Closed private members club to be re-established
An unusual private members club, Willy’s Athletic and Sports Club in Exeter, has been sold by licensed property specialists Stonesmith of Exeter to local man Dave Ellis.
The club traded for 77 years and was the social centre for employees of the giant Willey’s Engineering works, once one of the major employers in Exeter with 3,000 staff. In more recent years it had over 400 members and boasted a strong indoor sports theme with snooker, skittles, darts, euchre etc.
The property is situated in a predominantly residential area, south of Exeter’s city centre. It is single storey building of around 5,000sq ft, and provides an entrance hall, main bar, large snooker room, function room and skittle hall, commercial kitchen, cellar and welfare facilities.
Dave plans to carry out partial refurbishment of the building and then trade as a social club. The main emphasis will be on providing function facilities by opening up the main room for private parties, weddings, fund raising events, clubs use etc. He will be enlarging the present kitchen to offer improved catering amenities and rearranging the present lounge bar area. He hopes also to put on occasional live music events to promote South West talent and looks to open in late spring 2012
A leasehold property, Stonesmith sold Willy’s off an original guide price of £85,000.
