Clophill Eco Lodges, Church Path Clophill, Bedfordshire, MK45 4BP

Christie & Co are delighted to present a unique opportunity to acquire an environmentally sustainable lodging business set in the beautiful Greensand country landscape in Central Bedfordshire.
Clophill Eco Lodges were developed by volunteers of Clophill Heritage Trust who now wish to hand over the asset to a private operator who can develop trade. The lodges are embedded in the local community and are at the heart of an affluent and sought after village.
The buyer could quickly become a part of village life working with partner organisations for mutual benefit by offering lodge accommodation, weddings and other annual events connected to Clophill.   

Clophill is a desirable Mid Bedfordshire village and is well-connected to larger towns including Bedford, Luton, and Milton Keynes, making it accessible for customers and suppliers. It’s nearby major roads including the A6 and A507, provide good transport links for businesses that rely on logistics.
The property is perfectly placed in a beautiful woodland setting opposite St Mary’s Old Church in the open countryside. It is ideally located for walkers and visitors to the Greensand Ridge walking route and as an amenity for extended families visiting residents of Clophill and the surrounding area.
Clophill has rural charm, making it a great spot for hospitality, retail, and service-based businesses. The village has a Co-op and two pubs plus a primary school which has close ties with Clophill Heritage Trust and Clophill Eco Lodges.
Clophill has seen some small scale housing development and population growth (now c.2,400), increasing the potential customer base.
The village offers a peaceful environment, making it an attractive place for family gatherings or remote workspaces and also lends itself to businesses that cater to health, wellness, and outdoor activities.
The average property price in Clophill over the last year was £618,625, Detached Properties: (average price £706,812), Semi-Detached Properties (average price £342,500)
Source: Rightmove

The overall site extends to 0.92 acres and has a car park with an electric vehicle charging point.
A private track (Old Church Path) is signposted from the High Street and leads to the gated car park. There are seven buildings on this sloping site including:
Four two bedroom purpose built Eco Lodges
One two bedroom /ensuite purpose built Eco Lodge
The ‘Nest’ comprising of a communal room and kitchen
The Warden’s Lodge (Woodpecker Lodge) is currently let as a self-contained two bedroom flat. This could be used by the new owner as living accommodation.
‘The Hive’ a detached terrapin building housing a studio, kitchenette, WC and office

The buildings are in good condition throughout and have been subject to continuous maintenance, with high investment evident in recent years.

All the lodges include a bathroom or wetroom and have beds that are zip and link to allow for reconfiguration.

Externally there is a fire pit area and outbuildings including a bike store and large general storage shed.

Clophill Eco Lodges are well regarded regionally for their eco solutions and have received many awards from organisations including English Heritage and CPRE.

Clophill Eco Lodges is currently only available for full site hire which includes the use of The Nest, a communal space with floor to ceiling windows and stunning countryside views.

The full site hire is currently available at the rate of £1,399 per night with a minimum 2 night stay required for all bookings.

There is an opportunity for a new owner to increase revenue by offering the individual lodges on a ‘per night’ basis.

Originally developed by Clophill Heritage Trust (CHT), Clophill Eco Lodges were designed to fund the renovation and maintenance of St Marys Old Church – a scheduled ancient monument opposite the lodges.

CHT is run by volunteers and has created several income sources to build on but there is plenty of scope for further income opportunities. A new commercial owner would enable a focus on the business which the charity cannot.

It is envisaged that the new owner will work collaboratively and in a mutually beneficial way with CHT to maximise the opportunity of both the Eco Lodges and the Old Church site which will remain in the stewardship of CHT.
There are several revenue streams to develop including:-
Letting Bedrooms – The site can sleep up to 24 people for overnight stays. Bookings are received from the main website and Airbnb through the integrated channel management and booking platform ‘Eviivo’.
Weddings – The backdrop of St Mary’s Old Church is stunning as is the rural setting. The site holds a civil wedding license, and packages are available starting at £10,800, whist some cost in excess of £20,000. The packages include Use of The Nest, licensed for Civil Ceremonies of up to 30 people. The maximum number of day guests is 80 and maximum evening guests is 120 people. CHT would be pleased to work collaboratively with the new owner to continue the use of the old church for weddings and celebrations.
Events – The site lends itself well to a variety of events and functions including family celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries or simply getting together. It has also hosted community events based around Valentines Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas and walking.
Contract Hire – The seller has recently secured another contract with an international school which will provide another secure income stream.
Whole Site Hire – The site can also be hired out in its entirety.
Opportunities – There are a number of potential routes to significantly grow the business in the hands of an experienced event organiser or someone who has the vision to do so. This could include promoting the letting of rooms to encourage mid week trade, growing the wedding and events business and offering midweek corporate retreats.

Services
The site has mains electricity and benefits from a borehole water supply, eliminating the need for water rates. A ground-source heat pump provides efficient heating to the site. Drainage is managed by a state-of-the-art Klargester treatment plant. As a result of these sustainable features, the Eco Lodges have earned an eco-passport certification.

A unique opportunity to acquire an environmentally sustainable lodging business set in the beautiful Greensand Landscape in Central Bedfordshire. Clophill Eco Lodges were developed by volunteers of Clophill Heritage Trust who now wish to hand over the asset to a private operator who can develop trade. The lodges are embedded in the local community and are at the heart of an affluent and sought after village. The buyer can quickly become a part of village life working with partner organisations to mutual benefit by offering lodge accommodation, weddings and other often recurring / annual events connected to Clophill.

The property is situated in open countryside, outside the designated village envelope of Clophill.
Planning permission for the development of the site was granted in 2012 and supplemented in 2013 for the construction of four walker's lodges, warden's accommodation and communal area, car park/demonstration area and ancillary building for storage.
The site has a wedding licence which allows for up to 8 weddings per year.
There are no outstanding planning applications or recent unutilised planning consents.
The property sits within the Greensand Landscape Framework (Central Bedfordshire Council).

The vendor (and its successors in title) are bound by a Deed of Covenant with the adjacent landowners that provides licence for the neighbour to use a passing place on the access track and obliges the owner to keep it unobstructed. The Deed also obliges parties to meet regularly to agree track repairs as required.