Celebrating One Year: Welcome To The Courageous Next Chapter For The Mansion At Piccadilly Place
It's been the most amazing experience, bringing this old mansion back to life. We've seen beautiful, weddings, vibrant holiday parties, and many touching moments inside these walls.
Some of you may have been following the story at The Winchester Star when we announced that the Piccadilly Place property and business is up on the market. We want to take some time here to answer questions and celebrate an incredible year with our community.
Read on for a conversation with Scott, the current owner of Piccadilly Place.
Can I still have my event at Piccadilly Place & how far in advance are you still booking events?
Yes! You can still have your event at Piccadilly Place. We are sensitive to the fact that the building may sell to a non-restaurant or non-event venue, so we are being careful not to book events we may not be able to support. Currently, we are limiting bookings to 3-4 months out, so we can delay any closing that may occur until after our last event.
If you’re interested in booking, see the FAQ's & schedule a tour - we'd love to show you around.
You’re celebrating one year in business for Piccadilly Place!
What has been the most rewarding part of it? What about the hardest?
The most rewarding part of this experience is seeing the building used for happy events, with joy and laughter emanating from the building.
The most difficult would have to be managing the demand. The building is obviously loved by the community, and everyone wants to have their event here. However, because we do not break our offering into hours or rooms blocks, there is a daily rate only, which often exceeds the budget. Piccadilly Place is best suited for events up to 100 people. It becomes cost-prohibitive if you are hosting an event of less than 30, in our opinion.
I hear there are ghosts! Was that a motivation to put the property on the market?
We, too, hear there are ghosts and have been aware of the reputation since before we purchased the building. Although there have been a number of noises and startling events in the two years we have been working on the house, there are very few we can not explain. But it is an old house, with a lot of history, including death in the house. But that is true for most older buildings of the era.
Left photo: Franzi Lee Photography
Are we selling BECAUSE of any supernatural presence that may or may not be here? Not at all. Our stated goal, from the beginning, was to restore the building to as close as original as possible. She had become an eyesore and was falling deeper and deeper into disrepair as every day passed. Now that the work is completed, I am excited to look for and begin my next project.
The venue business was started to put the building to good use, and we certainly hope the next owner is either a restauranteur or venue host. The venue business is more than servicing the debt, and the community has been incredibly supportive.
What events stand out to you as the quintessential celebration at Piccadilly Place?
Obviously, weddings and receptions are the perfect events to be held at Piccadilly Place. The building exudes a simple elegance of a time gone by and provides a perfect backdrop to either traditional or more contemporary events. But we have also hosted an amazing Sweet Sixteen Party, numerous fundraisers for amazing efforts in our community, and even Celebrations of Life. Every event at Piccadilly Place is special, and they all stand out.
Photos 1 & 4: Wanderlife Photography ; Photo 2: Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star ; Photos 3 & 6: Franzi Lee Photography
Where do you hope the building goes from here?
I hope the building goes to someone looking to build something that adds to our community. A restaurant would complement the existing venue business perfectly and is almost turn-key for that purpose. I could also see the building becoming a magnificent city residence for a growing family. We have conversion plans already in place for such a scenario.
Either way, we hope the building transfers to someone who will love and care for her. She is such a fixture of the community, and it would kill me to have her fall into disrepair again. But she would make an easier third project for me than she was the first time around.
Photo: Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star
Where can people keep up to date with news from Piccadilly Place?
Right here at www.PiccadillyPlace.com will be where we keep the community abreast of everything that is going on with the building. Very likely, that website will also transfer with the sale of the building to the new owner if they want it.
Thank you so much to all who have - and continue to - support us and other businesses in downtown Winchester.