THE site that formerly housed the Norton Motorcycles production facility has been bought bike MotorSport Vision, and plans have been announced to turn Donington Hall into a luxury hotel.
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The 28-acre site encompasses the grounds of Donington Hall, the workshops that housed the motorcycle builder, and the Grade-II listed mansion that disgraced ex-Norton CEO Garner used to inhabit.
The mansion is reported to be getting turned into a luxury Hotel, presumably with large dash of motorsport history thrown in, as it is being touted as the place to go for well-heeled motorsport enthusiasts. The actual building that housed the Norton operation is also going to be renovated, with the completed building being turned into the Donington Hall Motorhouse.
MSV says it will be the “UK’s most prestigious stabling facility for supercars, classic road and racing cars and motorcycles”, and should be ready for its first clients this autumn.
Buildings at the back of Hastings House, called the Lansdowne workshops, will be let to “high-end motor engineering businesses” that will maintain and prepare vehicles kept at the Motorhouse and used on the race circuit.
MSV chief executive Jonathan Palmer said:
“Ever since we added Donington Park to our portfolio of motorsport circuits I have admired Donington Hall, and have always been keen to acquire the property. It’s a stunningly beautiful building and deserves to be sympathetically restored to its former glory.
“Donington Park circuit was originally built in the estate grounds of Donington Hall in 1931, making it the oldest motor racing circuit in the country. The opportunity to reunite the circuit with the Hall was not to be missed and the substantial marriage value is very exciting.
“Donington Hall Motorhouse will be an outstanding place to securely store some of the best cars and motorcycles in the world, with VVIP facilities for owners. We will be creating an extraordinary and unique facility. Specialist car owners will be able to fly directly into East Midlands airport, view their cars within 10 minutes of landing before settling into, for example, the Rosemeyer Suite at the hotel.”
