon

The bottom line: Howard sees this project as part of his ongoing commitment to Ipswich: "I started investing here 40 years ago and I've never stopped. I used to invest in a smaller way, but the projects have gotten bigger and more ambitious. You can see the town is busier and more shops are occupied than they were 12 months ago. It's never been more affordable to get into the town centre."