Ruthin School has been put on the market for £5 million after closing in July because of financial pressures. The 742-year-old school in Denbighshire was founded in 1284, and the sale now puts its campus, buildings and land in the hands of a buyer yet to be named.
Anne Roberts, Ruthin’s deputy mayor, said the closure was very sad news and would have a real effect on the local economy: “It’s very sad news. I am still reeling. It’s huge for Ruthin. They are one of the biggest employers. For the local economy, it will have a real effect. It’s hard to believe.”
Sanderson Weatherall lists Ruthin School
Sanderson Weatherall listed the property on behalf of the joint administrators at FRP Advisory. The guide price covers the entire estate, which includes the main school building, dining hall, science block, additional classroom accommodation, sports hall, storage facilities, boarding houses, sports pitches and adjoining agricultural land.
The campus also includes 12 buildings, a 30-bed boarding house and more than 24 acres of land. One building on the estate originally served as a police station and then a care home before becoming the Gladstone boarding house.
Ruthin School’s historic campus
The main campus includes a Grade II listed main building dating from the 1850s. Ruthin School was a 201-pupil co-educational boarding school, with annual fees ranging from around £15,800 to £54,800 for full boarding before it closed.
Galaxy Global Education purchased the school in 2023. Students and staff were told about the closure on the final day of school before the summer holidays.
The sale leaves the future of the site to the buyer, and the next phase will be decided by whoever takes on a property that combines a long educational history with operating buildings, boarding houses and agricultural land.
