Entrepreneurs from Essex have bought a popular family venue on the Romney Marsh and are planning a grand re-opening.

Lathe Barn in Donkey Street, Burmarsh, will begin trading from Tuesday, April 4, with a fun day to mark the official grand opening on Saturday, April 15.

Martin and Tracy Dunne, originally from Thurrock, were looking for a new venture when they came across the Lathe Barn website, advertising the 6.24-acre site for sale.

It has an established tea room with accommodation, retails units, a gift shop and a granary office.

Mr Dunne, 57, said: “We came down here and we really liked it. It’s tranquil, so we made contact.

“We had been looking for a couple of years at various sites in Suffolk, Cambridge and Kent.

“But this is a nice area and it is everything we were after.”

The couple, who have been married six years, are now living on site and have begun
the hiring process to find 10 seasonal staff members.

In a bid to put their own stamp on the venue, the children’s play barn is being re-themed with dinosaurs and the tea rooms have been decorated.

“We want to build on the good work the former owners have done over the last 16 years,” he added.

Denis and Diana Wimble, the former owners, decided to take a step back from the business last November in a bid to spend more time with their family.

The barn went up for sale, with the Wimbles accepting offers in excess of £900,000, but an exact sale price is not yet known.

Father-of-two Mr Dunne said: “We fell in love with it and it was easy to come to an agreement and an easy decision to make.

“We are looking forward to welcoming people to the barn and on the open day meeting more locals.

“We’d like to thank everyone for their support.”