Fancy buying a 742-year-old school? It's yours for £5m

Do you fancy buying a 742-year-old school?

Ruthin School in Denbighshire survived more than seven centuries, including plagues, civil war and two world wars, before financial pressures closed its doors for good.

After being bought in March 2023, its new owners injected £6.4m into the school over the three years to cover losses, but it continued to lose money and entered administration in July 2026 - with pupils being told of the closure the day before they broke up for summer.

Now all 12 buildings, a sports field and more than 24 acres of agricultural land are up for sale for £5m as a guide price according to Sanderson Weatherall estate agents.

The school is made up of the main school building, dining hall, science block, additional classroom accommodation, sports hall, storage facilities, boarding houses, sports pitches and adjoining agricultural land.

The main school building is a Grade II listed building dating back to the 1850s, and one of the other properties used as a boarding house on the site was originally a police station.

Although the school's website is no longer working, its archived webpages said in 2004 that the school could trace its origins back to 1284 to when Edward I built a castle and garrison chapel. It was then refounded as Ruthin School in 1574 by a former pupil after the Reformation.

The school moved to its current site in the early 1890s and was visited by Queen Elizabeth II.

The school had 201 pupils, about 50% being overseas boarding students, according to the administrator's proposal document published by Companies House for the school.

There were 130 staff members and they, alongside parents, were informed the school would not be reopening via email on the afternoon before the final day of lessons.

According to its website on 19 November 2025, full boarding fees were £45,690 in 2024-2025 and £54,828 including 20% VAT in 2025-2026.

Weekly boarding cost £30,976.50 and day fees cost between £15,800 and £18,500 depending on year group.

The school had been struggling financially for many years, "incurring losses of £955,000 and £911,000 in 2021 and 2022", the administrator's report said.

"Since 2023, the school has continued to incur losses due to further reductions in pupil numbers, with losses of £2.45m and £1.69m (in 2024 and 2025 financial years).

"The introduction of VAT on school fees in January 2025, combined with increases in national insurance costs led to further challenged in pupil numbers, income levels and the cost base of the school."

The school put in places a series of cost-saving measures including staff redundancy and looking at selling its agricultural land.

However, the large number of sixth form students due to leave the school were not replaced by incoming pupils and so the school was "forecast to suffer further material losses".

Value added tax (VAT) is one of the UK government's main sources of income.

It is payable on top of the purchase price of many goods and services, with the standard rate 20%.

Previously, private schools did not have to charge VAT on their fees because of an exemption for organisations providing education.

While some famous schools, like Eton and Harrow, charge about £50,000 a year in fees, the average price is about £15,000.

Exemptions on these payments were removed on 1 January 2025.

A UK government spokesperson said: "Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029-30.

"This will help support public services, including helping the 94% of children who attend state schools to achieve and thrive."

The move was strongly opposed by the sector amid warnings it would lead to closures.