GA Solicitors Advises on the Sale of the Largest Resort in the South West
GA Solicitors, a regional law firm headquartered in Plymouth, has advised on the sale of the Manor and Ashbury Resorts near Okehampton in Devon. The two resorts have been sold together, spanning an impressive 546 acres and include an extensive array of facilities and properties.
Regarded as one of the UK’s premier activity holiday destinations, the Ashbury site is recognised as the 9th largest golf resort in the world, with five 18-hole golf courses, and 103 holes of golf in total. Beyond golf, guests can enjoy more than 70 different sports, crafts, leisure and spa activities across both sites, with extensive indoor and outdoor facilities ensuring that it remains a year-round tourism destination.
The resort has two hotels, located less than two miles apart, with a combined total of 404 guest bedrooms, along with further accommodation on site for up to 60 staff.
Combined, the resorts employ more than 200 staff members. These staff all benefitted from the sale as part of the employee ownership scheme put in place by the sellers. A substantial sum was divided across the staff on completion of the sale earlier this month (September 2025).
The business has grown beyond recognition from the original 10-bedroom manor house, which was purchased by the Essex family in 1978 and consistently generates in excess of £15m annual revenue with a high percentage of repeat custom contributing to the success of the resorts, which attract more than 135,000 guests per year. The resort operates a unique all-inclusive pricing policy that includes full-board accommodation and access to the numerous facilities and activities.
Choosing to now retire and pass on their legacy, the couple have sold the resorts through commercial agent Knight Frank. The purchaser, a joint venture with hospitality industry investor Stephen Twiss, previously the CEO of Lakeshore Leisure Group, marks the first acquisition for Evergreen Escapes Group, with plans to acquire additional sites in the coming months.
GA Solicitors’ role in the sale was significant, providing legal advice across its real estate, corporate and employment teams. The corporate team, led by partner James Peterson, dealt with the share sale of the business, including the complex trust which detailed the legalities of the many employee-owned shares. The real estate team, led by partner David Stone, dealt with the land and property elements of the transaction which spanned across 11 registered titles. The employment team, led by partner Rob Zacal, dealt with all issues relating to the 200 + employees.
Simon and Joan Essex, under their registered business Manor House Hotel (Okehampton) Limited, were also given tax and financial advice by UK accountancy firm Bishop Fleming.
David Stone, partner of GA Solicitors and head of the commercial department, commented: “Working with Simon and Joan on this sale and seeing how they have built the resorts over the last 47 years was very rewarding. It was a complex matter due to the size, value, and scale of the resorts, as well as the employee ownership scheme they had put into place. The legal work spanned across three of our commercial teams and took around six months of intensive work to get across the line.
“I worked very closely with Simon throughout the matter and can see how proud he was of what he achieved and of being able to reward his many employees at the completion of the sale. We all at GA Solicitors wish him and Joan a happy retirement, where hopefully they can enjoy their time after 47 years of very hard work.”
Simon Essex, seller of Manor and Ashbury Resorts, added: “Our 47 years of ownership have flown by, principally due to the skills, support and efforts of our totally committed team. We followed government advice in setting up a share incentive plan in 2005. The plan has involved donating 49% of the company’s shares to the SIP so that separate issues of shares, across all staff, have been made every 2 or 3 years. The result is that 49% of the net value of the company will now be enjoyed, tax-free, by 210 past and present staff. We are delighted that their efforts have been so richly rewarded. For us, it is the end of an era, and we have passed the baton on to Stephen Twiss and his experienced team.”
Evergreen Escapes Group’s Executive Chairman, Stephen Twiss, added: “The acquisition of The Manor & Ashbury Resorts marks the first step in Evergreen Escapes Group’s journey, and it couldn’t be a more perfect fit. It provides the ideal platform for us to realise our ambition of building an industry-defining portfolio of luxury escapes, bringing together holiday and leisure resorts providing an ‘escape the urban’ lifestyle to a multi-generational audience.
“We’re especially fortunate to be starting this journey with the exceptional 280-strong team at The Manor & Ashbury, whose passion for delivering outstanding guest experiences has earned them some of the highest levels of repeat visits in the industry. Their success is a testament to the fantastic legacy created by Simon, “Joan and the entire team, whose vision has laid such strong foundations – and we look forward to building on that success together.
“Plans are already underway for an extensive room refurbishment programme, which will be the first step in a wider long-term development strategy.”
ENDS
16/09/25
Note to Editors
GA Solicitors can trace its roots back more than 200 years and has been advising the people and businesses in the South West for its duration. Originally based in Devonport, the firm gets its initials from Thomas Husband Gill, who joined the practice in 1875 and later went into partnership with Albert E. Akaster.
Now one of the region’s leading law firms, the 98-strong team at the Lexcel-accredited LLP, has offices in both Plymouth and Bath. It is ranked in The Legal 500, Chambers UK and Chambers High Net Worth and is structured around eight practice areas, each comprising its own specialist department:
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