Hurstwood Holdings, a Manchester-based property investment and development company, has bought Lancaster’s Vue Cinema.
The six screen cinema had been marketed in May with a guide price of £4.25m for the 42,000 sq ft multiplex cinema in the heart of Lancaster city centre.
The multiplex, situated off Church Street, is fully let to Vue Cinemas on a 25-year lease from June 2006, and sits on a two-acre plot in the middle of the historic city. It was built in 2001 and stretches across four levels with 1,574 seats.
Vue is the only multiplex cinema serving Lancaster city centre and has been identified by Vue as one of its key city centre locations and earmarked for further investment, underlining the long term potential of the site.
This latest acquisition builds on Hurstwood Holdings’ established presence in Lancaster, where it already owns two key industrial sites.
Darren Moorhouse of King Street Real Estate worked closely with Stephen Ashworth and the Hurstwood team navigating a complex process under tight deadlines in order to complete the deal in less than five weeks.
Commenting on the acquisition, Stephen Ashworth, CEO and Chairman of Hurstwood Holdings, said: “This acquisition marks a strong and positive start to our 2026 expansion plans. Lancaster is a city we know well and believe in, and this cinema occupies a truly strategic position in the heart of the city centre.
‘’It offers significant potential through continued investment and active asset management, particularly given Vue’s commitment to further refurbishment. This acquisition aligns with our continued commitment to growing our diversified commercial portfolio and investing in assets that support regional economies, leisure infrastructure and long-term value creation.
Mr Ashworth continued: “I also want to acknowledge Handelsbanken, which provided the funding for this acquisition, marking the first deal that we have completed with the bank.
‘’Handelsbanken recently supported the refinancing of a £15 million mixed-use portfolio of ours comprising industrial, retail and leisure assets for Hurstwood Holdings and we are pleased to be able to grow our working relationship.”
The Hurstwood Holdings Group, headquartered in Manchester, owns and manages a national portfolio valued at over £400 million and supports more than 1,500 occupiers across England, Scotland, and Wales.
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