Property photos
Just added
£39,950
Pub/bar for sale
Peacemarsh, Gillingham SP8Local area information
Property location
Nearby amenities
- Gillingham Primary School 0.7 miles
- Wyke Primary School 0.7 miles
- Gillingham (Dorset) 0.9 miles
- Templecombe 6.8 miles
These distances are calculated in a straight line. The actual route and distance may vary.
Features and description
- Well Established, Free-of-Tie Character Public House & Restaurant
- Proven Trading History with Net Profit of circa £50,000 Despite Very Limited Trading Hours
- Character Trading Areas with Bar, Restaurant & Dining Room
- Stunning Landscaped Beer Garden and Customer Car Parking
- Delightful Three-Bedroom Owner’s Accommodation with Private Garden
Well Established, Free-of-Tie Character Public House & Restaurant. Stunning Landscaped Beer Garden & Customer. Delightful 3 Bedroom Owners Accommodation.
The property comprises a well-presented and substantial free-of-tie character public house and restaurant, occupying a prominent and accessible position within a popular Dorset trading location. Constructed in a traditional style, the building offers an attractive blend of character and practicality, with well-arranged internal trading areas, attractive Beer Garden and comfortable owner’s accommodation. Internally, the pub is laid out to provide a combination of bar, restaurant and additional dining spaces, allowing the business to operate successfully across wet-led, food-led or mixed trading styles. These areas are supported by a fully equipped commercial catering kitchen and ancillary facilities. Externally, the property benefits from a large beer garden with multiple seating areas, outside catering facilities and a substantial customer car park, enhancing its appeal as a destination venue. The business has historically traded on restricted opening hours yet has still achieved strong and consistent levels of turnover, with reported profits in the region of £50,000. This performance demonstrates the underlying strength of the operation and highlights clear potential for further growth.
The property occupies a prominent and well-recognised trading position on the outskirts of a thriving and expanding Dorset town. The location benefits from excellent accessibility, being situated close to a principal arterial route, making it convenient for both local customers and passing trade. The town acts as an important residential and commercial centre, offering a wide range of everyday amenities including supermarkets, schools and leisure facilities. A mainline railway station provides direct services to London Waterloo and connections throughout the South West. The surrounding area includes established residential neighbourhoods together with attractive countryside and nearby market towns. This combination supports consistent year-round trade, supplemented by strong seasonal demand, and underpins the business’s proven trading performance and future potential.
Entrance & Public Areas
Customers enter via a front entrance lobby which provides access into the principal trading areas. This creates a welcoming arrival point and allows a natural flow through the bar and dining spaces.
Main Bar
The main bar is a traditional and welcoming room arranged to accommodate both seated and standing customers. The space is carpeted and features a brick fireplace with wood burner, creating a warm and characterful atmosphere. A timber-fronted bar servery with polished timber counter is supported by a well-arranged back bar with display shelving. Seating is provided by a mix of freestanding tables, window seating and upholstered wooden chairs, offering flexibility for different trading styles. The bar servery is fully equipped with essential trade fixtures and fittings including bottle refrigeration, glasswash facilities, an epos till system and associated storage.
Restaurant
The restaurant provides a distinct dining environment suited to food-led trade. The room benefits from feature lighting, decorative wall finishes and a character fireplace with open fire. The layout allows for a good number of covers while maintaining comfortable circulation space, making it suitable for both everyday dining and special occasions.
Dining Room
A further dining area offers additional seating capacity and flexibility. Exposed ceiling and wall timbers enhance the character, which is well suited to overflow dining, private bookings or informal service. Doors provide direct access to the external trading areas.
Kitchen & Ancillary Areas
The commercial catering kitchen is fully fitted and arranged to support the current operation. Facilities include a multi-burner gas range with extraction canopy, fryers, microwave ovens, refrigeration units, stainless steel preparation surfaces and extensive shelving. A separate wash-up and food preparation area adjoins the main kitchen, providing additional workspace and storage, fitted with commercial dishwashing equipment, sinks, worktops and under-counter refrigeration and freezer units.
Customer Wcs
Ladies’ and gents’ customer cloakrooms are conveniently located off the trading areas.
Owners Accommodation
The owner’s accommodation is located on the first floor and provides a lovely, family-sized living space. The accommodation comprises a sitting room with timber flooring and built-in storage cupboards, three double bedrooms including a principal bedroom with an adjoining office and a modern shower room fitted with a walk-in shower. Externally, the owners benefit from a private garden area, providing outdoor amenity space separate from customer areas.
