Ryde’s historic Vectis Hall is heading back to auction with a nil reserve, just 3 months after its previous sale was postponed following years of taxpayer spending on the derelict building.
The Grade II listed former free school and community hall on Melville Street has been listed as Lot 121 in Clive Emson Auctioneers’ September sale.
Bidding goes live on Tuesday 22nd September, with the auction concluding 48 hours later.
Built in 1812 and reputed to have been Ryde’s first free school, Vectis Hall has been used for a number of purposes during its more than 200-year history.
The building also has a connection to the big screen, with dance scenes from the 1973 British film That’ll Be the Day, starring Ringo Starr and David Essex, filmed inside the main hall.
Rob Marchant, Island auctioneer, has said:
“Built in 1812 and reputedly Ryde’s first free school, The Vectis Hall has since gone on to be utilised in a number of different guises including a community hall.
“Dance scenes from the 1973 classic British Film That’ll Be the Day starring Ringo Starr and David Essex were filmed in the main hall.
Article continues below this advertisement “In more recent times, the hall has fallen into a state of disrepair and now requires a programme of significant upgrading and refurbishment.
“Listed Building consent was recently obtained by the current owners for the demolition of an unstable wall.
“The building includes a former caretaker/managers flat.
“It is considered the Vectis Hall could suit a wide range of future potential uses, subject to all necessary consents being obtainable.”
The latest attempt to sell the building comes after a troubled period under the ownership of Ryde Town Council.
As previously reported by Island Echo, the council purchased Vectis Hall for £125,000 in 2020 with ambitions of restoring the historic property and bringing it back into community use. Nearly 6 years later, the building remains boarded up and deteriorating.
Island Echo revealed in May that, since April 2023 alone, at least £52,000 had been spent on the building, including more than £30,000 on scaffolding and clearance works. Other expenditure included asbestos removal, structural assessments, planning consultancy fees and ongoing Public Works Loan Board repayments.
When the original purchase price and subsequent costs were considered, public spending linked to Vectis Hall was approaching £200,000.
Planning documents submitted in 2024 also revealed that part of the building had collapsed internally, creating what engineers described as an ‘imminent’ collapse risk. Listed building consent was subsequently granted for the demolition of an unstable wall after severe movement was identified in the masonry.
Ryde Town Council later defended its decision to purchase the property, saying it had hoped to replicate the success of its acquisition of St Thomas Church and use grant funding to regenerate Vectis Hall.
The council said the lack of large-scale grant funding following the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the ongoing cost of maintaining the site, ultimately led to the decision to sell.
Vectis Hall was due to be sold through Clive Emson in June, also with no reserve price, but the sale was postponed. It has now returned to the auction catalogue, again with a nil reserve.
The September auction features 228 lots across southern England, with bidding live from Tuesday 22nd September and concluding 48 hours later.
