Thirsk animal park relaunches under new owners after £1.85m acquisition

A Thirsk animal park has relaunched after its seven-figure acquisition by a Yorkshire leisure group.

Monk Park Farm, which was forced to close last year due to the pandemic, has been acquired by York Forty Four in a deal worth £1.85m.

The purchase has secured the future of the park, which will operate within York Forty Four’s portfolio of retirement and holiday parks, York House Leisure.

The 85-acre farm welcomes up to 50,000 visitors each year, offering a range of farm-based activities.

Phil Brierley, a director at York Forty Four, commented: “We are delighted to be giving such a much-loved local attraction a new lease of life.

“In many ways, the elements that make our holiday and residential parks such a success equally apply to a visitor attraction like Monk Park Farm.

“We’ll be using our knowledge of the tourist market in North Yorkshire and our expertise in providing a great experience for our holiday home owners to ensure that visitors to Monk Park Farm have a fantastic day out.”

The company was advised on the purchase by a legal team from Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP, led by property lawyer Yasmin Fenton, who was supported by Jon Croft in the corporate team.

Yasmin Fenton said: “We are absolutely delighted to have assisted our clients in the acquisition of Monk Park Farm, which complements their existing North Yorkshire portfolio perfectly.

“With a strong and experienced team in place, Monk Park Farm is poised to welcome and delight visitors back through its gates over the coming months and years. We wish Phil, Tim and the rest of the team every success for their latest venture.”

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