External Areas
The external trading areas are a notable feature of the business, comprising a large and attractive beer garden and terraced areas arranged across patio, gravelled and lawned sections. Mature planting, borders and a gazebo enhance the overall environment. An outside Horsebox kitchen and bar facility, together with a brick-built pizza oven, supports alfresco dining and drinking during the warmer months. Additional features include a smoking shelter, bench seating and timber storage facilities.
There is also a large customer car park for circa 30 cars.
General Information
The Business
The business is a well-established, family-run free-of-tie public house and restaurant, operated with a strong emphasis on quality, consistency and manageable working hours. The current owners have run the business with relatively low overheads and a hands-on approach, contributing to healthy profitability and a sustainable operating model.
The pub trades on deliberately restricted opening hours, demonstrating the strength of local demand and the loyalty of its customer base. Despite these limited hours, the business has achieved strong and consistent turnover levels, with net profits in the region of £50,000 pa. There is clear scope for a purchaser to increase trade by extending opening hours, broadening food service or introducing additional events.
Sales for the year ending 31 March 2025 show a Turnover of £225,479 ex VAT despite restricted opening hours. The trade is currently split approximately 60% wet/40% food sales.
The external trading areas play a particularly important role during the summer months, with the beer garden, outside kitchen and seating areas generating a significant uplift in turnover. These facilities enhance the property’s appeal as a destination venue and provide further opportunity for growth through increased seasonal trading and events.
Overall, the business would suit owner-operators seeking a lifestyle-led opportunity, while also offering genuine potential for further development.
Opening Hours
The Dolphin trades from 5.30pm until 10pm on Wednesday and Thursday, from 12pm until 3pm and 5pm until 10.30pm on Friday, from 12pm until 10.30pm on Saturday and from 12pm until 7pm on Sunday. The business is closed all day on Monday and Tuesday and on Wednesday and Thursday during the daytime.
Rateable Value
2023 List: £8,500.
From April 2026: £11,750.
Please note this is not Rates Payable. Interested parties are advised to make their own enquiries with the Local Billing Authority.
Tenure
Leasehold. We have been informed that the property is held on a 10 year, private ‘Free of Tie’ lease, effective from 2019 on Fully Repairing and Insuring terms. Current rent £20,000 pa. The lease is renewable and has the benefit of Security of Tenure.
Inventory
To include furnishings and equipment as per an inventory to be supplied, but excluding the owners personal effects.
Stock
Wet and Dry stock in trade and Bar Glassware will be taken over by the purchaser at valuation on the day of completion.
Council Tax Band A
EPC Rating B
Viewing
Viewing is highly recommended and can be arranged by prior appointment with the Agents, Bettesworths.
The property comprises a well-presented and substantial free-of-tie character public house and restaurant, occupying a prominent and accessible position within a popular Dorset trading location. Constructed in a traditional style, the building offers an attractive blend of character and practicality, with well-arranged internal trading areas, attractive Beer Garden and comfortable owner’s accommodation. Internally, the pub is laid out to provide a combination of bar, restaurant and additional dining spaces, allowing the business to operate successfully across wet-led, food-led or mixed trading styles. These areas are supported by a fully equipped commercial catering kitchen and ancillary facilities. Externally, the property benefits from a large beer garden with multiple seating areas, outside catering facilities and a substantial customer car park, enhancing its appeal as a destination venue. The business has historically traded on restricted opening hours yet has still achieved strong and consistent levels of turnover, with reported profits in the region of £50,000. This performance demonstrates the underlying strength of the operation and highlights clear potential for further growth.
The property occupies a prominent and well-recognised trading position on the outskirts of a thriving and expanding Dorset town. The location benefits from excellent accessibility, being situated close to a principal arterial route, making it convenient for both local customers and passing trade. The town acts as an important residential and commercial centre, offering a wide range of everyday amenities including supermarkets, schools and leisure facilities. A mainline railway station provides direct services to London Waterloo and connections throughout the South West. The surrounding area includes established residential neighbourhoods together with attractive countryside and nearby market towns. This combination supports consistent year-round trade, supplemented by strong seasonal demand, and underpins the business’s proven trading performance and future potential.
Entrance & Public Areas
Customers enter via a front entrance lobby which provides access into the principal trading areas. This creates a welcoming arrival point and allows a natural flow through the bar and dining spaces.
