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A North East businessman has snapped up a traditional pub on Holy Island after its owners retired.

Historic coaching house The Ship Inn has been sold to Northumberland local Terry Maughan, after previous owners Andrew and Janice Hnat decided it was time to sell up and retire, having run the pub for 17 years.

The Ship Inn has been a feature on the island for several centuries and was known as the Northumberland Arms until 1995. It has welcomed thousands of tourists to Marygate – close to Lindisfarne Castle, the Harbour and the Priory – with its landscaped beer garden along with four en-suite guestrooms. It also welcomes tourists keen to retrace the steps of characters to feature in the series of books by award-winning crime writer LJ Ross, who set her inaugural DCI Ryan story on Holy Island.

The previous owners, Andrew and Janice Hnat have owned the inn and enlisted property company Christie & Co to help find a buyer.

New owner Terry Maughan operates several licensed and hospitality businesses across Northumberland, many of which he has acquired through Christie & Co, the most recent being Alnwick Squash Club and before that, The Manor House on Holy Island. The team of staff will continue to operate The Ship.

David Cash, director in Christie & Co’s Hospitality team, who handled the sale, said: “The Ship Inn is a fantastic example of a centuries-old inn which has been incredibly well maintained by its former owners. Andrew and Janice have done a fantastic job at building the inn’s reputation as a warm, welcoming freehouse and it’s been an absolute pleasure to act for them in their pursuit of retirement.

The Northumberland Coast continues to be incredibly popular with our buyers and in the last two years alone we’ve brokered lots of sales, including; Oasis Coffee Shop on Holy Island, The Barn at Beal just over the Causeway, The Olde Ship at Seahouses and the Shoreline Café at Craster to name a small handful. Demand continues to outstrip supply and we’re actively seeking to bring new opportunites to market.”

Previous owners, Andrew and Janice Hnat, added: “From our very first contact with David Cash, we were most impressed with his efficiency and how he handled the sale; nothing was too much trouble.”