Main Bar
The main bar is a traditional and welcoming room arranged to accommodate both seated and standing customers. The space is carpeted and features a brick fireplace with wood burner, creating a warm and characterful atmosphere. A timber-fronted bar servery with polished timber counter is supported by a well-arranged back bar with display shelving. Seating is provided by a mix of freestanding tables, window seating and upholstered wooden chairs, offering flexibility for different trading styles. The bar servery is fully equipped with essential trade fixtures and fittings including bottle refrigeration, glasswash facilities, an epos till system and associated storage.
Restaurant
The restaurant provides a distinct dining environment suited to food-led trade. The room benefits from feature lighting, decorative wall finishes and a character fireplace with open fire. The layout allows for a good number of covers while maintaining comfortable circulation space, making it suitable for both everyday dining and special occasions.
Dining Room
A further dining area offers additional seating capacity and flexibility. Exposed ceiling and wall timbers enhance the character, which is well suited to overflow dining, private bookings or informal service. Doors provide direct access to the external trading areas.
Kitchen & Ancillary Areas
The commercial catering kitchen is fully fitted and arranged to support the current operation. Facilities include a multi-burner gas range with extraction canopy, fryers, microwave ovens, refrigeration units, stainless steel preparation surfaces and extensive shelving. A separate wash-up and food preparation area adjoins the main kitchen, providing additional workspace and storage, fitted with commercial dishwashing equipment, sinks, worktops and under-counter refrigeration and freezer units.
Customer Wcs
Ladies’ and gents’ customer cloakrooms are conveniently located off the trading areas.
Owners Accommodation
The owner’s accommodation is located on the first floor and provides a lovely, family-sized living space. The accommodation comprises a sitting room with timber flooring and built-in storage cupboards, three double bedrooms including a principal bedroom with an adjoining office and a modern shower room fitted with a walk-in shower. Externally, the owners benefit from a private garden area, providing outdoor amenity space separate from customer areas.
External Areas
The external trading areas are a notable feature of the business, comprising a large and attractive beer garden and terraced areas arranged across patio, gravelled and lawned sections. Mature planting, borders and a gazebo enhance the overall environment. An outside Horsebox kitchen and bar facility, together with a brick-built pizza oven, supports alfresco dining and drinking during the warmer months. Additional features include a smoking shelter, bench seating and timber storage facilities.
There is also a large customer car park for circa 30 cars.
General Information
The Business
The business is a well-established, family-run free-of-tie public house and restaurant, operated with a strong emphasis on quality, consistency and manageable working hours. The current owners have run the business with relatively low overheads and a hands-on approach, contributing to healthy profitability and a sustainable operating model.
The pub trades on deliberately restricted opening hours, demonstrating the strength of local demand and the loyalty of its customer base. Despite these limited hours, the business has achieved strong and consistent turnover levels, with net profits in the region of £50,000 pa. There is clear scope for a purchaser to increase trade by extending opening hours, broadening food service or introducing additional events.
Sales for the year ending 31 March 2025 show a Turnover of £225,479 ex VAT despite restricted opening hours. The trade is currently split approximately 60% wet/40% food sales.
The external trading areas play a particularly important role during the summer months, with the beer garden, outside kitchen and seating areas generating a significant uplift in turnover. These facilities enhance the property’s appeal as a destination venue and provide further opportunity for growth through increased seasonal trading and events.
Overall, the business would suit owner-operators seeking a lifestyle-led opportunity, while also offering genuine potential for further development.
Opening Hours
The Dolphin trades from 5.30pm until 10pm on Wednesday and Thursday, from 12pm until 3pm and 5pm until 10.30pm on Friday, from 12pm until 10.30pm on Saturday and from 12pm until 7pm on Sunday. The business is closed all day on Monday and Tuesday and on Wednesday and Thursday during the daytime.
Rateable Value
2023 List: £8,500.
From April 2026: £11,750.
Please note this is not Rates Payable. Interested parties are advised to make their own enquiries with the Local Billing Authority.
Tenure
Leasehold. We have been informed that the property is held on a 10 year, private ‘Free of Tie’ lease, effective from 2019 on Fully Repairing and Insuring terms. Current rent £20,000 pa. The lease is renewable and has the benefit of Security of Tenure.
Inventory
To include furnishings and equipment as per an inventory to be supplied, but excluding the owners personal effects.
Stock
Wet and Dry stock in trade and Bar Glassware will be taken over by the purchaser at valuation on the day of completion.
Council Tax Band A
EPC Rating B
Viewing
Viewing is highly recommended and can be arranged by prior appointment with the Agents, Bettesworths.
More information
Listed by
Bettesworths Commercial
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